Singh not ready to panic in FedExCup defense
By Helen Ross, PGATOUR.COM Chief of Correspondents
NORTON, Mass. -- A year ago, Vijay Singh came to TPC Boston and all but obliterated the field in taking a dominating five-stroke victory at the Deutsche Bank Championship.
The victory was Singh's second straight in the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup and virtually assured him of winning the $10 million bonus at the finale in Atlanta. He shot a tournament-record 22 under, too.
What a difference a year makes, though.
Singh returns to defend his title on the verge of being eliminated from the Playoffs. He missed the cut last week at The Barclays and dropped from 59th to 78th in the FedExCup standings, as a result.
Therein lies the rub. The man who hoisted the silver Tiffany trophy last year won't even get to play in the third Playoff event unless he moves into the top 70 when the Deutsche Bank Championship ends on Labor Day.
Singh, though, won't admit to any particular sense of urgency this week.
"Not really," he said. "I just have to go out there and just play and try to win the golf tournament and not worry about where I stand in the points. If I know if I play the way I know, I don't think I should have any issue at all.
"It's in the back of my mind. My caddie reminds me of it every now and then, but that's about it."
And if there's anywhere that Singh could be expected to prosper, it's at TPC Boston. He's a cumulative 65 under here and has two wins, one second and a fourth-place finish in five starts at the Deutsche Bank Championship.
When he defended his title at The Barclays last week, though, shooting consecutive 75s to make an early exit at a brand new course in Liberty National, Singh had no such comfort zone.
"I'm very familiar with (TPC Boston)," he said. "... I'm playing okay. I'm playing better than I'm scoring. But this venue is probably going to bring me my confidence, some of my confidence back, and I'm looking forward to the week."
A year ago, Singh's ball-striking was spot on here. He ranked second in greens in regulation, third in proximity to the hole and sixth in total driving. He was the only player to shoot all four rounds in the 60s, as well.
The 2009 campaign, though, has been one of stops and starts for Singh.
He had arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn meniscus in January and admits he may have come back too soon. He began to favor the knee and developed swing flaws that he has had to work diligently to correct.
Of his 34 career wins, 22 of them have come since the ageless Singh turned 40 six years ago. This year, though, he's only had three top-10s and nothing higher than a tie for sixth at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial.The last year Singh failed to win a tournament was in 2003. He feels like he's close, though -- not unlike so many of us, it's just a matter of taking his swing from the range to the golf course.
"I know my golf swing really well, and I just need one or two good rounds under my belt to get it going," Singh said. "There's nothing wrong with my golf swing, it's just going out there and not worrying about what's happening in my head, just go and play the game.
"I have no issues to go out there and play good. I just think that I trust in my golf swing, and I've been here many, many times before. I just need to just go out there and play.
"I think this week I'm ready to play, and I won't be surprised if I'm leading after two, three days. The important thing is to just go out there and feel confident and believe in yourself and go and play the game I know."
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