ORLANDO, Fla. – Vijay Singh was so good in the middle that it didn’t matter how bad it got in the end.

All he cared about was winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational, which has caused him so much grief over the years. Singh got it done Sunday with a terrific run of birdies to build a commanding lead, closing with a 3-under 67 for a two-shot victory over Rocco Mediate.

Three times a runner-up at Bay Hill, the 44-year-old Fijian became the first multiple winner on the PGA Tour this year, and his 31st career victory tied him with Harry “Lighthorse” Cooper for most by foreign-born players.

Singh also exorcised a few demons along the way.

His bogey-bogey finish in 1994 left him one shot behind. Two years ago, he hit 7-iron into the water on the 18th hole and lost to Kenny Perry. There was no chance of the bogeyman showing up on a gorgeous afternoon at Arnie’s course, not with the lead Singh build.

He ran off four birdies in a five-hole stretch to close out the front nine and stretched his lead to four shots with a sand wedge that spun back with the slope to 2 feet on the 15th. That gave him plenty of room for error, and Singh’s bogey-bogey-par finish only affected the margin of victory.

“I love this place,” Singh said. “I hate the 18th hole, but I love the rest of it. It feels great. Having won Jack’s tournament (Memorial) and now Arnie’s, it’s a great one to get.”

Mediate made three clutch par saves to keep alive his hopes, only to find trouble on the 18th for a bogey. Mediate also shot 67.

Singh finished at 8-under 272 and moved atop the money list with $2.6 million.

Vaughn Taylor, who had a two-shot lead over Ben Curtis going into the final round, didn’t make a birdie until the 15th hole, and he followed that with two bogeys that cost him a spot in the World Golf Championship next week at Doral. Taylor birdied the final hole for a 73 to finish alone in third, but he needed second place alone to move into the top 50 in the world. Curtis made one birdie in his round of 72 to finish alone in fourth.

Tiger Woods delivered a dramatic finish, but not the kind anyone expected.

His tournament ended a few hours earlier with a three-putt double bogey on the 11th, and a bad day then got even worse.

Woods hit his tee shot into the water on the par-3 17th and made double bogey. After chipping out of the rough on the 18th, he hit his third into the water and made triple bogey. That gave him a 43 on the back nine for a 6-over 76, his highest score in a regular PGA Tour event since a 76 in the third round of the Memorial four years ago.

He tied for 22nd, ending his streak of 13 straight top 10s worldwide, nine of those on the PGA Tour.

Purtzer wins in playoff

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. – Tom Purtzer won the Champions Tour’s AT&T Champions Classic for the second time in five seasons, beating Loren Roberts with a 17-foot birdie on the fourth hole of a playoff Sunday.

Purtzer closed with a 4-under 68 to match Roberts (69) at 10-under 206 on the Valencia Country Club course. The 55-year-old Purtzer earned $240,000 for his fourth career victory on the 50-and-over tour.

After the two players matched pars on their first three trips down the par-5 18th in the playoff, Purtzer finally broke through with his 17-foot birdie putt. Roberts had a chance to match, but his 12-foot birdie try just missed on the right side.

Purtzer credited fellow tour player Dave Stockton for some recent putting help.

“I have to thank Dave. He gave me a lesson and I putted better,” said Purtzer, a five-time winner on the PGA Tour. “I hung in there and played really well.”

Purtzer, playing in the group in front of Roberts, made a 10-foot birdie putt on No. 18 in regulation to reach 10 under. Roberts, hampered by back problems, had a chance to win in regulation, but missed a 19-foot birdie try.

“It was a long day,” Roberts said. “We took it as far as we could go. I was just happy to get in a playoff. My back has been really bothering me.”

David Eger (69) finished a stroke back at 9 under.

Hale Irwin, the leader the first two days, closed with a 73 to drop into a fourth-place tie with Tom Jenkins (68), Joe Ozaki (67), Des Smyth (68), Jim Thorpe (71) and Andy Bean (72) at 8 under.

“I played 27 good holes and 27 not so good,” the 61-year-old Irwin said. “I just didn’t do what I needed to do. I played very poorly.”

AP-ES-03-18-07 2137EDT