Vijay Singh was the first man to take over the World No. 1 spot from Tiger Woods in five years with a Labor Day victory in 2004.
That year, Singh manufactured one of the greatest seasons in the history of the PGA TOUR. He became just the sixth player in the game’s history to accumulate nine wins in one year and along the way he posted 18 top-10 finishes, won the Vardon Trophy for lowest scoring average and was named the TOUR’s Player of the Year.
Singh’s longevity is impressive and his work ethic legendary. In 2004, he owned a top-10 streak of 12 straight tournaments, two behind Jack Nicklaus for the modern-day record and longest on TOUR since 1975. Along with 2004 Wells Fargo Championship champion Joey Sindelar, he is one of only 12 players over the age of 40 to win on the PGA TOUR.
Looking back on the 2005 Wells Fargo Championship
No matter the circumstance, Vijay Singh seems to always be there on Sunday. Despite trailing 54-hole leader Sergio Garcia by six strokes heading into Championship Sunday, Singh found a way to take this year’s edition to extra holes.
With a final-round 66 and some help from Garcia’s closing 72 and Jim Furyk’s 72nd hole birdie for another Sunday 66, Singh worked his way into a three-man playoff.
Singh survived the four-hole playoff in which Garcia was eliminated with a three-putt bogey on the first extra hole and Furyk found the creek at 18, which they were playing for the third time that day. The playoff schedule was 18-16-17-18.
It marked Singh’s third TOUR victory of the year and the 12th of his 28 total in just the last year and a half.
“A playoff is like a coin toss,” said Singh. “Straightaway, it’s match play. Whoever gets one up, that’s it.”