Vijay means "Victory" for islanders

Sports

Just when Vijay Singh had given up on winning the Masters, he found the way to do it. The 37year-old Fiji Islander captured the 64th Masters in Georgia, USA,

sinking key putts on Augusta’s National golf Club’s tricky greens to dash any notion that his trademark long drives are the only world-class part of his game.

“If you had asked me two years ago I would have said I probably can’t win this because of the way I’m putting,” Singh said.

“The greens are so severe that you have to putt great to win.

My attitude change was a big part of why I won.”

The Fiji Islander of Indian ancestry, whose first name means “Victory” in Hindi, was never better than 17th in Augusta before and never below-par over 72 holes before.

Putting was his downfall on the difficult undulating greens.

But his wife Ardena, an ex caddie from Malaysia, encouraged him to devote more work to putts on the drive home from last year’s 24th-place Masters effort and the advice paid off.

Now Singh knows that green jackets, symbolic of victory in Augusta, come in his size, 46 long.

“I have a lot more confidence in my putting, especially going cross handed, he said.

“My whole game was exceptional because I drove the ball so well.”

“It’s a funny feeling. When I’m walking between shots, that’s when I get most nervous. I get butterflies. I’m not at ease. I’m more focused when I’m over the ball. It’s a weird feeling.”

With a message from son Qass in his bag reading “Poppa, trust your swing,”

Singh did exactly that to win his second major title, following up his 1998 PGA Championship triumph.

“If you win twice, there’s a self satisfaction. 1 know 1 can do it again.

"Poppa, trust your swing", son Qass reminded Vijay before his big win

Winning this one has given me the confidence that I can win more majors.”

It also has inspired him to make a rare visit home to Fiji, the Pacific island nation of 750,000 people, where as a boy he had to wait for videotapes to view the Masters.

“I hope they are celebrating (in Fiji),” Singh said.

“The last time was two years ago. I played a Skins Game there. But I will be going back soon. I will probably meet some old friends and we will celebrate.”

Singh’s story should serve as an inspiration to everyone from African tour players trying to make a living to Malaysian club pros dreaming of major titles - Singh has been in both unlikely positions in his round-the-world journey.

At Fiji’s Nadi Airport Golf Club, where tropical breezes

blow through palm trees, Singh ignored the white sand and blue water and the coconuts and mangoes ripe for picking so he could practice, a work ethic now legendary among

PGA players.

The early days of Singh’s career were troubled. He was banished from the Australian tour for not repaying loans.

He went to the Asian tour at 21 and won the Malaysian Open, but was accused of falsifying his scorecard to make the cut at the 1985 Indonesian Open.

Singh said a monarch’s relative made the error.

But Singh was blamed and banished. Serving

as a Malaysian club pro was the low point of Singh’s career, but now he looks back upon it with happy

thoughts.

“It was quite comfortable,” Singh said. “We had a little room, one bedroom, like a hotel room. We lived in it for two years. 1 gave five or six lessons every day. I practiced for two years trying to earn a living.

“It’s a big change from now, an even bigger change after this week (early April). We cherish the time we were there. It was a struggle but it was a fun struggle. I would never swap that for now. I went to Europe and all the work paid off.”

Singh moved on to the African tour, winning t h e Nigerian Open in 1988 and the Nigerian, Zimbabwe and Ivory Coast Opens in 1989 before breaking onto the European tour and, in 1993, being named the US PGA Rookie of the Year. ■

Viyay Singh, with green jacket and son Qass

Vijay finally gets the coverted green jacket signifying victory at the US Masters