Singh makes final charge

US Tour: The Overnight leader Sergio Garcia was caught by world number two Vijay Singh with eight holes to play in the final round of the Wachovia Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina yesterday.

Singh, who started the day six strokes behind the pacesetting Spaniard, produced two birdies, a bogey and an eagle-three at the seventh to reach the turn at three-under 33.

The Fijian, chasing his third PGA Tour title of the season, then picked up further shots on 10 and 11 to get to five under for his round and 11 under overall.

Garcia, who had held the lead at the Quail Hollow Club since the opening day, was even par for his round and level with Singh after 12 holes.

The Spanish Ryder Cup player stumbled with a bogey at the par-four first before briefly regaining the lead at 13 under after reeling off consecutive birdies on seven and eight.

However, he immediately slipped backwards after running up a double-bogey at the par-four ninth.

Padraig Harrington, after reaching the turn in one-over-par had a dismal final back nine of seven over par 43 which included a quadruple bogey eight at the par four 14th on his way to a final round of 80 and an 11-over-par 299 total.

CHALLENGE TOUR: Waterville's David Higgins remains in pole position at the head of the European Challenge Tour Rankings after taking a share of seventh place at the Firstplus Wales Challenge.

The 32 year old has now won €66,380 in 2005 and is close to securing a return to The European Tour card as one of the Challenge Tour's top 20 with just over half the season to go.

Frenchman Olivier David defeated England's Iain Pyman with a brilliant birdie at the second hole of a thrilling sudden-death play-off to take the €20,000 first prize at the Vale Hotel and Spa Resort yesterday after both players finished the regulation 72 holes in level par 292.

Colm Moriarty, the only other Irishman to survive the halfway cut, finished the week on 10-over-par 302 after a final round of 76.

LPGA TOUR: Annika Sorenstam's hopes of a record sixth straight win on the LPGA Tour all but disappeared after Cristie Kerr moved five shots clear in the rain-delayed Michelob Ultra Open.

American Kerr, 27, will start the final round on nine under par after three consecutive rounds of 68 at the Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg, Virginia.

Swede Sorenstam had been on the fringe of contention after a third-round 69, but three dropped shots in the first three holes of her final round saw her drop 11 behind.

The world number one ran into big trouble at the long third, topping a shot and running up a double-bogey seven.

Scotland's Catriona Matthew, tied for third the last two weeks, continued her fine run of form with a 70 to move into outright fourth place, but she was seven behind Kerr.

Kerr is a four-time career winner and has already come close to claiming number five this season with a second and three thirds from six events.