American Matt Kuchar won the Fiji worldwide at Natadola Bay on Sunday, seeing off a blistering late challenge from three-time major champion Vijay Singh who set a course record.
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The world number 16 made the most of slightly easier conditions to shoot an impressive three-under-par third round to sit two clear of Australian Aron Price (69).
Local favorite Vijay Singh shot a course-record 65 to tie for third at 1 over with New Zealand’s Ryan Fox (67) and Australia’s Nick Cullen (68).
Kuchar had been a member of the US Presidents Cup team last week in Korea and so his effort to sustain such quality golf in such demanding conditions after the intensity of last week’s battles made his effort all the more meritorious.
The event is sanctioned by the OneAsia and Australasian tours. “I didn’t have a bogey all day, just not enough birdies”. This is so much fun for me to have the family here, to have dad caddying for me [and] to come out on top.
“It was a great week”, said Kuchar, a seven-time PGA Tour victor.
The victor though was never really in doubt after Kuchar pulled away from the field early with four birdies on the front nine before finishing with a 69. “It was so challenging on Thursday and Friday”.
“I felt I was surviving but played a few really steady, good golf and that was a real difference”, he said.
The title is wide open going into the final round with 16 players separated by only four shots.
“Today my pace wasn’t there, like the 12th hole, I tried to give it a go and ran four or five foot past”.
After scoring over par rounds on the first three days, Lee finally found his rhythm on the last day.
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“I played solid and it wasn’t a hard seven under, I’m happy with it”.
