Ames finishes 39th in Funai Classic golf

ACE Trinidad and Tobago golfer Stephen Ames had a final round 71 at the Magnolia Course, Lake Buena Vista, Florida yesterday to slip to a 39th finish in the PGA Funai Classic.

Ames who began the day in joint 30th still managed to earn US $16,000 for his placing. He opened with a level par 72, then fired a round of 64 to be seven strokes off the lead held by eventual winner Vijay Singh of Fiji after two days. But Ames could only manage two further rounds of one under par 71 to complete the course on a total of 278. He was joined on that total by Richard S. Johnson, Kirk Triplett, Robert Gomez, David Gossett and Deane Pappas.

Yesterday Singh broke out of a  four-way tie and finished with another long birdie putt for a 5-under 67 win the by four strokes over Tiger Woods, Stewart Cink and Scott Verplank. Singh won US $720,000 for his fourth victory of the year, which left him poised to end Woods’ four-year reign of the PGA Tour money title. Singh, who finished at 23-under 265, now has a US $250,094 lead over Woods and a huge advantage by playing next week in the US $4.8 million Chrysler Championship in Tampa.

Woods, who already has played eight fewer events, is skipping that tournament. Woods is going after a record fifth straight money title, and he did well to make sure the gap wasn’t worse. Despite a bogey on the first hole, he shot 31 on the back nine at Magnolia for a 65 and wound up in a tie for second at 269. Even so, Singh could clinch the money title by winning in Tampa, which would be worth US $864,000. Otherwise, the money title will be decided in Houston at the Tour Championship.