Singh closes in on opening Tour victory

Vijay Singh was on the verge last night of winning the Mercedes-Benz Championship, the PGA Tour's season opener. The 43-year-old hit a three-under 70 on a windy day in the third round in Maui, Hawaii, lifting him to an 11-under 208, three shots clear of Adam Scott and Trevor Immelman.

Scott was due to play with Singh in last night's final round, a rematch of the final round at the Tour Championship in November, when Scott prevailed.

Scott's fellow Australian Stuart Appleby, hoping to be the fourth man on the US Tour to win an event four years in a row, shot a 72 to be nine shots behind Singh.