The Fall Of Vijay Singh

[droogy33]

Well, folks, in all the heat and hype of the recently concluded FedEx Cup Play-offs, a truly significant development was largely overlooked.

The great Vijay Singh has fallen out of the top ten of the Official World Golf Ranking. You have to go all the way back to mid-August of 1998, just before Vijay broke through with his first major championship victory, to find the last time Vijay was not in the top ten. That's a fantastic nine year run for one of the game's greatest players.

I believe Vijay still has the game, and the desire, to play well enough to re-enter the OWGR's top ten, but I'm not sure we'll ever again see Vijay among the truly elite of golf. I'm doubtful that Vijay will win many more tournaments, or climb to the highest levels of the ranking...top three, for example. But I like Vijay very much and I wish him the very best.

What do you think about Vijay's future in professional golf? Remember, he'll turn 45 in February. Can he possibly have one more major championship in him?

[Leaguegolf]

New swing changes and a garage full of balky putters have started VJ down the very slippery slope to the Champion's Tour.

[TTUfirebird2008]

He'll absolutely own the Champion's Tour. He works harder than any of those OG's and he's more talented.

[PA PLAYA]

Still has one of the most solid swings on tour, and hits the ball plenty long enough.

The question with him has always been putting. He is at that age to where the yips start becoming a serious concern, he might officially be there.

[stlcard_25]

He's got a chance to win a few more tournaments, but his days as an elite player are over. Now, as TTU said, once he gets to the Champion's Tour...watch out. He could win every event out there.

[Wildbore]

He has the 8th best scoring average on the PGA tour, despite his horrible last two or three months.

His scoring average is better this year than last year, again, despite playing like garbage near the end of the season.

Putting is not the problem, he has rolled the ball well this season, 33 overall in putting.

He is 3rd in the all-around ranking. Last season he was 6th.

He is 3rd on the moneylist and 2nd in the pre-playoff Fedex point list. As usually, he is dominating nearly every player.

So hes not doing as "badly" as you all think.

Obviously his main problem is the swing change, that completely ruined his ball-striking. He is a good player, and anyone who doesen't think he will figure it out doesen't understand Vijay Singh.

He did fall out of the top-10, thats mainly because his ball-striking was garbage in so many events in a row. Vijay Singh plays alot, so when he has a rough stretch of 3 months, it counts 11 events. Whereas when Tiger has a rough stretch of the same duration, he has 2 or 3 events. So as you can see, the World Golf ranking is not very friendly to Singh in this regard.

Once he fixes his swing, which should be easy to do in the off-season, he will put together long stretches of top-10s at worst like he used to, and this will silence the critics.

He should return as an elite player by the middle of next year. He can and probably will win at least one more major, and easily another half dozen events at a minimum.

[PA PLAYA]

As far as I'm concered, the guy is still in the top 5 of my World Ranking system.

[Bolt Fore]

Though I am not fond of him my hats off to him , he lasted longer in his forties than anyone else save Sam Snead. He may yet be a threat but his top ten days are over.

[Wazmankg]

This is scaring me.. I totally agree with Wildbore. He's blessed with a physique and flexibility built for the long term. His putting will come and go. It always has. Nobody out-works him. I think he'll get the swing figured out or go back to what was working for him before. I see another half-dozen wins and at least 1 more major for him... and a return to the WR top 5.

[Johneli]

Originally Posted by Wazmankg

This is scaring me.. I totally agree with Wildbore. He's blessed with a physique and flexibility built for the long term. His putting will come and go. It always has. Nobody out-works him. I think he'll get the swing figured out or go back to what was working for him before. I see another half-dozen wins and at least 1 more major for him... and a return to the WR top 5.

He,d better hurry. He's 45 and Nicklaus won his last major at 46; and VJ is no Jack. Maybe some of the others have it figured out a little better....if you play in too many events per year (as I believe VJ does) you may be in danger of burnout. It's the end of the year. He may just be tired.

[droogy33]

Originally Posted by Johneli

He'd better hurry. He's 45 and Nicklaus won his last major at 46; and VJ is no Jack.

Julius Boros is still the oldest golfer to win a professional major championship. He was 48 when he won the 1968 PGA Championship. Vijay still has a little time to do something special.

[Johneli]

Originally Posted by droogy33

Julius Boros is still the oldest golfer to win a professional major championship. He was 48 when he won the 1968 PGA Championship. Vijay still has a little time to do something special.

I didn't know that! Thanks.

[Wazmankg]

and as far as phyisical conditioning goes, VJ is light years ahead of Nicklaus or Boros in their 40s.

