ESPN Golf

NORTON, Mass. -- Vijay Singh let out a wry chuckle when reviewing his opening-round 64 at the Deutsche Bank Championship on Friday.

The man who just last week in a playoff win at The Barclays did much to dispel criticisms of his putting skills seems to have hit upon a new approach to cure his woes with the wand: prevention.

Singh made three straight birdies from "about a foot" on his back nine to take control at TPC Boston and give him the early first-round clubhouse lead. He ended the day three shots behind Mike Weir, who tied Singh's course record of 61 later in the day Friday.

While Singh may have made getting close to the pin seem somewhat routine at the tournament he also won in 2004, one shot at the par-5 seventh hole gave the large gallery that followed the leader of the FedEx Cup playoffs a taste of the magical play from the week before.

After moving into a share of the lead with a birdie putt on the previous hole, Singh hit an uphill chip shot from 24 yards out that looked like it might end up on the outer edge of the green. Instead, he stuck it close and made the putt to take sole possession of the lead at the time.

"I've been hitting the ball pretty much like that for last week, as well, and on the practice range, it feels good," Singh said. "If you're going in with a short iron and the pin is very accessible, you can actually go ahead and hit it."

The fast start was Singh's best opening 18 in a tournament since shooting a 64 in the first round of the 2006 Buick Open.

"You know, one thing, you have confidence on the green, obviously the iron shot feels a lot … easier, too. I just don't feel any pressure out there at the moment, especially with my game or my swing. I'm very comfortable, so that's pretty much why I'm more free to hit it."

Singh entered the clubhouse one stroke ahead of Eric Axley, and three shots ahead of playing partner Sergio Garcia, whose 41-foot birdie attempt lipped out on No. 8, his penultimate hole of the day.

For all the talk about how the absence of Tiger Woods benefits defending champion Phil Mickelson -- who edged out the world's No. 1-ranked player here last year in dramatic fashion -- Singh also looks poised to take advantage of a Tiger-less field for the holiday weekend.

Should he win this week, Singh would officially end Woods' string of three consecutive PGA Tour money titles. The last player to win the money title? That would be Singh, back in 2004.

The No. 5-ranked player in the world currently, Singh "edged" out Ernie Els for the title that year, nearly doubling the South African's winnings ($10,905,166 for Singh to $5,787,225 for Els).

Singh, the only other player besides Woods to win the money title in the past nine years, also won that honor in 2003. A victory at TPC Boston this week would also put the Fijian over $60 million in career earnings and further cement him as No. 2 on the all-time money list … behind Woods.

What made this recent stretch of golf all the more impressive is the fact that Singh is playing with lingering tendinitis in his left forearm.

The wrap he has around his limb is so tight it noticeably bulges out his arm near his elbow.

While superstitions abound on the PGA Tour about how players should keep doing what works for them, Singh has no aspirations of pulling something similar to what the Detroit Pistons' Richard Hamilton does with a protective mask he no longer needs. Singh can't wait to get the wrap removed.

"I have no reason to keep it wrapped if it feels better," a somewhat perplexed Singh said. "I don't know what kind of question was that, but it's not feeling very good. That's why I've got it wrapped. It's painful, but it doesn't hurt when I hit the ball. It's only slightly painful on the takeaway. It's getting better."

If an improving arm means the possibility of an even more formidable Singh in the coming rounds and weeks of the FedEx Cup, that could mean he should be in perfect form to wrap up that $10 million prize that goes to the winner of the playoffs.

"I don't know; just right now I feel really good," Singh said. "That's all I can say. I feel good with my swing. I'm hitting the ball good. I'm healthy, I'm strong."

Chad Capellman is a freelance writer based in Boston.