Vijay Singh

Vijay Singh (born February 22, 1963 in Lautoka, Fiji) is a Fijian golfer on the PGA TOUR who has won three major championships (one Masters in 2000 and two PGA Championships in 1998 and 2004) and was the leading money winner in 2003 and 2004. Singh, who is a Fijian citizen, grew up in Nadi.

Career history

Vijay began playing professionally in 1982 and won several international victories, including the Malaysian PGA Championship in 1984. Singh was suspended from the Asian Tour in 1985 over allegations he doctored his scorecard, then worked as a club pro in Borneo trying to save his money to resurrect his career. He won the Nigerian Open in 1988, to qualify for the European Tour. In 1989 he won the Ivory Coast Open, Zimbabwe Open and Volvo Open di Firenze, then in 1990 El Bosque Open, and in 1991 the King Hassan Trophy.

Related Topics:
1982 - Malaysian - 1984 - 1985 - Borneo - 1988 - European Tour - 1990 - 1991

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He finally made it to the PGA Tour in 1993. Vijay won his first PGA TOUR event, the Buick Classic in a playoff over Mark Wiebe. That victory led to Vijay being named the 1993 PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year. After being hampered with back and neck problems in 1994, Vijay came back to win the Buick Classic again in 1995 as well as the Phoenix Open. After playing well in 1996 (but with no victories), Vijay won both the Memorial Tournament and the Buick Open in 1997.

Related Topics:
1993 - Buick Classic - Mark Wiebe - 1994 - 1995 - Phoenix Open - 1996 - Memorial Tournament - Buick Open - 1997

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In 1998, Vijay was victorious at the PGA Championship at Sahalee in Sammamish, Washington, playing a 70-66-67-68 over the four days (66 tied a course record) and giving him his first Major title. He followed up his first Major title by winning The Masters in 2000 with a three-stroke victory over Ernie Els.

Related Topics:
1998 - PGA Championship - Sahalee - Sammamish, Washington - Ernie Els

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In 2001, Vijay was not victorious in any tournaments, but finished the year with a Tour-best 14 top-10 finishes and was fourth on the money list with $3,440,829 on the year. In 2002, Vijay won at the Shell Houston Open at TPC at The Woodlands, setting a new 72-hole scoring record with a 65, and at the Tour Championship, winning by two strokes over Charles Howell III.

Related Topics:
2001 - 2002 - Shell - Houston - TPC at The Woodlands - Charles Howell III

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2003 proved to be a very successful year for Vijay. He won four tournaments, had 18 top-10 finishes and was the PGA TOUR's money leader (and second all-time single-season total) with $7,573,907, beating Tiger Woods by $900,494. Vijay had victories at the Phoenix Open, the EDS Byron Nelson Championship, the John Deere Classic and the Funai Classic at the Walt Disney World Resort.

Related Topics:
2003 - Tiger Woods - Phoenix Open - EDS Byron Nelson Championship - Walt Disney World

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However, the 2003 season was also spotted with controversy surrounding the year's event at the Colonial. LPGA star Annika Sörenstam became the first woman to play at a PGA TOUR event since Babe Zaharias at the 1945 Los Angeles Open. Surrounding this fervor, Vijay was misquoted as having said that Sörenstam "didn't belong" on the men's tour and that he wouldn't play if he were paired with her. What he actually said is that he wouldn't be paired with her because his playing partner was being selected from the past champion's pool. Vijay later clarified, "There are guys out there trying to make a living. It's not a ladies' tour. If she wants to play, she should -- or any other woman for that matter - if they want to play the man's tour, they should qualify and play like everybody else."

Related Topics:
2003 - Colonial - LPGA - Annika Sörenstam - Babe Zaharias - 1945

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Continuing his torrid pace Singh began 2004 by winning the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am at -16 and winning $954,000 in prize money. This was his first win on tour in 2004 and his 16th all-time on the PGA TOUR. It was his 12th consecutive top-10 finish, which is two shy of Jack Nicklaus' all-time record.

Related Topics:
2004 - AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am - Jack Nicklaus'

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Singh won the final major of 2004, winning the PGA Championship, his third major, in a three-hole playoff over Justin Leonard and Chris DiMarco. Singh was the leader by one shot over Leonard going into the final round, but made no birdies in the final round, finishing regulation at 67-68-69-76=280. His final round of 76 was the highest winning score by a major champion since 1955. The playoff was a tense affair, and Vijay 's birdie on the first playoff hole, his first birdie of the day, proved to be the difference.

Related Topics:
2004 - PGA Championship - Justin Leonard - Chris DiMarco

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On September 6 2004 (Labor Day), Singh won the Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston. With the win, Singh overtook Tiger Woods at the top of the Official World Golf Rankings, ending Wood's streak of 264 weeks at the top of the golf world.

Related Topics:
September 6 - 2004 - Labor Day - Deutsche Bank Championship - Boston - Tiger Woods - Official World Golf Rankings

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He finished the 2004 season with a career-best nine victories, 18 top-10s, and a record $10,905,166 in earnings and was named the PGA TOUR's and PGA of America's Player of the Year.

Related Topics:
2004 - PGA of America

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Despite picking up a win early in 2005, Singh lost his world number 1 ranking when Tiger Woods won the Ford Championship at Doral on 6 March, but just two weeks later he took it back again after notching up top three finishes in three consecutive weeks. Followings Woods' win at the 2005 Masters, Singh once again lost his place as World No. 1 in the Official World Golf Rankings and finished tied for fifth place. In April, he became the youngest living person elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame, garnering 56% of the ballot. He will lose the distinction of being the youngest living entrant when the 30-year-old Karrie Webb joins the Hall of Fame later in 2005, but not that of the youngest living electee, as Webb qualified for the Hall without an election process. (The 19th century great Tom Morris, Jr., who was elected in 1975, died at age 24.)

Related Topics:
2005 - Tiger Woods - Ford Championship at Doral - 6 March - Masters - April - World Golf Hall of Fame - Karrie Webb - Tom Morris, Jr. - 1975

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Singh's career has been marked by steady sustained progress based on exceptional commitment to practice. Even when he was in his late thirties few suspected that he was a future World Number 1, but he has won 16 times since turning 40 - second only to Sam Snead's 17 wins after 40 - and his 28 career victories is the most on the PGA Tour by a non-American player.

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