Singh Feels Like the Master of His Destiny

Vijay Singh already had won a major title, but he probably was still more known for using a long-handled putter than winning the 1998 PGA Championship . . . until he won the Masters last year.

No offense to the PGA, but the Masters is where it’s at. Singh beat Ernie Els by three shots on the slippery greens at Augusta National and feels so buoyed by the experience that he believes he can do it again in four weeks.

“I want to put the jacket on myself again,” Singh said. “That’s the tone I’m going in there. I think I can win it again. So I have a good feeling. I am confident I can do it.”

He isn’t going to ditch the putter he used to win last year and neither is he going to worry much about Tiger Woods, although Singh is the only other reigning major title winner other than Woods since the 1999 British Open.

But Singh did not hesitate when asked if Woods is the player to beat at the Masters this year.

“Yes, I guess,” Singh said. “I mean, he showed how good he is in Augusta and in the majors, but you can’t go in there thinking about Tiger. And the advantage is the new ball this year, that the guys are just flying the ball so much better.

“So I think there’s a lot more guys to worry about this year than just Tiger. But then again, Tiger’s Tiger. He hasn’t played his golf so far, and I’m sure it’s going to come out soon.”

TIGER UPDATE

Here is the lead to Monday’s story on the Dubai Desert Classic in the Times of London: “Can there be any holding Thomas Bjorn now?”

Hold him? From what? It just goes to show what the ramifications are if you beat Tiger down the stretch.

Bjorn, 30, is a nice player, a six-time European Tour winner, but he hasn’t won a tournament in the U.S. Yet he beats Woods when Tiger double bogeys the last hole and suddenly he’s destined for greatness?

And Woods finishes second and he’s mired in a slump?

Bjorn said afterward that Woods is no longer intimidating, but we’ll see how that plays out if they’re ever paired together at Augusta.

Until then, Woods has his usual pre-Masters playing schedule to keep him busy. He is off this week, then defending his title next week at Bay Hill.

DUVAL HITS THE WALL

If you’re talking slump, forget about Woods. Tune in to David Duval. He tied for 63rd last week at Doral, which means he hasn’t finished in the top 50 in his last four tournaments, including back-to-back missed cuts at Phoenix and Pebble Beach.

He has dropped to No. 7 in the Official World Ranking, he’s No. 80 on the money list and he played the weekend rounds at Doral in 77-72.

But Duval points out he won two of his last nine events (the Buick Challenge and the World Cup with Woods), so that’s not too bad.

“I’m the first to tell you I’m not playing as well as I’d like to,” he said.

“That just goes to show it’s right there.

Two years ago, Duval won 11 times in 33 tournaments and was ranked No. 1 briefly--the only player other than Woods ranked No. 1 since 1997.

“You can’t play great golf every week,” Duval said. “I certainly wish I could and I certainly I felt I did for a stretch. But it’s just too difficult a game.”

Meanwhile, Duval has a three-year endorsement deal with Nike to wear a logo hat, clothes, shoes, carry the new staff bag, play the Nike ball and use an unspecified number of Nike clubs. At Doral, he played the company’s prototype irons and he has tested its drivers and putters.

But the most interesting aspect of Duval and his deals is that he says the weekly golf magazines are reluctant to criticize his former company, Titleist, because they are afraid of losing advertising revenue. If it’s true, it sort of hurts their credibility, doesn’t it?

SWING THIS

One final thought on the West Coast swing: For years, it has suffered in comparison with the Florida swing, which was judged superior and regarded as the “official” start of the pro golf year. But as far as image goes, the reverse is true now.

The West Coast swing has more tournaments, more prize money and better fields than Florida and even includes a $500,000 bonus to the golfer who plays the best in the nine-event swing. The best player in Florida gets a year’s supply of mosquito repellent.

Florida has . . . the Players Championship. (OK, maybe better weather too). The Genuity has nothing but prize money ($4.5 million), the Honda is convenient to skip and Bay Hill would be the same thing if Arnold Palmer were not so heavily involved.

YEAR OF THE JOE?

These just in: Joe Durant’s victory at Doral earned him a spot in the Masters (for being in the top three on the money list), but three others got in for being in the top 50 in the rankings--Brad Faxon, Steve Stricker and Toshimitsu Izawa of Japan.

Aaron Baddeley of the Australasian and European Tours and Shingok Katayama of the Japan Golf Tour also received invitations this week.

