Singh loves second chances
It is only fitting that Vijay Singh stood on the 72nd hole Sunday afternoon at the PGA Championship, helpless. If Justin Leonard's 12-foot par putt drops, he is the winner and Singh walks away disappointed. But Leonard's putt stayed out, and Singh stayed alive.
Then he took advantage of his second chance, which is the story of Singh's career.
Who would have ever heard of the man if he had not emerged from the depths of despair in a Borneo jungle to become one of the game's truly great success stories?
Singh heads into this week's NEC Invitational as the story of the year in golf. He has won five times on the PGA Tour, including a major. He leads the PGA Tour money list. And if the season ended today, he would be Player of the Year.
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 This week: NEC Invitational Site: Akron, Ohio Course: Firestone Country Club, South Course (7,230 yards, par 70). Purse: $7 million (Winner: $1.2 million) Television: Thursday: 3-7 p.m. ET (ESPN) Friday: 3-7 p.m. ET (ESPN) Saturday: 2-6 p.m. ET (CBS) Sunday: 2:30-6:30 p.m. ET (CBS) Defending champ: Darren Clarke
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All of this for a 41-year-old golfer from Fiji who prides himself on his later-in-life dedication to fitness, who junked a successful putting method during a successful season and who has put aside numerous off-course distractions to come within a breath of golf's No. 1 ranking in the world.
"I could play another 18 holes. I feel great," Singh said after his playoff victory Sunday over Leonard and Chris DiMarco. "I feel that I'm in the best shape physically I've ever been in and I'm not stopping here."
Why should he? Singh hits the ball a mile, and save for Sunday's pitiful putting performance, has improved greatly on the greens. That has always been the aspect of the game to hold him back, but just a few weeks ago, Singh switched from the controversial belly putter back to the conventional method.
And he's won two tournaments in a row.
"I think this is the biggest accomplishment I've ever had in my whole career," Singh said. "This makes my year right here. I played well at the Masters and did not win. I played well the first two days at the U.S. Open, played well at the British. But this is it. I wanted to win one again, a major again, and it came at the right time."
Singh has not been the easiest player to embrace. He has gone about chasing greatness in solitude, avoiding autograph seekers. There was the "kiss my a--" remark after winning the Masters and the fallout from his comments about Annika Sorenstam last year when she played at the Colonial.
Through it all, he just kept hitting balls and chasing titles. Singh now has five victories this year and 20 PGA Tour titles. Among active players, only Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson have more. His three major titles matches Ernie Els and Nick Price for third place among active players, trailing just Woods (eight) and Nick Faldo (six).
About the only thing Singh has not done is win a World Golf Championship event.
He could do that this week. And what a way it would be to take over No. 1.
But her defeat at the U.S. Women's Amateur in the second round last week is an example of why she needs to play more against people her own age.
Wie led In-Bee Park 2-up with three holes to play during the second round of the match play competition and ended up losing the last three holes to blow the match. That included a three-putt green at the final hole.
Wie is too good to lose tournaments that way, but really, how often has she been under such pressure? When Wie plays in LPGA Tour events, nobody expects her to win, nobody expects her to finish in the top-10. She isn't playing for money, so the excruciating nature of giving shots away does not hurt quite so bad. In matches where she is supposed to win, however, there is pressure. And Wie needs to feel it and embrace and defeat it. That will only help her down the road, when she has learned how to win -- no matter the level -- and dealt with the feelings that come with such pressure. |
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 Got a question about the PGA Tour? Ask ESPN.com golf writer Bob Harig, who will answer your inquiries in each installment of This Week in Golf.
Q. As a recent follower of the PGA tour, I have noticed that players are sometimes fined for public criticism of a course or the tour. How is this legal under the First Amendment?
A. Yes, legally, a person has a right to say what he wants. But that doesn't mean an employer has to take it. If you say bad things about your boss, he can still fire you, if it is your right to say it. PGA Tour players are independent contractors, but they do have rules to follow. And the tour does assess fines for various things they believe make the tour look bad.
Q. I am curious about the career of David Duval. What has happened to this once so bright golfer? I know he tried to make the cut at the U.S. Open, but was embarrassed. Is he only going to be playing in majors where it seems he has no shot at all of winning again? What has happened to his career?
A. Duval's problems have been much-discussed. There were injuries and personal issues to contend with. Then bad habits developed in his golf swing. And there was some question about his desire to be on top after winning the British Open in 2001. Duval has played in just three tournaments, missing the cut in all three. At the PGA, it was apparent that he is quite rusty. He needs time to work it out. Whether he can return to top form is a big question mark.
Q. It seems to me that Tiger started to struggle when he started dating seriously. Do you think his mind is somewhere else and this is contributing to his struggles?
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Bob Harig covers golf for the St. Petersburg Times and is a frequent contributor to ESPN.com. He can be reached at harig@sptimes.com.
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