'I feel for Mike'

Singh wins Canadian Open playoff as Weir falters down stretch

Vijay Singh is one of just five players who have won at least seven times in one year since 1970. AP

OAKVILLE, Ontario (AP) -- Already No. 1 in the world, Vijay Singh felt like Public Enemy No. 1 in Canada.

Any other time, some 40,000 fans at the Canadian Open would have been thrilled to see the world's best player overcome a sore left knee and a three-shot deficit to make birdie on the final hole and win in a playoff.

Just not Sunday.

Not with Mike Weir on the cusp of becoming the first Canadian in 50 years to win his national title -- on the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Open, no less.

Woe, Canada.

"I feel for Mike," Singh said after a thrilling duel that Canadians will appreciate once the shock wears off. "That was the one person I didn't want to beat."

In some respects, Weir beat himself.

Three times he stood over a putt to win the Bell Canadian Open -- a 10-foot birdie on the 72nd hole, a 25-foot eagle on the 18th hole in the playoff, a 5-footer for par at No. 17 on the second extra hole. He missed them all.

Weir ran out of chances, driving into the rough on the par-5 18th, laying up and then putting his approach into the water on the third playoff hole.

"The level of pressure was right there with Augusta," said Weir, who became Canada's first major champion last year at the Masters. "It was me who didn't get it done. I just didn't have anything falling my way the last few days."

Singh, who blistered tee shots on the 18th all three times, only had to three-putt from the fringe to win for the seventh time this season and put a stamp on a No. 1 ranking he has held only a week.

"It's only been a week," Singh said. "It's pumped me up a little bit more. You don't want to let that position go. The only way you can hang onto it is by playing better than the rest of the guys."

Golf has never had a home game like this -- a major championship-caliber gallery, 99 percent of them in euphoria as soon as the ball left Weir's club.

Asked if he felt the weight of a nation on his shoulders, Weir replied, "Every shot."

"I was literally deaf just being screamed at," he said. "I had to open my mouth and give a yawn to pop my ears as I got to the tee. It was pretty cool."

Singh noticed it, too, especially late in the round.

"They were cheering in a good way," he said. "They were not cheering against me, they were cheering for Mike. Although on 15 when I missed the putt, they got excited. You understand that's part of it."

Singh closed with a 69 and joined an elite group -- Tiger Woods (twice), Jack Nicklaus (twice), Tom Watson and Johnny Miller are the only other players to have won at least seven times in one year since 1970.

More importantly for the 41-year-old Fijian, the $810,000 he won Sunday at Glen Abbey gives him just short of $8.7 million for the season, allowing him to close in on Woods' single-season record of $9.1 million.

"I'm not going to back off," Singh said.

Despite a sore left knee all week, despite playing the 11th hole in 7 over par, despite trailing Weir by two shots with three holes to play, Singh again found a way to get it done.

Ultimately, however, this will be remembered as one Weir gave away.

Weir had three-putt bogeys on two of the final six holes -- one of them from 8 feet with a chance to lock up the title -- and he had a chance to win in regulation with a 10-foot birdie that left a major championship-caliber gallery on the edge of its seat. It turned away on the final roll, leaving Weir with his only round over par all week (72) and both players at 9-under 275.

Joe Ogilvie had a 69 to finish third, two shots behind at 277.

Justin Rose of England had the best round of the tournament, an 8-under 63 that put him in a tie for fourth with Tom Lehman (64), Hunter Mahan (68) and Stewart Cink (69). Mahan, No. 117 on the money list with two months left in the season, earned $177,187 to assure himself of keeping the card.

Weir appeared to have the Bell Canadian Open wrapped up when he holed a 12-foot birdie on No. 10 to get to 12 under and take a three-shot lead over Singh.

But he dropped a shot on the 11th by driving in a bunker, in front of a grassy mound that forced him to lay up short of the creek. Then came a shocking bogey on the par-5 13th when Weir, trying to putt over a ridge from 30 feet, didn't even get his first putt halfway to the hole.

Still leading by two with three holes to play, Weir had a slippery 8-footer for birdie on the 16th that might have effectively clinched it, only to knock it 4 feet by and miss the par putt.

"I never at one time thought I was out of it," Singh said.

He finally caught Weir with a 371-yard drive on the par-5 18th. His approach went long into the rough and he chipped 8 feet by, but his putt caught enough of the left lip to fall in for birdie, and Singh tossed his ball into the water and walked off the green with his putter held high.

He was the winner about an hour later, and looked almost apologetic.

The Canadians showered Singh with respect throughout the week, but there wasn't much love in the playoff. When Singh's 8-foot par putt on the second extra holed lipped out, the gallery let out a cheer.

Maybe it was a Ryder Cup preview -- even if neither player will be at Oakland Hills next week.

Divots: Bill Haas needed to finish in the top 10 to qualify for the Texas Open. He closed with a 74 and tied for 19th, meaning he will have to go through Monday qualifying in San Antonio. If he doesn't get in, he will go to Oakland Hills to watch his father, Jay Haas, play in the Ryder Cup. ... Phil Mickelson recovered from his worst score of the year to close with a 68 and finish at 7-over 291, his highest four-round total of the season. He tied for 57th.