Jan 10 Singh

First came his induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame. A week later brought an end to his worst season in five years on the PGA Tour, and what appeared to be the beginning of the end to Vijay Singh.

“I think he was out to prove that wasn’t the case,” Davis Love III said.
The proof was in Singh’s two-shot victory in the season-opening Mercedes-Benz Championship, a command performance in which Singh didn’t make a bogey over the final 29 holes and never let anyone closer than two shots to him over the final 25 holes.
And it was no accident.

“I wanted this win, and I practiced hard for it,” said Singh, who turns 44 next month. “I worked hard and it paid off.”
His work ethic is now legendary in golf circles.

Adam Scott figured it out quickly when he joined the PGA Tour and noticed that Singh didn’t leave the practice range before dark. Davis Love III rarely goes to the gym without seeing Singh, “and I’m sure he’s in there when I’m not.”
More than sheer work, however, Singh’s legacy might be his desire.

He reached his peak in 2004 when he won nine times and replaced Tiger Woods at No.1 in the world, holding the top spot for the better part of six months until Woods went on one of his tears.

Singh has a constant battle with his putting, and then his swing started to leave him. But he never lost his desire.
“It’s easy to fall off the top,” he said. “Once you’re sliding down, you’ve got to have something to hold onto. My physical condition probably kept me there. If I wasn’t strong enough, once you mentally get a little frustrated, you can just slide off so quickly. The good news is I’m fresh and I’m really looking forward to the season.