ASSOCIATED PRESS Vijay Singh just missed a putt for birdie on the 18th green in a playoff against Stuart Appleby yesterday.

Singh silent after near miss

The world’s No. 2 golfer refuses to sit down with the media after finishing second

KAPALUA, Maui » There was a time when the professional golfer who finished second graciously stepped to the podium to explain how the event got away, much like Ernie Els did last year after losing the Sony Open in Hawaii by one stroke to Vijay Singh.

But apparently, Singh didn't get the memo.

Despite putting on a display worthy of the No. 2-ranked player in the world, Singh refused to sit down with the media after missing a 9-foot putt for birdie that cleared the way for Stuart Appleby to win the $5.4 million Mercedes Championships for a third straight time.

It's easy to understand why Singh didn't want to describe how he let a relatively easy 9-foot birdie putt miss the hole wide right. The frustration of finishing in the top five six times here at the Mercedes without managing a win was obvious as PGA Tour officials explained Singh's absence.

They tried to convince him beside the 18th green and then again in the PGA Tour locker room, to no avail. They were able to procure a few comments as to why Singh's putting failed him once again.

"(My round) wasn't good enough, that's all I can say about that," Singh said. "I did everything good except make one more putt. I mean, the one on 17, I three-putted that one and I just -- it was a sad one (the 9-footer at the 18th)."

Singh certainly had better moments that put himself in a position to win for the 29th time on tour. He had a 2-footer for eagle at the par-5 fifth and a string of five birdies over the next 11 holes, before the ill-fated bogey at 17.

The former world No. 1 came back with a birdie at the 18th to drop him to 8-under 284 for the tournament. His 7-under 66 yesterday was the best round of the event. Only Olin Browne's 69 on Thursday came close.

But Appleby was able to draw even with a birdie at the closing hole, then get the win by birdieing the 18th once again on the first playoff hole. Singh finished with a par.

"You know, I played well," Singh said. "I can't complain about the way I played, the way I finished. Give me a 66 before the start of the day, I would have taken it.

"But you learn a lot from rounds like that, you know. The previous three days you cannot throw away shots. It's going to haunt you at the end of the day. You know, today it did."

Singh will defend his title this week at the Sony Open. He held off Els by one in dramatic fashion last year and will face a stern test in this week's first full-field event on the PGA Tour.

He is one of 22 golfers of the 28 who competed this week to make the trip over to Oahu from Maui. The most notable exceptions are Michael Campbell, Sergio Garcia and Justin Leonard.

All three golfers managed top 10s this week, with Campbell finishing in a tie for fourth at 2-under 290, Garcia placing seventh (293) and Leonard coming in eighth (294).