Vijay Singh विजय सिंह |
|
---|---|
— Golfer — | |
Personal information | |
Full name | Vijay Singh |
Nickname | The Big Fijian |
Born |
Lautoka, Viti Levu, Colonial Fiji |
22 February 1963
Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
Weight | 208 lb (94 kg; 14.9 st) |
Nationality | Fiji |
Residence | Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, U.S. |
Spouse | Ardena Seth (m. 1985) |
Children | Qass Seth |
Career | |
Turned professional | 1982 |
Current tour(s) | PGA Tour (joined 1993) |
Former tour(s) |
European Tour Asian Tour |
Professional wins | 60 |
Number of wins by tour | |
PGA Tour | 34 |
European Tour | 13 |
Asian Tour | 5 |
Other | 14 |
Best results in major championships (wins: 3) |
|
Masters Tournament | Won: 2000 |
U.S. Open | T3: 1999 |
The Open Championship | T2: 2003 |
PGA Championship | Won: 1998, 2004 |
Achievements and awards | |
World Golf Hall of Fame | 2005/2006(member page) |
PGA Tour Rookie of the Year |
1993 |
PGA Tour leading money winner |
2003, 2004, 2008 |
PGA Player of the Year | 2004 |
PGA Tour Player of the Year |
2004 |
Vardon Trophy | 2004 |
Byron Nelson Award | 2004 |
European Tour Player of the Year |
2004 |
FedEx Cup Champion | 2008 |
Vijay Singh, CF (Hindi: विजय सिंह, IPA: [ˈʋɪdʒəj sɪ̃ɦ]; born 22 February 1963), nicknamed "The Big Fijian", is a Fijian professional golfer who was Number 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking for 32 weeks in 2004 and 2005. He has won three major championships (The Masters in 2000 and the PGA Championship in 1998 and 2004) and was the leading PGA Tour money winner in 2003, 2004 and 2008. He was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2005 (but deferred his induction until 2006). He won the FedEx Cup in 2008.
An Indo-Fijian following Hindu religion, Singh was born in Lautoka, Fiji and grew up in Nadi. A resident of Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, he is known for his meticulous preparation, often staying at the range hours before and after his tournament rounds, working on his game.
Singh recollected to reporters about his childhood: "When we were kids we couldn't afford golf balls so we had to make do with coconuts. My father used to say, 'Little Vijay, golf balls don't fall off trees you know,' so I found some that did!" Growing up, he played snooker, cricket, football, and the island's most popular sport, rugby. He is the son of Mohan Singh, an airplane technician who also taught golf. Growing up, he admired the swing of Tom Weiskopf, using it as an early model for his own.