Golf: Vijay in confident mood for Augusta

Vijay Singh throws the ball during a practice round at Augusta. Picture / Reuters

AUGUSTA - If state of mind guaranteed success on the golf course, Vijay Singh would be crowned US Masters golf champion before Friday's opening round, NZ time.

Singh fears no one in this week's field at Augusta National where, for the first time in his life, he will start a major championship as the game's leading player.

"I'm pretty comfortable with the position I'm in," 2000 Masters champion Singh, 42, told a news conference on Tuesday.

"I don't have any worries. I'm here at the Masters, the best player in the world right now and ready to go win another one.

"I don't think I'm afraid of anyone out there. It's really up to me how I play.

"If I go out there and start worrying about Tiger (Woods), or Phil (Mickelson) or Ernie (Els), then I'm in the wrong business.

"I've got to go out there and try to figure out how I'm going to play, how I'm going to manage my game and how I'm going to beat everybody in the field. That's how I think out there. "

Singh, from Fiji, who ended Woods' five-year reign as world number one by winning the Deutsche Bank Championship last September, has been the hottest player in the game over the last two-and-a-half years.

During that time, he has won 14 titles on the PGA Tour and piled up record earnings of US$10,905,166 ($15,600,000) in the United States last season.

"My year was great last year, and I've had a great start to the season this year," said the three-times major winner. "I can't be any happier. "

The world number one ranking, however, is low on his list of priorities this week at Augusta National.

"I think it's good to be number one but you've got to know what your directions are," Singh added.

"Coming over here, my direction is not to keep the number one spot but to win a major, to win the Masters. That's important. I love being number one, there's no hiding that. But if I win tournaments, I think that's going to help me keep the (number one) spot."

Singh, who claimed his first major title in the 1998 US PGA championship at Sahalee before winning his second at the 2000 US Masters, is delighted to be part of the so-called "Big Four".

Singh, world number two Woods, third-ranked Els and Masters champion Mickelson have all won at least once this season and are expected to dominate this season's majors.

"I think it is really great for golf right now that every one of us is playing well," said Singh. "I'm really enjoying it.

"I'd like to go out there and play my best against whoever is leading at their best. It's a thrill for us to be in this situation and I'm just fortunate that I'm a part of it."

The Masters, the first of the year's four majors, starts on Thursday.

- REUTERS