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« on: July 07, 2005, 09:36:35 PM »
Ames wins Canadian Skins Game; Nicklaus finishes in second place
July 5, 2005
GolfWeb Wire Services
WHISTLER, British Columbia -- Stephen Ames took five skins Tuesday to win the Canadian Skins Game title.
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Jack Nicklaus finished second, followed by John Daly and Vijay Singh in the two-day competition at Nicklaus North golf course.
Ames collected $92,443 Tuesday for a two-day total of $120,578. The Canadian began play Monday by winning two skins and $28,135.
Nicklaus matched his first-day total with a tap-in birdie worth $48,231 on the first hole of the back nine. Playing under steady rain on the back nine of a course he designed in 1995, Nicklaus totaled six skins and $96,462.
Even in victory, Ames deferred to the 65-year-old Nicklaus, using the event to prepare for a much-anticipated final British Open next week on the Old Course at St. Andrews.
"It was just a pleasure to get to play with Mr. Nicklaus," said Ames, who had not done so previously. "We had a great week."
Daly was third after just missing an ace on the 210-yard 17th. After Ames' long putt hung on the lip, Daly's easy birdie gave him two skins and $40,192 for a two-day total of $52,250.
PGA TOUR money leader Singh was shut out for the second straight day. After missing a couple of short putts for skins on Monday, Singh went back and forth Tuesday between a regular and cross-handed grip with his putter.
Nicklaus hit a 7-iron inside two feet on the 158-yard par-3 10th. After watching Singh, Daly and Ames miss birdie putts in the 15-20-foot range, Nicklaus tapped in to win the first skin of the day.
"I just had to sit there and watch," he said.
When Nicklaus missed his first fairway of the event on the next hole, he decided against searching for his ball in the long rough.
"Let's see if they can make a skin," he quipped as he quit on the hole.
For the next four holes no one could. Ames, a native to Trinidad and Tobago who received his Canadian citizenship in 2003, finally drained an 8-foot putt for the lone birdie on the 433-yard, par-4 15th to win five skins and $92,443.
Singh had his best chance at a skin when the other three got into trouble on the par-4 final hole, but his routine two-putt par was matched by Daly's up and down out of the bunker to force a playoff. Replaying the 18th, Singh hit his second shot to 15 feet, but was again undone by Daly, who hit a wedge to five feet.
Both settled for par and, with the rain pouring down, the players agreed not to play another extra hole, instead donating the final $20,096 skin to charity.
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Stephen Ames has made more sports fans aware of the T&T flag than perhaps any other T&T athlete, with the possible exception of Ato Bolden.