Golf: Woods raises expectations for US Open

TIGER WOODS established himself as the man to beat at the US Open in two weeks' time after capturing his second title in a fortnight by outbattling a reigning major champion in Dublin, Ohio. Woods got the better of the USPGA Championship winner, Vijay Singh, when capturing the pounds 1.7m Memorial with a three-under par 69 final round.

"I was in match-play mode most of the time, especially on the back nine when it was basically Vijay and me," Woods said. "The great thing is my game is coming around. I'm learning how to play the game of golf. I'm learning from trial and error."

Woods finished at 15-under par 273, two strokes ahead of Singh, the 1997 winner here. He also fired a 69 but could not close his deficit to Woods over the final five holes. "It was tough trying to catch him," Singh said. "He had control of the shots all the time and his putter was working."

When long drives led to inaccurate results, Woods relied upon his short irons and wedges to win. The world No 2 played the par-five holes at 11-under par.

"Everybody has a different way of playing, but I've never seen it played like this," said Jack Nicklaus, who designed the course. "His short game was amazing."

The 23-year-old American began fine-tuning his game for the US Open at the Deutsche Open in Germany two weeks ago. "I've always loved the short- game shots - chipping, putting, scrambling," Woods said. "It's the way I grew up. I was so wild I always played like that and I loved the challenge of it."

Woods won more than pounds 300,000 to move into second place on the USPGA money list with more than pounds 1.2m, trailing only David Duval, who shared third at 279 with Paraguay's Carlos Franco and the American, Olin Browne.

In the US Women's Open, the American Juli Inkster cruised to her first Open title as the British pair Catriona Matthew and Helen Dobson tied for eighth place at Old Waverly in West Point, Mississippi. Inkster, playing in her 20th Open, was in record-breaking form as she celebrated a five- shot win over fellow American Sherri Turner.

The 38-year-old Californian shot a closing 71 for a 16-under-par total of 272, six shots better than the previous best winning total set by Britain's Alison Nicholas two years ago.

Inkster broke a run of overseas winners - the last home victor was Patty Sheehan in 1994. "The title has come home," Inkster said.

Scores, Digest, page 23