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FORD CHAMPIONSHIP AT DORAL

March 2, 2005

Vijay Singh

DORAL, FLORIDA

Q. Are you finding the effort to stay No. 1 fun, any pressure at all, as challenging as trying to get there?

VIJAY SINGH: I don't know, I just -- I haven't really played well all year this year. I really thought I was going to lose that already. I'm surprised I'm still up there.

My focus is from now on is just try to win golf tournaments and to focus myself like last year. Trying to be No. 1 is putting too much pressure on the wrong part of my game. I'm going to focus on winning golf tournaments and that's what I'm going to do from now on.

There is a lot of pressure to try and keep it. If your focus moves away to try to be No. 1, then obviously you're not trying to win golf tournaments, and I don't like that feeling.

Q. Are you enjoying it?

VIJAY SINGH: Yeah, sure. The thrill is there. I mean, every time you show up to the tournament, you are the best player in the world. So it's a great, great feeling to be called that, but at the same time, you know cuss on what you're doing.

Q. It's so rare to get top players together in one tournament outside of a major, can you talk about your interest level?

VIJAY SINGH: Obviously, I get excited. All of the top guys are here, so you want to play well and you want to beat them all. So my deal this week is go out there and try and beat the field, and if you do that, you're playing against the top guys.

Q. Doing the commercials and things like that, are you loosening up trying to have a little bit more fun?

VIJAY SINGH: I'm always loose. You guys make me not loose -- yeah, you're -- inaudible -- never seen my outlook, day-in and day-out, I guess you guys are relaxing more than me.

Q. What is it about us that we are not understanding about you?

VIJAY SINGH: I don't know; you tell me.

Q. What do you think we're not getting?

VIJAY SINGH: I don't know. I can't answer that right now. It just takes a long time for me to figure that one out. You guys have to come up with something better than that.

Q. How important is success in Florida in the southern swing to the rest of the season?

VIJAY SINGH: We get excited coming over here. The weather is great, the golf course is in great shape. It's dry and it's not cold so I think everybody coming over here are excited and play. And I live in Florida, so it's like coming home.

Q. Are you playing Honda next week?

VIJAY SINGH: Yes, I am.

Q. Have you had a chance to play the course?

VIJAY SINGH: I've never played it, but from what I hear, you've got to have your game over there. The greens are pretty difficult, so the approach shots are very important on that golf course. It's a good challenge before the Masters, before the TPC.

Q. Will you play all four, Bay Hill also?

VIJAY SINGH: Yes, I am.

Q. You contended in every tournament in Florida and won the Honda that one time. Are you surprised you haven't won a PLAYERS Championship yet?

VIJAY SINGH: It's my home course, I should. I'm just trying to make the cut there, you low. (Laughter.) The last few years, I don't know why I don't win there or why I don't perform any better. Maybe this year. Maybe this year. You know, I feel like I should win there, and I know every part of the golf course. I think I put too much pressure on myself.

Q. Is there something in common, the years you have gotten close and you haven't pulled it off, some part of the game that seems to have failed you?

VIJAY SINGH: I think you have to have a good start. You've got to have -- every year I have a bad start, the first round is always high and I'm trying to make the cut. I think I have to go out there and try to shoot a low number the first day and be in contention already from the get go instead of trying to catch up and that's putting too much pressure.

Q. When you how close to you pay attention to keeping that ranking?

VIJAY SINGH: At the end of the week you kind of have a look at it when the tournament is over, but I'm not really that concerned about it.

Q. Do you feel like sometimes they will say, if Tiger finishes top four and you don't win, you would lose, do you know that going into the tournament?

VIJAY SINGH: I hear about it. My caddie pays close attention on the Golf Channel. They seem to know everything. He tells me and I told him not to tell me all that stuff.

Q. Overall what kind of feedback have you gotten from the HBO special?

VIJAY SINGH: I haven't seen it. They just got me the tape this week. So far everything I've heard from it was all positive and the people like it.

Q. I hear the left-handed shot into 17 was pretty good theatre.

VIJAY SINGH: Yeah, I don't think I hit the green, though. But I can hit left-handed.

Q. That commercial, where was that, how cold was it?

VIJAY SINGH: It was filmed in Romania, but I did it at TPC. (Laughter.) It wasn't that cold there.

Q. The course and the conditions, is that why the field is so good?

VIJAY SINGH: I think so. It's a long golf course. I didn't play it last year, but a few of the tees have gone back some 20, 25 yards. It's a long hitters golf course this week. You've got to be able to hit the ball straight and long.

End of FastScripts.

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