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WORLD GOLF HALL OF FAME

October 30, 2006

Vijay Singh

ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA

JANE FADER: Without further ado, if you just want to open up by telling us how you're feeling today and if your speech is ready.
VIJAY SINGH: There's a few speeches that I was told to read but I don't think I can read a speech up there. I'm going to wing it. I've got a few notes that I'm going to do and I'm excited about it.
I didn't know it was such a big place. I live down the road and I've never been here, so it gives me one reason to come here now. I'm looking forward to tonight.

Q. At this young age do you still believe you've got a lot more golf and a lot more information you're going to add to your profile in the next few years?
VIJAY SINGH: People think that once you get in the Hall of Fame you're over the hill (laughter). But it's very odd that it first got mentioned that I was in the Hall of Fame two years ago and that was my first time that I've ever heard it.
I still feel that I'm very competitive and I'm probably going to have one of my best years to come. I feel that way, and I believe in that. So sure, I mean, I'm definitely not over the hill and am just getting ready for a great few years to come and hopefully I can add a lot more to my memorabilia over here.

Q. I'm guessing nobody has ever won the week they got inducted into the Hall of Fame. Do you feel like your game is such that, why not, go win in Atlanta this week?
VIJAY SINGH: I felt that way -- I said it would be a great thing to come here and be inducted winning the Chrysler in Tampa. Unfortunately I had a bad Sunday and K.J. had a great Sunday. Yeah, why not? Especially if you're competitive enough to win, and I feel like I'm at the height of my career and we just have to wait and see until Sunday.
I'm playing good enough, I've found some great stuff that I'm working on in my golf swing and it's all exciting again. I'm really, really excited about next year. I think it's going to be good.

Q. What kind of a plan do you have for next season with the FedEx Cup? Are you going to change your schedule very much?
VIJAY SINGH: Not really. It will be more important to play well in the events that you play in because the points count when we get going. I know it'll be a better finale than there's ever been. The last four events of the year will be incredible, and the last one, as well.
But I don't know if I'm going to play more after the end of the season, which is the TOUR Championship next year, or not, maybe one or two events. But I'm going to have a lot longer time to break.
But I'm looking forward to, like I said, next year. I've found a few great points in my golf swing that I was doing and not doing, and I really am -- I think I'm going to have a good year. I think I'm going to challenge for the top again. I feel physically there's no hurt left in my body and I'm just going to go out there and play good golf. I believe in that.

Q. Are you going to keep the same off-season conditioning program that you have? Are you going to step it up a little bit more? Do you feel like you can even though you're 43 keep doing more on that? Just overall physical shape, are you in the best shape since when, you were younger?
VIJAY SINGH: Yeah, I didn't do as much this year as I've done in the previous years. I was hurting a little bit with my knees and my hips, but I was rehabbing a lot of that -- a lot of people don't know that, but that was no excuse for me playing the way I did this year.
I spoke to Joey yesterday as a matter of fact coming from Tampa and we had a good discussion about our off-season, and we're going to step it up. When I show up at Mercedes I want to be ready like I was a year, year and a half ago, and just be ready to go out there and win again. I've got to believe in that.
I had some problems with my driving the early part of the year, but I think I've got that sorted out, too. Cleveland has got a great new driver coming out that I'm going to try this week, and I think it's going to be compatible enough with the rest of the manufacturers. They keep coming up with new drivers, so I think with the new equipment that I'm going to use and the way I feel right now, I think -- I'm excited.

Q. Is that going to be a different version of that Hi-Bore and why didn't that driver kind of take off?
VIJAY SINGH: It did a lot better with the amateurs than it did with the pros. I think they did a lot better than what they projected it was going to be. But with the pros for some reason it didn't work out. I think the feel off the club head was a lot harder than we wanted.
But the new Hi-Bore that is coming out, it's exactly the same concept but a lot bigger. All the testing that it's gone through, there's a lot of promising reports about it and I can't wait to try it.

Q. When people come and see the display and see the things that you have decided to provide in the Hall of Fame, what kind of a story are you trying to tell with your exhibit and with what you put in your locker eventually?
VIJAY SINGH: Really you should put up what your career has been, where it's brought me from and to where it's taken me. That's what I want to put up there. There's no hidden stuff in there. It's -- whatever you see is what I am. I think that's how I like it to be.
There's a few little things in there that people don't know of, the kava bowl that's supposed to be there, it's a ceremonial bowl that -- when the native Fijians, when they have a ceremony, they use that bowl for the kava, drink, mix it up. Those are the kinds of things people don't associate me with, but there will be a little note in there.
That and my first golf course design in Fiji, that's a big thing. I'm putting a lot of effort to get that as one of the best things I've ever done, and I'd like to show that off, as well.
Besides that you see what you get.

Q. Are there trophies and whatnot?
VIJAY SINGH: I've got all my trophies that I've won in the last so many years. The important things are all up there. I think my Augusta trophy is there, as well. I've got to figure out if I can get the replica of the PGA trophy that I can put up there, as well. It's all pretty new, still getting the hang of it.

Q. Is golf course design something you're looking at down the road?
VIJAY SINGH: I'm doing quite a few at the moment. I'm doing three or four golf courses already. I don't think I want to do too many in my lifetime, but I want to do -- I want to do at least 35 when I'm done, and I want all of them to be an effort, not just on paper. I want to really go out there and put an effort and get it right.
I have good experience. I've played so many places all over the world, and I want to have a variety, as well, not just one style of designing.

Q. What's the earliest trophy that you have? Like some people have put their junior golf trophies from when they were little kids and whatnot.
VIJAY SINGH: I sold all of them.

Q. Needed the money?
VIJAY SINGH: Yeah (laughter).
I don't know, there's a lot of great photos of my son and myself there that even gives me the chills when I see it. There's a photo of him swinging with me over there that looks so good. But the earliest trophies are probably the first tournament I won in Europe. I've got to find out where the trophy is. I'm going to bring that out and put a note up there, as well.

Q. So it's not in there this evening but you have it someplace at home?
VIJAY SINGH: No, it was a scramble to get what I got there (laughter). I'm going to put a better thing up there.

Q. How big a deal has this been for Qaas?
VIJAY SINGH: I don't think he really realizes it right now. He's at an age where he's more concerned about how good he looks and what girls are going to call him (laughter). When he gets a little older, I think he'll realize that it is a big deal. You can't push him, either, to -- he's still growing. But I think he will realize later on that it is a big deal. He's going to raise the flag with me.
I'm trying to get him to get more involved in it, and he's practicing a lot more, which he's never done before. He's looking forward to doing the Father and Son later in the year, so he's getting more and more slowly involved into the game.

Q. He did get to skip school today, right? <

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