- May 03, 2004
PGA TOUR
- Vijay Singh is the first player to record back-to-back Monday victories
since the TOUR began keeping track of such things in 1980. He's also won the last three Monday finishes on TOUR, beginning with the 2003 John Deere Classic and including the 2004 Shell Houston Open and the 2004 HP Classic of New Orleans.
- He didn't have the 54-hole lead this week, but the next time he does,
you might want to put your money on Vijay Singh. He's won the last six tournaments in which he has held the lead entering the final round.
- Left-handers winning on TOUR has become a lot more commonplace, but the
past two years have been exceptional. Three tournaments currently sport consecutive lefthanded winners -- Bob Hope Chrysler Classic (Mike Weir/Phil Mickelson), Nissan Open (Weir/Weir) and the Masters (Weir/Mickelson).
- Speaking of lefties, there may have been a first on TOUR this past
Monday in New Orleans. One threesome featured Greg Chalmers, Russ Cochran and Steve Flesch -- all lefties. It doesn't seem likely that this has ever occured before on TOUR given the limited number of lefties competing.
- His victory at the HP Classic of New Orleans gives Vijay Singh 10
victories in this millenium. He's now tied with Phil Mickelson for second on that list. Tiger Woods has 25 since the 2000 season began to lead all players.
CHAMPIONS TOUR
- One key to Bruce Fleisher's victory last week at the Bruno's Memorial
Classic was his strong iron play. He hit 49 of 54 Greens In Regulation (90.7%) --t hat's the best on the Champions Tour this season.
- Fleisher's victory was the third consecutive win by a player 55 years
of age or older on the Champions Tour. Tom Jenkins (56) and Hale Irwin
(58) won the previous two events. Overall, players 55+ have won five of the first 10 tournaments this season.
- While he hasn't won the Bruno's Memorial Classic yet, it would appear
to be in the cards for Dana Quigley eventually. In his seven starts at the event, Quigley has posted 21 consecutive rounds of par-or-better.
- Tom Kite will head to this week's FedEx Kinko's Classic in his hometown
of Austin, TX, with winning on his mind. While the Texas native has won 25 times on the PGA TOUR and Champions Tour combined, he's never won in his home state. He came close here last year, finishing 4th, two strokes behind winner Hale Irwin.
NATIONWIDE TOUR
- Last week's five-hole playoff at the BMW Charity Pro-Am at The Cliffs
was the first five-hole playoff since the 1991 Shreveport Open.
- While he just missed winning at the HP Classic of New Orleans, 2003
Nationwide Tour graduated Joe Ogilvie joined a growing list of his classmates who have had top finishes on the PGA TOUR this year. Zach Johnson owns a victory while other Top-20 finishers from 2003, Mark Hensby, Ted Purdy and Ogilvie, all have had runnerup finishes this season.
- Shane Bertsch might be the hottest player on the Tour right now with
consecutive third-place finishes to his credit. Bertsch finished solo third at the Rheem Classic and followed up last week with a T3 at the BMW Charity Pro-Am at The Cliffs. Bertsch has won $59,360 in the last two weeks and has vaulted to 12th on the money list with $72,814.
- Rick Price has had an interesting start to his year. He's missed the
cut in three of his seven starts, but when he's been on he's been very good. He was second at the Chitimacha Louisiana Open and added a T3 last week in Greenville, SC, to his list of accomplishments. He's now 9th on the money list with $83,203 to his credit.
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