Golf: In Singh's shadow

Fijian golfer Vijay Singh has made headlines in the past couple of seasons for two things - making loads of money by winning tournaments, and losing admirers by rubbishing the idea of competing with women.

When the superstar of women's golf, Annika Sorenstam, competed by invitation in the Colonial tournament on the US PGA men's tour last season, Singh made it clear he didn't approve.

His attitude was shared by a number of tour members, who dismissed the entry as a publicity stunt.

In the event, Sorenstam was far from outclassed but missed the cut. Teenager Michelle Wie, Laura Davies and Se Ri Pak also competed against the men in 2003 in what some hailed as a breakthrough for the women's game.

But the hype seems to have faded for the moment and the women's game remains very much in the shadow of the men's.

Singh this year has won nine times on the US PGA tour and collected US$10,725,166 ($15.7 million) in prizemoney. Sorenstam won 11 times on the women's tour last season and earned US$2,863,904.

This season the Swedish player has won six times for US$2,179,707.

Sorenstam's success highlights a problem for the American women's tour.

Its struggle for sponsorship and major television time is not helped when foreign players dominate the tournaments.

This season the only American-born players in the top 10 money winners are veteran Meg Mallon, who won the US Open, and Cristie Kerr.

The men's tour is beginning to feel the same pressure.

Singh is joined in the top 10 by South African Ernie Els, Australian Adam Scott, Spaniard Sergio Garcia and Trinidadian Stephen Ames.

Canadian Mike Weir, Aussie Stuart Appleby and South African Retief Goosen are in the top 15.

Els, incidentally, is third on the US list with US$5,629,025 but also heads the European tour earnings with €4,061,904 ($11.2 million).

A "BAD" year for Tiger Woods on the US tour is US$4,717,472 in winnings from 18 tournaments.

Spare a thought for Mexican veteran Esteban Toledo, who is 211th on the money list.

He has played 36 tournaments on the tour, made only eight cuts and has taken home US$115,185 in winnings.

W HEN Sir Bob Charles plays the 18th hole at Titirangi as part of his tribute tour next Thursday, he will be revisiting the scene of one of his triumphs - victory in the 1978 Air New Zealand-Shell Open.

The years have seen many of the trees removed and the green has been revamped in Titirangi's latest upgrade. But the 18th remains a par four dogleg to the left.

Charles came to the final hole 26 years ago needing a birdie to win New Zealand's richest tournament.

He floated a perfect wedge second to within a metre of the pin and sank the putt to win by a shot from Aussie Graham Marsh.

The big galleries cheered, though thousands watching on television missed the moment as Television New Zealand gave priority to the 6pm news.

The tournament had special lustre that year because the field included Arnold Palmer and the great Australians Peter Thomson and Kel Nagle.

Next Thursday Charles will play 18 holes as part of a day of nostalgia to raise funds for junior golf and melanoma awareness.