| by: WebMaster - 7/22/2003 11:03:58 AM |
| EAST MOLINE, Illinois (July 22, 2003) - For the first time in his career, two-time major champion Vijay Singh, one of the golf's finest and best-known players, has committed to play in the John Deere Classic Sept. 8-14 at the Tournament Players Club at Deere Run in nearby Silvis, Illinois.
Ranked No. 3 in the world and fourth on the PGA Tour money list (as of July 21), Singh has won twice on Tour this season, posting victories at the Phoenix Open and the EDS Byron Nelson Classic outside Dallas. He now has a total of 13 PGA Tour victories.
His impressive major championship record includes victories at the 1998 PGA Championship at Sahalee CC outside Seattle, and the 2000 Masters Tournament. Last Sunday, he tied for second at the British Open at Royal St. George's GC, falling one stroke short of a playoff.
"Adding a player of Vijay Singh's caliber and stature to a field that already includes many of the PGA Tour's top golfers will give this year's John Deere Classic perhaps the best field in the history of the event," said tournament director Clair Peterson. "This is one tournament Quad City golf fans will not want to miss."
In addition to his victories this year at Phoenix and the Byron Nelson, Singh has had a stellar 2003 campaign, finishing in the Top 10 in eight of his 16 starts, including his runner up finish last week. After missing his only cut of the year at the Players Championship, Singh has finished well in several events, including the Masters (tied for sixth); Houston (tied for ninth); New Orleans (tied for 11th); the Wachovia Championship (tied for 2nd); The Memorial (tied for 4th); the U.S. Open (tied for 20th); and the Western Open (tied for 20th).
Singh's 2003 Tour statistics are a numerical testimony to the quality of his all-around game. He ranks No. 1 on Tour with an average of 4.56 birdies per round. His scoring average of 69.13 is fifth-best on tour. He ranks 10th on tour in driving distance (297.1 yards per measured drive) and is 18th in total driving. He is 13th in greens in regulation and 13th in sand saves. He began using a belly putter this year and now is ranked 21st in putting with an average of 1.731 putts per green reached in regulation.
Singh's success is traceable to his relentless work ethic. No player spends more time hitting balls on the driving range, where he is notorious for his long practice sessions. "Whenever I needed to talk to him, I didn't have much trouble figuring out where I could find him," Peterson said. "He is always working on his game."
A native of the island of Fiji, the 40-year old Singh joined the PGA Tour in 1982. He learned golf from his father, an airplane technician who also taught golf. He grew up admiring Tom Weiskopf's classic golf swing and used Weiskopf's swing as an early model for his own. For awhile, he worked as a club pro in Borneo.
Truly an international player, Singh, who is Indian by descent, has won tournaments in Malaysia, France, Nigeria, the Ivory Coast, Morocco, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Spain, Germany, England, South Africa, Sweden, Taiwan, and the United States.
His first name in Hindi means 'victory.' This September, Singh will be pursuing 'vijay' in the Quad Cities.
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