AKRON, Ohio — Vijay Singh raised both hands over his head when he saw his 3 1/2-foot par putt swirl into the cup for a one-shot victory, a familiar sight for someone who has won 32 times on the PGA Tour.

This was more relief than celebration at the Bridgestone Invitational.

On the verge of throwing away a World Golf Championship, as Phil Mickelson had done ahead of him, Singh overcame some shaky putting yesterday on the back nine of Firestone by making the only one that mattered.

Three times in the last year he had at least a share of the 54-hole lead and failed to finish it off. Needing two putts from 30 feet to end an 0-for-34 drought on the PGA Tour, the last thing he wanted was the kind of putt that has given him fits.

But he trusted the countless hours of practice he spent last week on such a putt, and it paid off.

"What a relief," Singh said. "I didn't think I could finish it there at the end."

With par putts on the final two holes, Singh closed with a 2-under 68 to hold off hard-charging Lee Westwood and Stuart Appleby by one stroke, and the fast-fading Mickelson, who lost a one-shot lead with three bogeys on his final four holes.

Singh won his first World Golf Championship event and won for the 32nd time on the PGA Tour, putting him in the record books for most victories by an international player. He had been tied with Harry "Lighthorse" Cooper of England since winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March 2007, a victory that seemed like a lifetime ago.

"Although I hadn't won, I was confident I was going to win," Singh said. "I told everybody that knows me that it's just a matter of time, it's going to come. This was a six-week run, and I was geared up to win. I'm glad that it happened the first week out."

Singh finished at 10-under 270 and earned $1.35 million for a victory expected to move him to No. 4 in the world.

WOMEN'S BRITISH OPEN

SHIN WINS BY THREE

Hours after Annika Sorenstam walked up the 18th at the Women's British Open to a standing ovation and closed her final major with a birdie to tie for 24th, Ji-Yai Shin won the last major of the year by three strokes after a final-round 6-under 66 yesterday at Sunningdale, England.

Shin, a 20-year-old South Korean, maintained Asia's recent domination of the majors on the LPGA Tour. In capturing her first major with an 18-under score of 270, she led an Asian sweep of the top five places.

"This morning I was very nervous but I focused on my game and now I won, so I am happy," said Shin, who has received an invitation to join the LPGA Tour. "My dream's come true."

U.S. SENIOR OPEN

ROMERO PREVAILS

The 29th U.S. Senior Open will be remembered for the black bears that menaced The Broadmoor's East Course in Colorado Springs, Colo. — and the one cat who conquered it.

Eduardo "El Gato" Romero yesterday became the second Argentine golfer to hoist the silver cup, 28 years after Roberto De Vicenzo won the trophy at Winged Foot.

"This is very important, very important because we're working hard for golf in Argentina," Romero, 54, said.

Romero shot a 3-over 73 in the final round and, despite four straight bogeys on the back nine, he was never seriously challenged by Fred Funk (75), who finished four strokes back at 2-under 278.