Vijay Singh: biography

Vijay Singh is a Fijian professional golfer, who was once ranked as the number 1 in the world. Singh has won three Major Championships, winning the Masters in 2000 and the USPGA Championship twice, in 1998 and 2004.

Beginnings

Vijay Singh was born on 22 February 1963 in Lautoka, Fiji, and grew up in the Fijian town of Nadi. Singh turned professional in 1982 and won the Malaysian PGA Championship in 1984. Ban However, his early career was halted when he was banned from the Asian Tour in 1985 after it was alleged that he lowered his score on his scorecard in order to make the cut in a competition. Singh denies this allegation but did not return to playing regular competitions until 1988.

Career

1989-1997: Early Career
Vj Singh’s career took off in 1989 when he won the Volvo Open Championship in Italy. He won three more times on the European Tour between 1990 and 1992. He joined the PGA Tour in 1993 and in his first year, he won the Buick Classic, which led to him being named the 1993 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year. Following this success he was hampered by neck and back problems over the next few years. 1998- present: Major Championship Successes to World Number One
Singh won his first Major in 1998 when he won the USPGA Championship at the Sahalee course in Washington. His second Major success followed in 2000 when he won The Masters, beating South African Ernie Els by three strokes. Singh again won the USPGA Championship in 2004 as he beat Americans Justin Leonard and Chris DiMarco in a three hole play-off. This success in Major Championships led to Singh becoming the number one player in the world, a ranking he held for 32 weeks between 2004 and 2005. He was replaced as number one in the world by Tiger Woods in March 2005 as his form, particularly at Major Championships, had dipped. Vijay Singh changed his golf swing for the 2008 season and the change brought him immediate success as his form improved and he won three PGA tournaments in 2008, his most recent victories on the Tour.

Achievements

In his professional career, Singh has amassed 34 PGA Tour and 13 European Tour wins. He has also won three Major Championships, the first coming in 1998 when he won the USPGA Championship at the Sahalee Country Club in Washington. In 2000, won a coveted green jacket as he won the Masters at Augusta. His most recent Major Championship victory again came in the USPGA Championship when he won it in 2004 at the Whistling Straits course in Wisconsin.