Vijay Singh breaks earnings record

Farmington, Pennsylvania: World number one Vijay Singh recorded his eighth victory of the season, winning the 84 Lumber Classic in Farmington, Pennsylvania, USA on Sunday by one stroke from Stewart Cink. Singh also broke the PGA Tour single-year money record Tiger Woods set on his way to three major victories in 2000. Singh's eighth win this year pushed his money total to more than 9.4 million dollars in 26 events, surpassing the 9.2 million dollars earned by Woods, who won nine times in 20 events in 2000. With Singh expecting to play four more times, he could become the first golfer to win 10 million dollars in one year. Cinka€™s challenge American Ryder Cup player Stewart Cink played solid golf throughout the final round. Cink sank a long and difficult birdie putt on the 9th hole to take his score to 11-under par, but there was more to come from the two-time winner this year. Zach Johnson was one of four golfers to finish in a tie for third place on 12-under par. Johnson carded an impressive four-under 68 on Sunday. But, it was world number one Vijay Singh who had the tournament in his hands. Singh led from start to finish for his fifth victory in six tournaments, the best streak since Tiger Woods won six in a row to end 1999 and start 2000. A birdie at the 8th hole took his score to 14-under par. KJ Choi finished the tournament tied for fourth place at 11-under par with American Duffy Waldorf. Choi sank an eagle putt on the 17th hole, which helped him to record a final round of seven-under par 65. Cink, though, was the only player to come close to challenging Singh. The American had the putter working and claimed a fifth consecutive birdie to take his score to 13-under par. In the process he attempted to keep the pressure on Singh, who went about his business seemingly oblivious to the threat posed by Cink. Surging ahead The Fijian went ahead by two shots with a birdie on the 11th hole to get to 15-under par. Chris DiMarco, one of the few Americans who played well in last week's Ryder Cup, was one of the three golfers tied for third place. He sank a short birdie putt on the 12th hole to reach 12-under par. DiMarco eventually settled for a two-under 70 to finish level with Johnson and Pat Perez. Singh, meanwhile, was ensuring a comfortable victory. His lead grew to four shots when he made birdie on the 13th hole. That took him to 16-under par. Cink closed the gap again, but Singh eventually had two putts on the 18th hole to win the tournament. After a par putt came up short, Singh tapped in for bogey to win by one from Cink. It was Singh's fifth victory in his last 6 tournaments and his eighth of the season. It was also his third consecutive victory. The last golfer to do that was Tiger Woods, in 2001. With the money he earned from this win, 756,000 dollars (US), Singh now holds the PGA single-season record for earnings, at just under nine and a half million dollars. It was Woods' record that Singh broke with the tournament victory on Sunday. Overall, it was the 23rd career victory for the Fijian. (AP)