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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted on: Thursday, December 18, 2003

GOLF BRIEFS
Golf writers choose Woods as top player, too

By Doug Ferguson
Associated Press

TIGER WOODS

Tiger Woods picked up another Player of the Year award Tuesday, and this vote wasn't even close.

Woods was honored by the Golf Writers Association of America for a record fifth straight year.

He also won player of the year from the PGA of America (based on a points system) and the PGA Tour (a vote by players, said to be among the closest ever).

The GWAA selected Woods on 54 percent of the ballots.

Vijay Singh, who has a testy relationship with the media, wasn't even second. Ernie Els got 18 percent of the vote, while Singh came in third with 14 percent.

Woods led the PGA Tour with five victories, two of them World Golf Championships, and he won the Vardon Trophy with the second-lowest scoring average in history.

Singh had four victories and won the money title with $7.5 million, ending Woods' four-year reign. Els won twice on the PGA Tour, although he won five times overseas and won the European tour's money list.

The GWAA has 912 members, although a majority doesn't cover the PGA Tour on a regular basis. It includes public relations officials from golf organizations, equipment companies, player management agencies and regional golf and travel magazines.

Only 39 percent of the membership voted.

Annika Sorenstam won the GWAA female player of the year for the third straight time, getting 98.6 percent of the votes. She won six times, completed the LPGA career Grand Slam with two majors, and became the first woman in 58 years to play on the PGA Tour.

Tom Watson was the GWAA senior player of the year, winning two majors on the Champions Tour and winning the money title during an emotional year with his caddie, Bruce Edwards, who is dying of Lou Gehrig's disease. Watson received 93 percent of the vote.

Watson won the GWAA player of the year six times, including four straight years from 1977-80.

Time on their side: Darren Clarke and Ben Curtis both got off to bad starts at the Target World Challenge and were in the first pairing the last three days.

They were 19 strokes behind the leader Sunday when Clarke ambled onto the practice range with a cup of coffee and a message for the 26-year-old rookie.

"All right, let's get one thing clear. We need to play fast today," Clarke said with a big grin. "My plane doesn't leave until quarter of nine, but I've got a lot to do."

Curtis smiled back and said, "Is four hours good enough?"

"No," Clarke said.

They played the first hole in six minutes, and finished the round in just under three hours.

• Final race: Only two tournaments remain in 2003 that count toward the world ranking, which is significant because the Masters takes the top 50 in the world at the end of the year.

Among those on the bubble are Loren Roberts (No. 47), who can only hope no one passes him after the Australian Open or the Okinawa Open on the Asian Tour.

Scott Hoch was No. 49 two weeks ago, but he has dropped 10 spots.

Not to worry. Hoch isn't likely to lose any sleep over this.

Asked in September about falling out of the top 50 and missing out on the Masters, he feigned dismay.

"Oh, that would be a shame," Hoch said.