GOLF

SINGH ENDS WOODS’S RUN AT NO. 1

Vijay Singh won a head-to-head matchup with Tiger Woods to end his record reign atop golf’s ultimate leader board.

Singh shot a 69 to beat Woods and Adam Scott by three strokes in the Deutsche Bank Championship yesterday, clinching the no. 1 ranking in the world with his sixth victory of the year. Woods had been first for more than five years – a record 264 consecutive weeks.

Singh took a three-stroke lead into the final round, but he and Woods were tied at 13 under after Singh bogeyed no. 13. Woods bogeyed the next hole and Singh birdied 15 to pull ahead by two strokes before adding birdies on the final two holes to finish at 16 under.

Singh is the top winner on the tour this year with six victories, including the PGA Championship, and $7,889,566 in earnings. He needed only to finish ahead of Woods to take over the no. 1 ranking that he has been closing in on all year.

The computer rankings factor in performance over the past two years, taking the strength of field into account; Woods held a 12.09-11.91 lead heading into this week.

Singh will be the first player other than Woods to hold the no. 1 ranking since August 8, 1999.

FOOTBALL

SHOCKEY SAYS HE’S READY TO PLAY

After sitting out training camp and all four preseason games with an injured foot and a hamstring problem, Giants Pro Bowl tight end Jeremy Shockey declared himself fit yesterday.

Shockey said he could have played in the Giants’ final preseason game against Baltimore, but decided to rest until the season opener against NFC East rival Philadelphia on Sunday. He vowed to start.

“I feel pretty good right now, and I’ve felt better each day. I’m ready to get it going. It’s an important game for us and we have to start off on the right track.”

Shockey missed the final seven games last season with a knee injury. He had surgery on his right foot in June and slightly pulled his right hamstring August 21. He said he’s not worried about being rusty or out of shape, and noted the rest allowed his foot to heal.

PACE ENDS HOLDOUT, SIGNS WITH RAMS

Holdout offensive tackle Orlando Pace signed a one-year contract yesterday with the St. Louis Rams and participated in his first practice.

The five-time Pro Bowl player held out the last two years in retaliation for getting the franchise tag, and has been seeking a long-term deal. The one-year contract is worth $7.02 million. Pace missed most of training camp last year and all of it this season.

In Seattle, standout tackle Walter Jones ended his holdout and signed a one-year deal worth $7.1 million. Jones, designated the team’s franchise player, missed this year’s training camp while he waits for a long-term contract offer.

HOCKEY

FINLAND TOPS GERMANY AT WORLD CUP

Mikko Eloranta tipped a shot past Olaf Kolzig with 3:22 left, lifting Finland to a 2-1 win over Germany yesterday and into semifinals of the World Cup of Hockey.

Finland, which finished atop the European pool after tying Sweden 4-4 in their round-robin finale, will play the winner of the game between the defending champion United States and Russia when the tournament moves to North America for the semifinals.

– Associated Press