Pride, poise and dignity

Sport

Stories and Pictures by Barry Markowitz

Vijay Singh is clearly at the top of his game, always in the money, and always a threat to swoop in and win the big one.

His style is not one of overt aggressiveness, its a quiet power of consistency and calm that strikes terror in the heart of any professional golfer that thinks he can go toe to toe with Fiji’s ultimate golf legend.

Equally impressive about Vijay today is his sense of maturity and balance, and his increasing interest in returning to his South Pacific homeland to share his golfing skills with the children of Fiji.

During the Sony Hawaiian Open Pro Am Tournament Vijay dawned his veneer of serenity proclaiming to his fivesome, “It

doesn’t matter if we win, just enjoy the day.”

Enjoy they did with the kind and giving spirit of the towering six-foot two inch pro.

A 1 Silverberg expressed his gratitude about having the opportunity to play around with Vijay, “He helped me out with my putting stroke. He was really a great guy to play with, really friendly, really outgoing. He spent time with everybody. He was a real pleasure to play a round of golf with.”

While the veneer of kindness and serenity is sincere, at a deeper parallel level Vijay’s competitive intensity is always ready to emerge. When asked about his year 2000 plans he shared “Just to go out there and play hard, play well and win some

tournaments if I can. Winning tournaments is not very easy ... there are so many good players ... I do know, just play good, play the way I practice, is the best way to say it.”

As for goals, Singh said, “You know, let the scores happen, and if you play well in the tournament you score well. The results are going to be there. My goals are not to go out and win any particular one golf tournament. Just to play hard, play solid.”

Vijay is not just happy being a consistent top level performer. And even though in one breath he says he will let the scores happen, he is driven to achieve more.

“Well you want to win golf tournaments you know. You always want to win. Any time you finish in the top five, top eight you’re always disappointed if you don’t win. My goal is to go out there and win every golf tournament if I can, but to play hard, play solid and I think the results are going to be there.”

Vijay won’t even give a break to the equally legendary Tiger Wood. “I can’t wait to play another tourney with him in it.

He’s playing great golf and you want to compete against him.”

A man of compassion, a tear came to Vijay’s eyes, when asked about his relationship with recent plane crash victim and PGA champion, Payne Stewart.

“Its sad to know what happened, its sad for everybody. He was a great player, and a great champion, and to not have him around is ... we all miss him. My memories of him is, we have played golf together for a long time, he has always been a real gentleman to me. It’s sad to see what happened to him.

“We all miss him, we all hope he was here. But what went wrong? Life goes on.”

As a prisoner of the American pro golf tour Vijay has trouble keeping up with some of his Commonwealth passions. “Cricket is very hard to follow when your playing over here so I don’t have a team that I follow.

But rugby, obviously with the World Cup on, my interest was with the Fijian side, Australia and the All Blacks on my side of the world.” When asked if he was a fan of the Manu Samoa: “Oh yeah a little bit

Vijay Singh at the Sony Hawaiian Open Pro Am Tournament

maybe, but they were pushed aside very early maybe. I was playing in the States, it was hard for me to follow it also. Getting the news later on and seeing it on delayed telecasts, knowing the results already, its always difficult to keep an interest that way.

I always kept my eyes open.”

And even if the Internet or short-wave radio could deliver live games to Vijay he sighed, “on tournaments you are pretty well concentrating on what you’re doing.” No distractions.

Vijay the golfer is equally proud of his son, Qass Seth and explained how the PGA Tour travel and cultural influences related to his upbringing. “I think he is pretty much adjusted to it. He has been traveling ever since he was born. So its more or less a lifestyle that you go every week by. He’s going to school now which makes it hard for him to travel. But on summer break he is always out with me.

“Its part of life I guess. He has a lot of interests right now in other things than just golf, at the age he is at, he is nine right now, so I’m not pushing anything. He likes golf and other things that kids like, like playing with other friends. But I’m not pushing him

to do other things.”

Happily based in Pointe Vedra Beach, Florida, USA for six years now Singh explained Qass Seth’s cultural orientation.

“I discipline him my way you know, and he just mixes around with the local kids over there. I let him grow up the way that he is, not enforce my Asian background.”

When asked if his son has an interest in

his Fiji heritage Vijah

reflected, “Yeah we talk about it. Right now he’s not that keen, maybe when he grows a little older then he will get into it.

He is still very young. There is no real interest from him right now, so maybe when he grows a little older we will take a trip out.”

Vijay doesn’t really comprehend how highly regarded he is by the children and sportsman throughout the Pacific Islands, “Its the first time I heard of it so its nice to know that they feel that way. I haven’t kept in touch with the Pacific Islands in a long time.

My lifestyle, my life, is based in America. I think they know about

me, they have probably

seen me on TV.

“I hope there are kids there that grow up and do what I’m doing. Its not easy, but if you have a mind to it, its possible to do what I have done.

No, not really no. I don’t really keep that much in touch with what’s going on there My life is based on the US Tour right now

and that’s the way life is.”

If you are young Fijian golfer, Vijay has great plans for you. “I will visit Fiji soon, probably in the near future I want to do something about a golf school and all that, clinic for the kids and all. Just to give the kids the opportunity to play golf that I didn’t.

“I’m still a Fijian and I’m going to come back one of these days and play. I intend to come back and it won’t be that long. So hopefully I’ll play a little more tournaments in Australia where they can see me as well. I just want to say its still my home country and I miss a lot of things

about Fiji.”

While Vijay reinterates, “I haven’t kept in touch” without becoming political he acknowledges, “I know there has been changes. I hope its for the better. I just like a little more peace to go on in Fiji than what it was when I left.

“I hope people get along a lot better now.

Its a beautiful country. Everybody talks real peaceful about Fiji whenever they see me.

Lets hope its like that forever.”

Vijay Singh, the golf legend is an international hero. Vijay Singh the proud, yet distant expatriate son, is a dignified ambassador of Fijian goodwill and the nation’s kind spirit. ■

Singh is driven to achieve more

He can't comprehend how highly regarded he is in the Pacific