Singh ready to swing in new season

Mark Lamport-Stokes
Tuesday 01 January 2008 20:00 EST
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Vijay Singh, armed with a revamped swing and a new fitness trainer, is eager to return to winning ways in his title defence at this week's Mercedes-Benz Championship in Hawaii.

The former world No 1 has not won on the PGA Tour in nine months and is determined to erase memories of a frustrating 2007. "Last year I was very disappointed in the way I played," Singh said in the build-up to the 2008 PGA Tour's opening event. "Although I had two wins, I was really very discouraged in the way I played in the mid-season and during the majors. The two wins happened very early in the season, in the first three months, and the rest of the season was pretty cold for me."

Singh took the Mercedes-Benz Championship by two shots in Kapalua last January before winning his 31st PGA Tour title two months later at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. But despite close calls at the Wachovia Championship in May and the Canadian Open in July, he failed to add to his trophy cabinet.

"I know guys go through their whole career not winning one event," the 44-year-old Fijian said. "My expectations are pretty high. I don't like playing six months of the year and not winning a golf tournament. I felt like I let myself down there."

Although Singh ended the 2007 season third on the PGA Tour money list with earnings of $4,728,376, he has been working hard to revamp his swing and improve his fitness.

"The position on top was very low, very flat and laid off and that's pretty much the worst place I want my golf swing to be," he added. "Right now it's totally changed. It's so much more upright, so much more down the line and kind of more in sync with my body."

Singh faces a strong challenge in Kapalua that brings together title-holders from the previous PGA Tour season. The 31-man field includes world No 3 Jim Furyk and No 5 Steve Stricker.

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