PHUKET, Thailand -- Retief Goosen and Thomas Bjorn shared the Tiger Skins tournament title Saturday, with the winners donating their earnings to the victims of December’s tsunami.
South Africa’s Goosen, winner of the two previous Tiger Skins, came from behind to fire birdies on the 15th and 16th holes for nine skins. He finished even with Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn, whose seven skins came on more valuable holes.
Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie won one skin while the tournament’s other player, Grace Park of South Korea, came away empty-handed.
Under the tournament format, players require an outright victory on an individual hole to capture a ‘skin’ and the prize money designated for each hole.
Goosen and Bjorn were each rewarded with US$85,000 in prize money, which together with US$10,000 from Montgomerie, netted US$180,000 for tsunami relief.
The tournament was also staged on this battered, but rapidly recovering island to show tourists that it was ready to welcome them back.
Nearly 5,400 Thais and foreign tourists perished when the giant wave slammed the southern coastline of Thailand. Another 2,932 are still missing.
Copyright 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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