Vijay Singh out-skinned; Justin just a few birdies too good

However, the shot of the day was Singh’s approach shot to the first green. After his ball took a bad bounce and trickled into the water hazard on the right side of the fairway, Singh used a lob-wedge to chip the ball out to just two inches from the pin. The reigning world champion just tapped in for his birdie and for the first skin of the day.

Rose started holing putts from the second hole and never stopped. A birdie on the second gave him his first skin of $2500 after Chopra narrowly missed his birdie putt. Rose holed out for another birdie again on the next, taking yet another skin.

The fourth hole was halved in pars and the skins carried forward to the next hole, making the par-four fifth hole worth $6000. One more birdie from Rose added two more skins to his total, taking it to $11,000 after just five holes.

The seventh hole, worth $3500, was halved in pars and the skin carried forward to the eighth hole, a short par-three, making it worth $7000. Rose made another brilliant putt that found the bottom of the cup from 40 feet.

The par-three 16th was halved in pars after all four players found the green with their tee shots, but the short par-four 17th saw Singh hit another excellent shot. He sent the ball straight on the green over the large water hazard. Unfortunately, he three-putted but Chopra demonstrated a brilliant chip and putt for birdie from the left side of the fairway to claim the hole and two skins worth $22,000.

Like the last time the skins game was played in 2002, the 18th hole, worth $16000, was halved in regulation play, as Singh, Chopra and Hamilton carded birdies. Back to the tee a second time for the playoff, Singh hit his second shot to within a foot from the hole and tapped it in for an eagle.

Rose was the undisputed winner, Chopra finished second, Singh third and Hamilton fourth.