By the way, Durant has more victories than Woods (2-0) and more prize money ($1.49 million to $545,857). And what is one of the reasons for that? Many are convinced that it’s because Durant, like many others, is using the new, ballyhooed, higher-flying Titleist Pro V1 ball that Singh was talking about.

Case in point: Durant is 16th in driving distance. He was 116th last year.

VIJAY’S DAYS

In the last three weeks, Singh won the Malaysian Open and the Singapore Masters and was third at the Genuity. In the last two months, he has played in Australia, Hawaii, California, Hong Kong, China, Malaysia, Singapore and Florida.

So what is he doing this week? Nothing. He’s not entered at the Honda Classic.

Said Singh: “If I played, you’d probably have to carry me out in an ambulance.”

CADDIEGATE?

This sounds interesting: Hal Sutton criticized caddies who do not want to cooperate in the PGA Tour’s new ShotLink System unless they are paid. The caddies are supposed to inform the walking scorekeepers what clubs the players are using in the on-line, high-tech information system.

Says Sutton: “They are making more money than they’ve ever made.”

Besides, he reasoned, ShotLink will eventually mean the players will play for more money and the caddies will then make more.

“It does not take a rocket scientist to do the numbers,” he said.

Maybe, but Sutton is a member of the Tour’s Policy Board, so he has a vested interest. What’s likely to carry some weight is how the new system might affect Internet rights of players who have their own sites . . . such as Woods.

DUFFEL TROUBLE

News item: Stephen Ames pulls out of the Genuity on the sixth hole on the last day because of a rib injury the night before when he lifted a duffel bag.

Reaction: Isn’t that what caddies are for? His must have been too busy with ShotLink.

FAMILY MATTERS

It has been really busy lately for Baddeley. He won the Australian Open again, this time as a pro. He signed a three-year endorsement deal with Nike for balls, shoes and gloves. He plays his first tournament in the U.S. this year at the Honda (he was 57th last year as an amateur).

But forget all that stuff. You might have missed it, but the really big news is that he bought property at Grayhawk in Scottsdale and the broker described it as a “perfect place to raise a family.”

Uh, Baddeley is 19. He is still being raised by his own family.

FAMILY MATTERS II

If Lee Westwood needs any advice, he can always ask Jesper Parnevik. Westwood’s wife is due to give birth April 7--the day of the third round of the Masters, which means that he will have to choose to be at home or in Augusta.

Last month, Parnevik skipped the Hope, where he was defending champion, to be at the side of his wife in Florida when she gave birth to their fourth child.

Said Westwood: “I think where babies are concerned, golf doesn’t have any kind of priority, does it?”

BIRDIES, BOGEYS, PARS

Tom Flores, Jim Hardy, Ray Nagel, Glenn Davis and Norb Hecker are among celebrities in the Trinity Children and Family Services scramble tournament, Tuesday at Palm Valley Country Club in Palm Desert. The TCFS is a nonprofit provider of services for abused and neglected children. Details: (800) 543-7730, ext. 3.

Dave Pelz’ Scoring Game Tour, a series of one-day putting and wedge clinics, will be held today through March 18 at Lost Canyons. Details: (800) 735-9868 or https://www.pelzgolf.com.

He might have missed the cut in his last tournament, the Nissan Open, but Phil Mickelson made $100,000 when he shot a five-under 67 and beat Sergio Garcia by five shots in a Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf match at Querencia Golf Course in Los Cabos, Mexico. The show was taped and will be shown Oct. 9 on ESPN.

Charles White, Jon Arnett, Jim Hardy, Mike Rae and Marlin McKeever will be among honorees at the Trojan Football Alumni tournament, March 30, at Brookside Golf Course. Details: (310) 543-0025.

Aree Song Wonglukiet and her 13-year-old twin sister Naree Song Wonglukiet received sponsor’s invitations into the Nabisco Championship, March 22-25 at Mission Hills. Also accepting invitations are 2000 Women’s Amateur medalist Leigh Ann Hardin of Martinsville, Ind., Arizona freshman Lorena Ochoa Reyes of Guadalajara and U.S. Girls Amateur Champion Lisa Ferrero of Lodi.

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The Top 5

Top five reasons why the top PGA Tour pros include next week’s Bay Hill Invitational tournament in Orlando on their schedules:

1. Arnold Palmer runs it and nobody wants to hack him off.

2. Most of the top pros live in Orlando anyway.

3. Most of the top pros skip the Honda this week anyway.

4. Isleworth, where Tiger Woods lives, is close by and the pros can peek over the brick wall to see his mansion.

5. Prize money is $3.5 million.