Singh’s Praises Might Someday Be Sung in a Major Key

So now that a former club pro from Borneo has won the storied Masters, is it going to make Vijay Singh a household name?

Actually, that’s not likely (see Larry Mize, Ian Woosnam), although to be fair, you have to hand it to Singh. His victory at Augusta National moved him into a new league in the grand scheme of major champions.

Only three other players ranked in the top 100 have won two different majors. They are Tiger Woods (Masters, PGA), Nick Price (British Open, PGA) and Mark O’Meara (Masters, British Open).

You see where we’re going here? Now that Singh has both the PGA and the Masters, he’s halfway to a career grand slam, where he could join Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Gene Sarazen and Gary Player.

Does Singh belong there?

Of course, he’s only halfway home and it’s problematic that he can win the U.S. Open and the British Open. At 37, Singh has maybe five or six years left to get it done, and as hard as he works--and how accurate he is--now is not the time to say he has no chance.

TIGER UPDATE

Question: Did Woods have a bad week in Augusta?

Answer: Only if you say he did because he failed to win.

Woods, the heavy favorite in this and any other Masters, was unable to overcome two factors--his opening-round 75 and missed birdie putts at Nos. 9, 10 and 11 in the last round.

As it was, Woods tied for 18th in putting--needing 11 more putts than No. 1 Loren Roberts. But Woods was a solid No. 8 in greens in regulation, so he came close.

As usual, Woods was the victim of expectations that are greater for him than any other player. Woods’ fifth-place showing was his best at the Masters since he ran away with it in 1997.

Next up for Woods, majors-wise, is the U.S. Open in June at Pebble Beach, the same place he won the AT&T; in February, so you would have to say once again that he’s going to be the favorite there. Then it’s the British Open in July at St. Andrews, another place he should clean up . . . there go the expectations.

JACKET INFO

Singh wears a size 46-long jacket. When he was presented with his green jacket Sunday, he wore a jacket of one of the Augusta National members. Singh will get his own after he sends his measurements to club officials.

THE BIG THREE

They have 13 Masters titles among them, but when 60-year-old Nicklaus, 64-year-old Player and 70-year-old Arnold Palmer played the first two rounds of the Masters together, you had to wonder if that scene would be repeated.

The answer: Not unless it happens again next year at Augusta National.

Since Palmer plays only the Masters, Nicklaus is probably making his last run through all four majors and Player doesn’t play the U.S. Open or PGA Championship, the Masters is the only place we could see this trio of superstars in the same group . . . and Nicklaus was dropping hints his Sunday round was his last competitive round at Augusta National.

If they’re done as a trio, it’s the end of an era. Besides their total of 13 green jackets, the three have won 34 major titles--18 by Nicklaus.

Palmer played in his 46th Masters, Player in his 43rd and Nicklaus in his 41st.

They have been around a long time. Before they began their first round, they started laughing on the first tee. Someone asked Palmer what they said.

“I think we were talking about how old we were, I don’t remember,” Palmer said.

BAD TIMING

Worst Masters bogey of the week?

It wasn’t on the course. It was the cigar store advertisement in the Augusta Chronicle that pictured Walter Morgan, Tom Wargo, Larry Laoretti and Larry Gilbert. Gilbert died of lung cancer a year and a half ago.

BETTER LATE?

What does David Duval have to do to win the Masters? How about play better on the back nine on Sunday, since he seems to have the front figured out.

Consider: In 1998, he shot a 34 on the front and finished second. In 1999, he shot a 33 on the front and finished sixth. Last week, Duval shot a 32 on the front and tied for third.

IMPRESS YOUR FRIENDS

Who made the first birdie and the first eagle of the first major of 2000?

The answer is Rocco Mediate in Thursday’s first round at Augusta National.

V-J DAY

Singh is only the fourth player to win the Masters and not finish in the top 10 in putting. The others were Tom Watson in 1981, Nicklaus in 1986 and Woosnam in 1991.

Singh tied for 45th--better than only eight other players who made the cut.

V-J DAY II

Singh hit 58 greens, more than any other champion in Masters history. He also joins exclusive company, with Nicklaus (56 in 1986) and Woods (55 in 1997) as the only winners who led in greens in regulation.

THE RATINGS GAME

Even though Woods didn’t get nearly as much air time as the azaleas, CBS’ ratings were only 1% lower than last year’s, dipping 0.1 to 10.0.

TV NEWS

There are reports that CNBC will replace ESPN on Senior PGA Tour coverage next year.

And while the PGA Tour eagerly awaits the window to open negotiations on a new television deal to replace the $400-million-per-year arrangement that ends after the 2002 season, speculation is that a new contract will bring the tour anywhere from $800 million to $1.2 billion a year.

Just one question: What’s Tiger’s cut?

NEW GAME IN TOWN

Dot-com note of the week: London-based electronics, software and systems company Invensys is pumping millions into the Las Vegas PGA Tour event, now the Invensys Classic at Las Vegas.

In a three-year deal, Invensys is upping the prize money from $2.6 million to

$4.25 million, then to $4.5 million and

$5 million.

HAPPY TRAILS

Ocean Trails Golf Club, which lost most of its 18th hole last year when the land beneath it collapsed and fell toward the ocean before the course even opened, is on schedule to reopen Aug. 1--as a 16-hole course.

The Pete Dye-designed Palos Verdes layout is supposed to be completely reconstructed by January.

IRON MAN

News item: Dana Quigley is playing in his 100th consecutive Senior PGA Tour event this week at the Senior PGA Championship.

Reaction: Why?

HIS BANKER KNOWS

Davis Love III quietly set a record at the Masters, where he won $143,367 with his tie for seventh, thus passing $1 million in earnings for a PGA Tour-record sixth consecutive year.