Fiji’s Vijay Singh, the first golfer to win more than $10-million in one season, was named the PGA Tour’s Player of the Year for the first time in New York on Monday.
Singh ended the five-year reign of Tiger Woods as world number one in September, defeating Woods in a man-to-man duel for the Deutsche Bank Championship title to confirm his supremacy.
”It has been a big year,” Singh said. ”I never thought it would be this big. It’s so satisfying to know that it has come to this. It was well worth the journey.”
Woods had won player of the year honours the past five seasons, edging Singh last year despite Singh taking the 2003 season money title from Woods.
”I had something to prove this year coming on knowing last year it was so close,” Singh said.
”I was disappointed last year. I thought winning the money at least was a consistency of the whole season.”
Known for his amazing work ethic and practice and fitness regimen, the 41-year-old veteran led the US PGA with 18 top-10 finishes, a scoring average of 68,84 and with 4,40 birdies per round.
”This year it was kind of a landslide,” Singh said. ”That was a really fulfilling thing. I didn’t have to wait for the vote. And that was my thought.”
Singh, the first non-US player in nine years to win the award, won nine 2004 PGA tournaments, matching Woods’ 2000 total for the fifth-most in PGA history. That also included capturing another major crown at the PGA Championship.
Singh finished strong, including a stretch of six triumphs in eight events that included consecutive victories at the Deutsche Bank, Canadian Open and 84 Lumber Classic.
”I didn’t win for the first four or five events, then I started winning,” Singh said. ”[It has] been a big year. I never thought it was going to be this big. It’s so satisfying to know that it has come to this. I’m really excited.”
Singh finished the year with a record $10 905 166 after winning last year’s money crown at $7,5-million. He knows that he will be the target for every rival in 2005.
”They say it’s really hard to get to the top, but to stay there is going to be the hardest thing,” Singh said. ”I feel like I’m on an open plain and all you see is the horizon. I feel like I’m running and everybody is chasing me.
”Sooner or later, I’m going to get tired and guys are going to catch me. So I want to stay there. I want to keep ahead of the pack as long as possible.”
American Todd Hamilton, the surprise British Open winner, was named the US PGA Tour rookie of the year. He led all rookies in prize money and was 11th on the money list at $3 063 778.
American John Daly, 21st on the money list, took comeback player of the year honours. Daly won the Buick Invitational in a playoff, earning his first victory since the 1995 Buick Open. He had gone 189 starts between titles. – Sapa-AFP