Tour News (posted 20th August 1998)

No time off for Vijay

Reuters

Castle Rock, Colorado. - Many people might think Vijay Singh would take some time off to celebrate his U.S. PGA Championship victory on Sunday.

But Singh is giving a very good impression of a workaholic with his plans to play the next four PGA Tour events before finally taking a break.

Singh, who won $540,000 for his two-stroke victory Sunday good enough for seventh on the PGA Tour money list, says his new goal is to win this year's tour money title. And with the relatively heavy late season schedule he has planned he has a good chance to do it.

"One or two high finishes and I'm in a very good position," Singh said here Wednesday on the eve of the Sprint International at Castle Pines. He also plans to play in next week's World Series, as well as the Greater Milwaukee Open and the Canadian Open the following two weeks.

That will be six tournaments in as many weeks, but Singh does not consider that to be too much. "I used to play 10 tournaments in a row," said the 35-year-old Fijian-Indian who now lives in Ponte Vedra, Florida.

After the World Series he will briefly return home to read the many congratulatory messages he says are waiting for him.

But Singh won't have to worry about his fame intruding on his personal life any time soon. At the baggage carousel at Denver International Airport on Monday he was barely recognized as he waited for his luggage.

"A lot of people ask me: 'Man, you look like that guy'. I say: 'Yeah, I do look like that guy'. I don't advertise myself out there."

Singh said his most crucial shot last Sunday was the second at the par-three 13th, which allowed him to save par from a greenside bunker.

"I was two (shots) ahead when I made bogey on 12," he said. "If I had made another bogey that would have really pushed me back. I got up-and-down and that really put me together again."

Singh was overdue to win a major, but he remained patient because he was confident he would be rewarded for his perseverance.

"In your mind you feel your time is going to come soon," he said. "You put so much time in you think one day you're going to win one, that it's going to pay off sooner or later. I guess everybody thinks the same way.

"I just hope it's not a one-week thing. I want to keep going where I left off last week."