A wild season in golf came to a familiar conclusion Monday when Tiger Woods was voted PGA Tour player of the year for the fifth straight time, The Associated Press has learned.

America's Tiger Woods, blast out a bunker on the 13th hole, during the final day of the Presidents Cup 2003 Golf Tournament at the Fancourt Golf Estate in George, South Africa, Sunday, Nov. 23, 2003. Woods won his fifth straight PGA Player of the Year award on Monday, Dec. 8, 2003. [AP]

The world's No. 1 player narrowly beat out Vijay Singh, said three sources close to Woods, speaking on condition they not be identified.

No one else has won the award more than twice since it began in 1990. Last month, Woods won the points-based award as PGA of America player of the year.

The PGA Tour planned an announcement at 6:30 p.m. EST. Tour officials have said they do not plan to release vote totals.

Despite not winning a major championship or the PGA Tour money title for the first time since 1998, Woods' peers decided he still had a better season than anyone else.

Woods led the PGA Tour with five victories, and he won the Vardon Trophy for having the lowest scoring average, at 68.41 his second-lowest ever.

Singh won four times and ended Woods' four-year reign atop the money list with $7.5 million in 27 tournaments, $900,000 more than Woods.

The 40-year-old Fijian was consistent from start to finish, and he was particularly strong at the end of the year with two victories and eight straight finishes in the top 10 as he surged past Woods to win the money title.

Singh finished ahead of Woods in three of the majors, although neither won any of the four Grand Slam events.

Masters champion Mike Weir, U.S. Open (news - web sites) champion Jim Furyk and Davis Love III, whose four victories included The Players Championship, also were on the ballot.

It was believed to be the closest vote since 1998, when Mark O'Meara and his two majors got the pick over David Duval and his four victories, the money title and the Vardon Trophy.

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