World No. 1 won't travel to Ireland
THOMASTOWN, Ireland -- Vijay Singh withdrew from the American Express Championship on Monday, opting instead to stay home with his family in Florida and cope with the damage left by Hurricane Jeanne.
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Singh won the 84 Lumber Classic in Pennsylvania on Sunday for his third straight victory and eighth of the year. He planned to fly home Sunday night to Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., a coastal city near Jacksonville, before leaving for the $7 million World Golf Championship event in Ireland.
Tournament organizers said Singh was not able to return home until Monday. He found that his home was without power and water was starting to enter the beachfront property.
This will only be the second time a World Golf Championship does not have the No. 1 player in the world. Most of the top players, including then-No. 1 Tiger Woods, declined to go to Australia after the holidays for the 2001 Accenture Match Play Championship.
Singh's withdrawal also means six out of the top-50 in the World Ranking will not play at Mount Juliet. Phil Mickelson withdrew last week, citing "personal reasons." Others who withdrew included Kenny Perry and Nick Price.
Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press
