GOLF

SINGH WINS WACHOVIA AFTER GARCIA’S COLLAPSE

Vijay Singh took advantage of a record-tying collapse by Sergio Garcia and an untimely mistake by Jim Furyk, rallying from six shots behind with a 6-under 66 and winning the Wachovia Championship on the fourth hole of a sudden-death playoff yesterday. Singh only needed a par on the 18th hole at Quail Hollow to win for the third time this year after Furyk’s tee shot skipped over a creek and rolled down into the water.

Garcia twice had the tournament in his hands – at the start of the day with a six-shot lead, then recovering from his meltdown to take a one-shot lead with two holes to play. But he pulled his tee shot on the par-3 17th into the water and scrambled for bogey, and missed a 20-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to fall into a three-man playoff.

It matched the largest final-round collapse in PGA Tour history, last accomplished by Greg Norman in the 1996 Masters. Garcia was eliminated in fitting fashion, three-putting from 45 feet and missing a 6-footer for par on the first extra hole.

Masters runner-up Chris DiMarco closed with a 66 to finish fourth, his third consecutive finish in the top five. Phil Mickel dropped three shots over the final two holes for a 66 to tie for seventh. Tiger Woods finished in a tie for 11th after being penalized two strokes for moving a fence right of the 10th fairway.

TENNIS

NADAL WINS ROME MASTERS

Rafael Nadal won the Rome Masters yesterday for his third straight clay-court title, edging Guillermo Coria in a fifth-set tiebreaker of a match that ended in darkness and lasted more than five hours. Nadal won 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (6) to extend his winning streak to 17 matches.

It was the fifth title this season for the 18-year-old Spaniard, tying him with top-ranked Roger Federer for most on tour. He is the first teenager to win five titles in a season since Andre Agassi won six in 1988.

HENIN-HARDENNE WINS THIRD STRAIGHT TOURNAMENT

Justine Henin-Hardenne captured the German Open yesterday, stretching her winning streak to 17 matches with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 victory over Russia’s Nadia Petrova in a final interrupted three times because of rain. The former top-ranked Belgian claimed her third straight title on clay and established herself as the favorite for the French Open.

The 12th-seeded Henin-Hardenne continued a remarkable comeback from a virus and an injured knee, lifting her overall record to 20-1 since returning in March. This was her 22nd career title and her third win in a row.

BASKETBALL

NASH EDGES O’NEAL IN FOURTH-CLOSEST MVP BALLOT

Steve Nash edged Shaquille O’Neal by 34 points to win the NBA’s most valuable player award, the fourth-closest margin since the press began determining the winner in 1980-81. The decision was first reported Friday, but the official announcement yesterday detailed the balloting by a panel of 127 sports writers and broadcasters.

Nash received 1,066 points, while O’Neal received 1,032. The NBA assist leader at 11.5 a game, Nash is the sixth guard to win the award, joining Bob Cousy, Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, and Allen Iverson. Nash is the first player to lead the league in assists and be named MVP since Johnson in 1987. Dirk Nowitzki of Dallas was a distant third in the balloting, followed by San Antonio’s Tim Duncan and Philadelphia’s Iverson.

– Associated Press