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World-class golf pitting the game�s greatest against one another has become as much a part of the Labor Day weekend tradition in New England as barbeques and sunburns. This Labor Day under sunny skies, the Deutsche Bank Championship and the Tournament Players Club of Boston was a battleground for two of the world's top golfers - Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh. It was the second time in three years these two golfers squared off to conclude the event.
Two years ago, Singh and Woods met in the final pairing of the final round of the Deutsche Bank Championship with Singh firing a final round 69 to earn a three-shot victory over Woods. That victory not only gave Singh head-to-head bragging rights, it also propelled him to the world�s number one ranking, ending Woods� 264-week reign as the world�s top golfer. When Monday�s final round arrived, some things had changed. Woods was once again on top of the golfing world coming off four straight wins on the PGA TOUR. Singh, on the other hand, has just one win this year and has fallen from first to fifth in the rankings. Still, the more things change, the more they remain the same. After Singh shot a blistering course record 10-under par 61 in Sunday�s rain-soaked third round to propel him into the lead, the rematch between him and Woods was set. Once again, the duo was paired in the final group with Singh holding a three-shot lead and seemingly all of the momentum. That was until Woods eagled the par-5 2nd, sticking a 6-iron second shot from 206 yards to 11 feet, and then birdied the par-3 3rd. Not only had he made up the entire three-shot deficit, but momentum and the support of the capacity crowd was all his. Singh was defenseless against Woods. Another birdie at the par-4 5th gave Woods the lead. And then even when Singh made a spectacular shot from the fairway bunker at the par-5 7th to set up a kick-in birdie, Woods one bettered him making eagle, his second on the front nine. After the torrid start by the world�s number one player, it was never close. By the turn, Woods was on cruise control and on his way to his 53rd PGA TOUR victory. The final numbers showed that Woods posted 16-under par, good for a two-shot win over Singh. �I just had to run him down as fast as possible, try to at least get him by the time the front nine was over,� said Woods of his ability to control the match. �But I was able to do it within three holes. �I was able to get the lead on the front nine, which was a huge bonus and basically [allowed me to] play a little bit more conservative on the back nine and it forced Vijay to try to make birdies.� Those birdies didn�t come readily for Singh and when they did, such as at the par-4 15th when Singh�s approach landed 18 inches from the hole, Woods was there to drill a 12-foot putt and make a birdie of his own. Singh finished the round with a more-than-respectable 3-under par 68, but that was no match for Woods on this day as he fired an 8-under par 63. The victory extended Woods� current win streak on the PGA TOUR to five, one short of his career best of six. The more important number that became the focus on most people�s mind on Monday, though, was 11 � the all-time PGA TOUR winning streak set by the legendary Byron Nelson. Woods was quick to admit, that�s a number to which right now he�s not even close. �In this day and age and the competition, to win 11 in a row would almost be unheard of,� admitted Woods. �What Byron accomplished, that right there goes down to probably one of the greatest years in the history of our sport. I mean you�ve got to have one bad week somewhere. He never did. His bad week was a win, I guess.� What Woods does know is that right now his game is on the right track. Monday�s final round 63 was the best final round he�s ever posted in victory. If that�s not good enough, the fact that his charity, the Tiger Woods Foundation, is the lead beneficiary of the Deutsche Bank Championship makes things extra special. �I really wanted to play well and win this tournament, obviously for the Foundation, the things that we're trying to do and the money we're trying to raise to better the chances of our youth,� said Woods, who in three previous tries had never won at the Deutsche Bank Championship. �So for me to win this golf tournament I think it's just adds more exposure to what we're trying to do and trying to accomplish with our foundation.� That exposure is sure to increase a year from now, not just because Woods is the defending champion but also the fact that when golfers return to the TPC of Boston for next year�s Championship, the FedExCup � the PGA TOUR�s new playoff series that begins in the 2007 season � will be at stake. �Next year we're going to the [FedExCup] playoff series, so we're going to have the best players on our TOUR. It's huge for [the Deutsche Bank Championship] to be a part of that,� said Woods. �So I expect to have probably the best field of whoever assembled here next year.� Given that fact, it seems almost inevitable that Labor Day Weekend will once again be synonymous with a classic battle being played out at the Deutsche Bank Championship. |
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