Dolch: There's no end in sight for 45-year-old Singh

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Singh's victory at the Chevron World Challenge in late December capped off an already stellar season.

Vijay Singh spent Christmas Day doing what he does just about every other day of the year: He hit balls on the range for four hours.

Let everyone else sit around unwrapping presents and watch their waste line expand. Singh could think of no better place to be on Christmas Day.

"It's the best time to hit balls," he said. "There's nobody on the golf course."

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Certainly, there are few golfers on this planet as committed to his sport as the big Fijian. That's why, at 45, he was able to use a terrific closing kick in 2008 to claim the FedExCup, joining Tiger Woods as the only players to win the PGA TOUR's season-long championship that carries with it a $10 million first prize. Singh begins his defense of the FedExCup this week at the Mercedes-Benz Championship in Kapalua.

Singh appeared to have little chance at kissing the Cup last year after he missed the cut at the British Open. Through 16 events, he had more injuries (three) than wins (zero) and also was battling a balky putter. But just as he has done throughout his career, Singh saved his best for last, winning three of five events late in the season -- including The Barclays and the Deutsche Bank Championship during the playoffs -- to clinch the FedExCup over runner-up Camilo Villegas.

"They can never take my name away from the Cup," Singh said. "It's a year-long event; it's not an event that's just one week. We think about it, we've talked about it for a whole year, and finally it's come to an end and I've won it, so that's a really, really good feeling to know I won that."

His late success last year mirrored a career in which he has won more PGA TOUR events in his 40s (22) than any other player. He also has won more PGA TOUR tournaments (34) than any foreign-born player to easily earn Hall of Fame induction honors two years ago.

Singh also added a victory at Woods' unofficial Chevron World Challenge last month as an exclamation point to this season. All told, Singh earned more than $18 million on the golf course in 2008 while taking home the TOUR's money title ($5.6 million) for the third time.

Singh knows he has gone where no other golfer has gone before, in terms of success in his 40s. But he pointed out the game has changed a lot in the last 15 years, as well.

"When Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo and Sandy Lyle were all playing in Europe, and I was playing with them, the peak was 35," Singh said. "Nowadays with equipment, with the ball going so far, and with us working out very hard, I think there's no limit to what age you should quit. Winning this many tournaments doesn't mean it's a miracle; I think there will be guys out there that are going to do the same thing."

There already are. Kenny Perry won three times in 2008 while turning 48 and Fred Funk won in Mexico at 50. But they have a ways to go to catch Singh's longevity.

"Right now, I'm the leader, and I'm not quitting yet," Singh said. "I'm not going to slow down."

Yet, after winning 17 events during a three-year stretch from 2003-2005, Singh appeared to be slowing down when he won just three times the next two seasons. But Singh didn't fade away. He made the gutsy decision to make a big change to his swing at the end of 2007.

"I think the change was the best thing I've done, and all I needed to do was start playing well, performing well and start winning," he said. "Winning was a key element there."

There was also the matter of his putter, which seemed to betray him more often than not last year. But the biggest change he made here was a mental one -- he simply started believing he was a great putter. Laugh if you want, but the putts started rolling in.

"I kind of overcame that with (a) pretty good attitude change," Singh said. "If you watch me on the putting green now and you watched me during March, April, May, there's a big change, big difference in how I approach the green and how I actually go ahead and make a stroke."

Singh is light years away from the days when he hit balls in a Borneo jungle as a struggling club professional. He has earned more than $70 million since those lean times, but it's not just money that motivates him.

Hint: His first name means "victory" in Hindu.

So keep waiting for Singh's game to break down, and he'll keep proving you wrong.

"I don't know if I can keep doing this for another four, five, six years, but I'm going to try," he said. "I've told everybody, when I show up and I know I can't win the golf tournament, I'm going to quit. But as long as I show up and know that I can win, I'm going to keep playing."

There's no doubt Singh isn't going anywhere. At least not any time soon.

Craig Dolch is a columnist for PGATOUR.COM. His views do not necessarily represent the views of the PGA TOUR.