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DEUTSCHE BANK CHAMPIONSHIP

August 29, 2008

Vijay Singh

NORTON, MASSACHUSETTS

STEWART MOORE: We'd like to welcome our current leader here at the Deutsche Bank Championship, Vijay Singh, to the interview room after a great round of 7-under 64. You've had a lot of success at this golf course. Seems like scoring is absolutely perfect out there today. Is that a little bit from the weather, the conditions? We've heard from a lot of players this golf course is in the best shape it's ever been in.
VIJAY SINGH: The golf course is in great shape, but the greens are soft. They were much firmer yesterday on the Pro-Am than they were today, so they must have softened it up a little bit. The conditions are great. There's no wind, and the pins are very fair. Besides one or two pins, the rest of them are pretty generous. That's why you've got a lot of guys shooting low numbers.
STEWART MOORE: Quickly go through your birdies and we'll turn it over to questions.
VIJAY SINGH: 2nd hole, I hit a driver, 3-iron just left, chipped it about a foot.
3rd hole, I hit a 7-iron about two feet.
5th hole, I hit a driver, 7-iron to about, I don't know, six feet.
6th hole, I hit a driver, 9-iron, again, about six feet.
7, I hit two drives just short of the green, chipped it about a foot.
10, I hit driver, 8-iron to about a foot.
13, I hit a driver, 7-iron to about a foot.
I three-putted 16. I hit an 8-iron about 25, 30 feet, three-putted that one.
18, I hit a driver, 4-iron and two-putted from 30 feet.

Q. Could you talk about the difference last year and this year? You sort of were busting out a new swing thing last year playing in the marquee threesome and trying to piece it together, and this year it seems like all that has come to fruition; you're right back where you were a couple years ago?
VIJAY SINGH: Yeah, I mean, this year I'm playing well. I'm coming off a victory last week. Obviously the swing feels a lot better. You know, just in a flow. I have a great attitude on the greens. I feel really comfortable on the greens right now. You know, and I'm playing decent, hitting a of fairways, hitting a lot of greens. The greens are much more softer this year than I've ever seen on the first day, so that's why the scoring -- you can almost attack the pins.

Q. You alluded to a better attitude on the greens last week and the fact that all this putting, putting, putting thing, you hear it enough, you convince yourself that you might not have a problem?
VIJAY SINGH: I just don't listen to anything anymore. I just listen to my head, and my head is very positive, and that's -- I think that's the best attitude you can have, just listen to your own mind and talk to your own mind and hopefully you can get through that way.

Q. How is your arm feeling, and do you have any thoughts of keeping it wrapped after it feels better?
VIJAY SINGH: I have no reason to keep it wrapped if it feels better (laughing). I don't know what kind of question was that, but it's not feeling very good. That's why I've got it wrapped. It's painful, but it doesn't hurt when I hit the ball. It's only slightly painful on the takeaway. It's getting better.

Q. You hit it close a lot obviously today. Is that a function of feeling good about the putter, too, and just freeing it up with the irons, or what?
VIJAY SINGH: Yeah, one way, but I've been hitting the ball pretty much like that for last week, as well, and on the practice range, it feels good. If you're going in with a short iron and the pin is very accessible, you can actually go ahead and hit it.
You know, one thing, you have confidence on the green, obviously the iron shot feels a lot more easier, too. I just don't feel any pressure out there at the moment, especially with my game or my swing. I'm very comfortable, so that's pretty much why I'm more free to hit it.

Q. I was joking with somebody earlier that you might be well-positioned with this FedEx thing since you're going to get two weeks off since you don't have to go any of that Ryder Cup thing, and then I realized that two weeks off might not be something you'd normally do. How do you weigh the pros and cons of taking two weeks off versus being hot and taking a two-week vacation? How do you look at it? You've played so much over the years.
VIJAY SINGH: Yeah. I've taken a lot of time off since the Masters, through injury and just through trying to work on my swing, as well. So I feel okay. Two weeks off is -- you'd rather get it over and done with, but I've been watching a little bit of Ryder Cup and practicing a little bit, just keeping my swing in tune. It'll be a good time to heal my hand, as well, so that's a good thing.

Q. Can you compare the way you were feeling, the way you were playing and your confidence level when you were here in 2004 to what it is right now?
VIJAY SINGH: That's four years ago. I've forgotten four years ago (laughter). I don't know, just right now I feel really good. That's all I can say. I feel good with my swing. I'm hitting the ball good. I'm healthy, I'm strong, and I'll tell you what, I feel a lot better right now on the greens than I did then, so that should tell you something.

Q. I jokingly asked you the other day, you started listening to headphones on the practice range. What's in your musical assortment? Is it a bunch of stuff or particular bands or how do you get into your flow of rhythm and stuff you're doing out there?
VIJAY SINGH: It's not music on it.

Q. Really?
VIJAY SINGH: It's a rhythm thing. It sings according to my rhythm. Whatever my rhythm is, it makes the sound according to that. You put a plug in the end of the --

Q. I saw the driver.
VIJAY SINGH: Yeah, that tells you how fast you're swinging the club or not. It just keeps you in a good rhythm all the time.

Q. What sound do you hear?
VIJAY SINGH: The sound of the rhythm, whatever the rhythm is. If you took the club and swung it, you'd have a different rhythm than I would.

Q. It wouldn't sound like yours.
VIJAY SINGH: It may not (laughter).

Q. It might sound like a woman screaming.
VIJAY SINGH: That's not good (laughter).

Q. It's the quintessential summer day here in New England. Can you talk about your thoughts about coming here to play and your impressions of what Deutsche Bank does with this tournament?
VIJAY SINGH: You know, I love this tournament. I think the organizers, they organize this tournament very professionally, and only the best come out and play. I know Seth Waugh very well and he's done a great job. I mean, it's a pleasure to come out and play, and I think everybody that plays over here feels the same way.
STEWART MOORE: Vijay, thanks so much. Good luck the rest of the week.

End of FastScripts

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