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DEUTSCHE BANK CHAMPIONSHIP

September 5, 2004

Vijay Singh

NORTON, MASSACHUSETTS

TODD BUDNICK: We welcome Vijay Singh. First off, as the 54-hole leader, we'd like to congratulate you for being this week's CRESTOR Charity Challenge winner. For your efforts, Vijay, $50,000 will be donated on behalf of CRESTOR products and the Deutsche Bank Championship to the MGA For Kids Program, and $50,000 will be donated to the healthcare charity of your choice. Congratulations on that.

VIJAY SINGH: Thank you.

TODD BUDNICK: 68 today. That birdie gave you a little cushion tomorrow heading into the final round.

VIJAY SINGH: Yeah, I could see everything going on ahead of me. (Laughing).

It was tough today. It was a tougher day. Wind conditions were different. There was a few lines I was supposed to take off the tee that I never knew that I had to do that. I missed a few fairways not thinking the right way, and I have not played this wind on this course. It played totally different, actually.

You know, it got very cold there, too, the later holes, and dark as well. All in all, I'm pretty satisfied with the way I finished.

TODD BUDNICK: You've been in this position four times already this year and you've walked away with four victories; that's got to give you some confidence heading into tomorrow.

VIJAY SINGH: Yeah, I'm swinging the club well. I'm swinging it as good as I did yesterday. Rounds like this, I made a great par on, what was it, 13; it kept things going that way. You need things like that to keep your momentum going.

I played well. I'm putting well and swinging well. So, who knows tomorrow.

Q. Speaking of tomorrow, you brought it up yesterday, we've all talked about it, you've read about it, Tiger and you and the No. 1 stuff, is it ironic that here you are, you're so close and you're going to be paired together in the last group? How do you look at that?

VIJAY SINGH: I'm looking forward to it. I'm in a little better position, I'm 3-up. (Laughing.)

I've played with Tiger many a times and I enjoy playing with him. He's a great player. I'm ready to play tomorrow. It may be Tiger or whoever it would be. I'm just going to go out there and try to win the golf tournament. That's my goal is to go out there and play well and see if I can win the tournament.

Fortunately, you know, Tiger is in my group and I can see everything happening.

Q. I think he's the only one within four or five shots of the lead; is that the way you prefer it?

VIJAY SINGH: You've got to be very careful. Guys that are three or four behind can come up and, you know, catch us. The golf course, if you play good enough, you can make a lot of birdies, as it showed yesterday. You just have to go out there and not worry about anybody else but your game, and I think that's what I'm going to do.

The golf course is playing tougher, a lot different than yesterday, and depending on the wind conditions, we'll have to deal with that tomorrow.

Q. Do you have to stay disciplined to keep from getting into a match-play frame of mind with nobody else but Tiger that close?

VIJAY SINGH: Well, it's a stroke-play event. Match-play would never come into mind until probably one or two holes to go, if that.

I don't know, I don't know how to play this, I'm out there to play my own game. Fortunately for all of you guys, Tiger is playing with me, so you have a lot to write about.

But I'm pretty focused. I'm not one to lay down, put it this way. I'm going to go out there and be strong and play my game, and I'm playing good enough to win.

Q. That bunker shot, did you think that you were going to make that?

VIJAY SINGH: In situations like that, you try to get close. You try not to throw away too many shots. My main goal was to make sure you make a bogey, or the least you're going to do is make a bogey, and it came out perfect. It started rolling toward the hole, I thought it was going to stop short, but it went in.

It's a great equalizer in this game. I make a bunker shot on that hole, and miss a short putt on the next hole. You've got to take what it gives you and be happy with it.

Q. You've gone on to win, any time you've had the lead in the last eight times you've won; what's your approach after 54 holes that has allowed you to do that?

VIJAY SINGH: I think you've got to be very patient. I think that's the key. Normally when you have a lead and don't have a good start, a lot of guys press and try to get the shots back. I just go out there and try to play my game and play very patient and play hole-by-hole; and see if you can make up shots, if you lose shots early on, not immediately after, but take your time and get yourself settled in. That's what I do. I don't rush myself. So if I do drop shots early, to get it back immediately and if you do that, it can cost you. I think the key is to go out there and be patient and play the shots you've been playing all week and just go with the flow.

Q. I think last month at the PGA when you made the putt at 18, you said how important that probably was and it actually was very important. How important was the birdie on 18 today?

VIJAY SINGH: I don't know, it's better to be 3-up than 2. It gives me a little more of a cushion.

You know, I was really -- I was really geared up to make an eagle putt. That was my goal is to make an eagle, and I had a good attempt, but it was good to see next one go in. Like I said, any shot in front of Tiger is important, and that's one of them.

TODD BUDNICK: Let's go through your card, please.

VIJAY SINGH: I hit a driver, 5-wood to about 20 feet and 2-putted.

7th, I hit a driver, 7-iron, sand wedge to about 15 feet.

9, I hit a driver, 9-iron about two foot, two and a half foot.

14, I hit a 3-wood, 8-iron in the bunker and blasted out about six-foot and missed that.

18, I hit a driver, 5-wood about 20 feet, 18 feet and 2-putted.

Q. The chip-in, did you hit your second in the bunker?

VIJAY SINGH: No, it was short and flop-shot in the bunker. It was high enough, put it this way, and made it. .

TODD BUDNICK: Thank you, Vijay.

End of FastScripts.

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