Singh aiming for Houston Open hat-trick

HOUSTON (Reuters) – World number three Vijay Singh is
hoping to carve a slice of PGA Tour history this week by
winning the Houston Open for the fourth time in five years.

The tall Fijian is bidding to join Tiger Woods (Memorial),
Tom Watson (Byron Nelson Championship) and Stuart Appleby
(Mercedes Championship) as the only players in the last 25
years to win the same competition three years running.

Singh, 43, would be the first to clinch a hat-trick on a
different layout, with this year’s event moving to the
Tournament Course at the Redstone Golf Club.

The Tournament Course is not as long as its sister layout,
the Redstone Golf Club, but at 7,422 yards will still favor the
big-hitters.

Singh has yet to win this season although he has posted
seven top-10 finishes in nine tour starts.

There may be no better place for him to break his duck than
in Houston where he has never missed the cut.

Singh said it had been other elements of his game stopping
him from winning, not his putting.

“I think I’ve been putting pretty good for the last two or
three months,” he told reporters at his previous tour
appearance in the U.S. Masters earlier this month.

“The rest of my game I’ve been struggling with, but not my
putting.”

COURSE RECORD

Last year Singh equaled the course record with an opening
eight-under 64 before defeating the popular John Daly in a
playoff to become the first player to successfully defend the
title.

Daly forced a playoff with three late birdies but then
found water on the first extra hole as Singh claimed victory
with a par.

Aaron Baddeley arrives in Texas riding the momentum from
his maiden tour win at the Heritage Classic in Hilton Head,
South Carolina on Sunday.

But it is likely to be the colorful Daly and Houston
resident Jeff Maggert who will be the crowd favorites this
week.