With a lucky bounce out of the trees, a spectacular recovery from the woods and nerves of steel down the stretch in a steady rain, Singh won the PGA Championship with a 2-under 68.

The 35-year-old from Fiji two-putted for par on the 18th -- his fourth par on the toughest hole at Sahalee Country Club -- to finish at 9-under 271 for a two-stroke victory over Steve Stricker.

It was the 10th time in 11 years that a player won his first major championship at the PGA.

For Singh -- Vijay is a Hindu name that means "Victory'' -- it ended years of grinding away for hours at a time in search of a game that would give him one of golf's ultimate prizes.

He would practice on the far end of the driving range where he wouldn't be disturbed. He would rearrange the furniture in hotel rooms to give him room to practice at night.

It all paid off today in what amounted to match play against Stricker, two men in search of their first major championship, both playing well enough to put a worthy collection of challengers at a distance.

Singh finally got some breathing room when he saved par from the bunker on No. 17 from about 18 feet and Stricker couldn't match him. He blasted out of the same bunker to 15 feet, but the putt grazed by the left side of the hole to put Stricker two strokes back.

All that stood between Singh and the Wanamaker Trophy was an accurate drive on the 475-yard finishing hole, and he split the middle as the players finished the round in the rain.

Stricker closed with a 70 for 273. Steve Elkington, the 1995 champion held back all year by health problems, shot 67 and finished third at 274.

Mark O'Meara, trying to become the first player since Ben Hogan in 1953 to win three majors in one season, was five strokes back in a tie for fourth after a string of three bogeys on the sixth, seventh and eighth holes offset an early charge that pulled him within two strokes of the lead.

Soft but steady rain fell throughout the morning, making it easier to attack the flags. But those who made a charge either started too far behind or made their move too late.

Elkington was the only one who got seriously close.

Just like in 1995, when his 64 was the lowest closing round ever by a PGA champion, Elkington stormed down the stretch and got to 7-under with a birdie on the par-3 17th.

But his drive found the right rough on the 18th and he took bogey.

Nick Price, trying to join Sam Snead and Gene Sarazen as a three-time PGA champion, tied the course record with a bogey-free 65. He was 5-under for day after an eagle on No. 11, but could do no better than par over the last seven holes and finished five back at 276, along with O'Meara and Frank Lickliter.

O'Meara, Davis Love III and Tiger Woods all had something to prove, and all of them had their chances.

O'Meara, impervious to the pressure of chasing Hogan, raised hopes once again with an eagle on the par-5 second hole and a birdie on No. 5, the roars echoing through the forest of firs at Sahalee.

But he missed the next three greens and all three of the short par-saving putts to fall back to 2-under, well out of the hunt. Still, his tie for fourth was the best finish of the nine previous players who came to the PGA with a chance to win their third major of the year.

Love was trying to become the first player to win back-to-back at the PGA since Denny Shute in 1937. But his chances were drowned in the water on No. 5 with a double bogey, and three late birdies only got him back to par.

Love was at 277, along with Billy Mayfair.

Woods will have to wait until next year to squeeze another major out of his awesome talent. Starting five strokes back, Woods made up one stroke before making bogey on the three of the last four holes on the front side to take himself out of the picture.

Woods, who opened with a 66, failed to break par the rest of the week and played the par 5s only 1-under. He shot a 71 today and finished in a tie for 10th at 279.