Vijay Singh of Fiji closed the gap on Tiger Woods at the top of the Official World Golf Ranking to just 0.1 points, the smallest gap since Woods started his current five year reign at the top, with his victory in the 86th US PGA Championship at Whistling Straits, Kohler, Wisconsin.
Singh defeated Americans Chris DiMarco and Justin Leonard over a three hole play-off to overtake South Africa’’s Ernie Els, like Singh an Honorary Member of The European Tour, and climb to World Number Two. Just 0.55 points separate the top three in the world.
Woods, however, remains World Number One for a 332nd week, overtaking the previous record of 331 weeks in total as World Number One set by Greg Norman. Woods has enjoyed 262 consecutive weeks at the top.
Leonard climbed 22 places to World Number 25 while DiMarco, who earned a place in the 2004 US Ryder Cup Team, jumped nine places to World Number 17.
England’’s Gary Emerson secured his maiden European Tour title at the BMW Russian Open, a dual ranking event with the European Challenge Tour. Weather delays earlier in the week meant that Emerson played 35 holes during the final day at Le Meridien Moscow Country Club. He moved up 123 places in the World Ranking to Number 214.
Brad Ott won the Price Cutter Charity Championship at Highland Springs Country Club on the Nationwide Tour, a final round of 64 giving him a one stroke victory. Ott is now 531= in the World Ranking.
