Golf: Why Vijay cannot be Player of the Year

By Ryan Ballengee Sports Central Columnist

Vijay Singh finished in second by himself this week on the PGA Tour at the Chrysler Championship. With the near $500,000 he takes away from the event for his high finish, Singh has opened up a very large lead on Tiger Woods in the race for the PGA Tour money title.

Singh has said for many months that he seeks to win the money list title more than Player of the Year because he knows he at least has some hand in the money list title. There is one obvious underlying reason for Singh's slight dismissal of the Player of the Year honor: it is well-known that his personality is abrasive enough to prevent some players for voting for him.

But, beyond that, there are several reasons as to why Vijay does not seek Player of the Year.

If Vijay wins Player of the Year, it will be on the heels of four victories this season and having won the money title. Compared with Tiger Woods, who has five victories, the award may be cheapened. Furthermore, Woods has played in nearly 10 fewer events than Singh in the course of the year. Vijay just plays golf.

Woods, conversely, hardly ever plays and honors other commitments to his sponsors and his supermodel girlfriend. It would seem more remarkable to me that Woods, through all of the distractions and the ever-present media circus surrounding him, can win five times in a season.

In terms of winning percentage, Tiger wins about 33% of the time, whereas Vijay has won about 14% of the time. Yes, Singh has not finished out of the top-10 since early August at the PGA Championship, but that is through consistent participation. Woods has a comparable number of top-10 finishes to Singh, just not as many in number.

And let's face it: Woods is still more talented than Vijay Singh, who is having the best season of his career in terms of mechanics. Tiger has had his poorest season in terms of his golf swing since he began to implement radical, long-term changes in 1998. That was the last and only season Tiger has gone winless.

Woods, also, has been the center of controversy surrounding the quality of Nike golf clubs. The world's number one made a switch back to the Titleist driver that made him famous after turning pro, then returned to the mother ship with a newly-designed driver.

Vijay, on the other hand, has never swung better in his career. With the belly putter he has gone to, Singh's putting stats are much improved. Yet, despite all of that, Woods is still within conscionable distance of the money title.

But the most prevailing reason is Vijay's public relations efforts. You get the joke if you have been to a PGA Tour event or seen him speak to reporters. He is indignant, often defiant, and a poor voice for the Tour. He is not featured in Tour advertisements where he speaks, and often, his face is shown for just a flash of time.

The comments he made regarding Annika Sorenstam playing in the Colonial did not help matters, either. By handing Singh the Player of the Year award, the Tour players are in essence making him subject to media scrutiny and mass criticism for his personal beliefs and behaviors. Singh, a quiet man who keeps to himself, would like to avoid that at all cost.

Article courtesy of Sports Central.