Vijay Singh is trying to make history at The Players Championship.
The 54-year-old native of Fiji who makes his home here at Ponte Vedra, Florida is trying to become the oldest player to win the event. With a 4-under-par 68 on the rugged Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass, Singh moved to 6-under through 36 holes and onto the first page of the leaderboard. He hopes to climb even further as his is three shots behind the leaders, Kyle Stanley and Louis Oosthuizen.
Per PGA Tour Communications, Singh entered this week on the heels of his first PGA TOUR Champions victory in 13 starts and first of the season at the Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf at Big Cedar Lodge with teammate Carlos Franco. Singh currently sits at No. 20 in the Charles Schwab Cup standings. Singh is one of four PGA TOUR Champions players in THE PLAYERS field (Jerry Kelly/CUT, Bernhard Langer/CUT, and Steve Stricker/T23), breaking the previous record of three.
Singh told the media after his round on Friday, he is thinking about winning The Players Championship title -Now!
“Of course. I was thinking about winning when I started off. I told everybody I was going to win, so that’s kind of — that’s the feeling you’ve got to have to come out here,” he said. “If you think that you’re just coming out here just to make the numbers, then you’d better stay home. I’m not doing that.”
If he does win the week, Singh would become the oldest player to win a PGA TOUR event at 54 years, 2 months, surpassing Sam Snead, who won the 1965 Greater Greensboro Open at 52 years, 10 months, 8 days. Singh would also join Raymond Floyd, Craig Stadler and Fred Funk as players to win on the PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Champions in the same season. At THE PLAYERS, Singh would supplant 2005 champion Fred Funk (48 years, 9 months, 14 days) as the oldest to win.
The conditions here at The Players Championship at the Sawgrass Country Club have changed. The weather is cooler and the chance for rain, although slight, is a possibility. Playing in the next to last pairing with J.B. Holmes could prove to be helpful as the other golfers on the course will have already played the majority of their rounds.
Singh has made only two cuts in 11 starts on the PGA TOUR this season, with his best finish a T33 at the CIMB Classic.
“I’ve been putting really well. I’m rolling the ball really, really good, and my caddie just got excited that I got it on the green,” he explained. “It was sad I three-putted the last hole, but I feel really — that’s the strong part of my game right now is my putting. If I keep putting like that, I’m going to be right there on Sunday.”
Singh, a World Golf Hall of Famer member, has 61 career wins, including a Masters title in 2000 and the PGA Championship in 1998 and 2004. Although he calls North Florida home, he has never won The Players Championship title in his own backyard.