Reuters
Sunday, November 26

INDIO, Calif. -- Colin Montgomerie made the fewest birdies, but he sank a 2-foot par putt worth $340,000 on the third playoff hole to walk away the big winner of the 18th annual Skins Game on Sunday.

	Fred Couples won $125,000 for the weekend to increase his Skins Game record total to $2.1 million.

While it will not make up for his three runner-up finishes in major championships on U.S. soil, Montgomerie heads back to Scotland with $415,000 and a win in the unofficial, four-player event.

Masters champion Vijay Singh, like Montgomerie a first-time Skins Game participant, finished second with $260,000. Sergio Garcia, who led after the first day's nine holes with $150,000, wound up third with $200,000, while defending champion Fred Couples was fourth with $125,000.

"There is a lot of luck involved here," Montgomerie said. "I didn't actually play very well, and I think my partners would agree."

Over the two days, Montgomerie picked up his ball twice, hit a ball into the water and missed several makable putts. But he made crucial shots when it mattered most. He chipped in from 15 feet on the first playoff hole to match a birdie by Couples, and forced a third playoff hole with a short putt on the second extra hole.

Couples, who earned a record $635,000 last year that included a record $410,000 birdie putt, blew his chance to end the event on the second playoff hole when he missed a 6-foot birdie putt.

"It was not a very hard putt," said Couples. "I felt the pressure and pulled it."

Couples, who had claimed two skins on the 11th hole worth $100,000, made life easy for Montgomerie on the third playoff hole. He pushed his drive into a bunker, hit his second shot off a golf cart and under a bush, and dropped his third shot into the water before managing a bogey.

"I just butchered that hole," admitted Couples.

The quartet had halved the 16th and 17th holes worth $70,000 each and then halved the $200,000 18th hole, making the playoff worth $340,000.

Singh and Garcia were knocked out of the playoff on the first extra hole.

"I made a lot of birdies, just not on the right holes," said Singh, who collected three skins worth $210,000 for his six birdies on the day.

Garcia, who captured one $50,000 skin on Sunday, played the best golf of the four, but failed to convert a 15-foot putt on the first playoff hole.

"I made nine birdies and finished third," noted Garcia.