[Johneli]

Originally Posted by Wazmankg

and as far as phyisical conditioning goes, VJ is light years ahead of Nicklaus or Boros in their 40s.

That's a fact for sure. Besides Villegas and Woods who else on tour is known to work out regularly. I don't know.

[Leaguegolf]

Originally Posted by Johneli

That's a fact for sure. Besides Villegas and Woods who else on tour is known to work out regularly. I don't know.

I'm sure the majority of players on tour work out regularly. Some workouts, like some golf games, are more intense than others.

[Johneli]

Originally Posted by Leaguegolf

I'm sure the majority of players on tour work out regularly. Some workouts, like some golf games, are more intense than others.

"Caffeine+nicotine=protein" John Daly's nourishment before workouts

[EDSGolf]

I think VJ's age is finally catching up to him, he ain't no young puppy. Perhaps he needs to slow down on the practicing!

[Wildbore]

The odds are Vijay was just blessed with good genetics. Yes, chronologically he is 45 years old, but genetic factors have some influence how fast or slow your body ages.

A 45 year old on one hand could biologically have a body of a 35 year old or a 55 year old, depending on genetics.

The question you have to ask is, does Vijay look 45? If you look at his face, he looks like hes in his late 30s. His internal clock is probably ticking slower than the average, this means he will always be and look younger than his actual chronological age puts him at.

On the other hand, the 40 year old Billy Mayfair looks like hes 60. Obviously his internal clock wants to put him on the death bed ASAP.

Genetics has alot to do with it folks. Just because Vijay turns 45 doesen't mean he has to have a 45 year old body.

[Leaguegolf]

Originally Posted by Wildbore

The odds are Vijay was just blessed with good genetics. Yes, chronologically he is 45 years old, but genetic factors have some influence how fast or slow your body ages.

A 45 year old on one hand could biologically have a body of a 35 year old or a 55 year old, depending on genetics.

The question you have to ask is, does Vijay look 45? If you look at his face, he looks like hes in his late 30s. His internal clock is probably ticking slower than the average, this means he will always be and look younger than his actual chronological age puts him at.

On the other hand, the 40 year old Billy Mayfair looks like hes 60. Obviously his internal clock wants to put him on the death bed ASAP.

Genetics has alot to do with it folks. Just because Vijay turns 45 doesen't mean he has to have a 45 year old body.

You're basing a lot on how VJ "looks" but the golf ball doesn't have eyes. Genetics does play a role but the tens of thousands of balls VJ has hit over the years plays a bigger role. Even the fittest bodies only have so many golf swings in them. Especially at the rate and level that VJ plays.

VJ certainly remains capable of winning and being a factor in the majors but his best days are behind him and I fully expect we'll continue to see his decline.

[Johneli]

Originally Posted by Leaguegolf

You're basing a lot on how VJ "looks" but the golf ball doesn't have eyes. Genetics does play a role but the tens of thousands of balls VJ has hit over the years plays a bigger role. Even the fittest bodies only have so many golf swings in them. Especially at the rate and level that VJ plays.

VJ certainly remains capable of winning and being a factor in the majors but his best days are behind him and I fully expect we'll continue to see his decline.

I agree. There's just too much "limber" in his swing. Johnny Miller pointed that out yesterday and it's true. He's so loose and his backswing so excessive that there's just too much room for error. You could see on Sunday that there was no love lost between he and Phil and it was obvious that VJ would have liked to trounce Phil, but his swing just couldn't hold up. Slow fade to black.

[Body_Visions]

I think he has some good years yet. Maybe not all the way to number one, but good.

I agree that his swing is a bit loose. Also looks a little upright as well.

[Wildbore]

Long and loose is the best way to go. Its mostly about timing with Vijay.

[GolfSavage]

Originally Posted by Wildbore

Long and loose is the best way to go. Its mostly about timing with Vijay.

And his time has passed. He'll gradually sink into the mid-ranks of used-to-be-greats like Davis Love III and Freddy Couples.

If the field wasn't constantly changing with better and younger golfers coming along, he might work back into contention. Phil, Furyk, Mahan, Glover, Zach Johnson, Sabbatini, Rose, Baddely, etc. will dominate the events Tiger doesn't attend. VJ may pull off an win at an 84 Lumber or John Deere event if the field is weak enough, but Tiger's going to dominate 50% or more of the majors the next few years, and guys like Zach Johnson, Stricker, Furyk, Phil, Adam Scott, Ogilvy, Weir, Harrington, Choi, even Garcia have a better shot than VJ at winning the other 50%.