Golf's Great Divide

• Share

(3 of 4)

What comes out of Singh's mouth is sometimes far too understandable. Two years ago, he said bluntly that LPGA superstar Annika Sorenstam didn't "belong out there" with the men at the Colonial tournament in Fort Worth, Texas. "He's just not a diplomat," says golfer Joey Sindelar, who has known Singh for almost 20 years. "And so what?" Singh isn't looking for a mulligan either. "It was kind of blown out of proportion," he says. "Maybe I shouldn't have said anything. What's done is done." He enhanced his two-strokes-over-cranky persona when he ran into Chamblee, who at a crowded Toronto restaurant said Singh had "missed the point" about Sorenstam's effort to play with the guys. Singh flipped Chamblee the bird. "I really didn't take offense to it. I was just shocked by that sort of gesture," Chamblee says, "because in the end, I just thought it was a difference of opinion."

While his U.S. and European counterparts honed their games at colleges and country clubs, Singh, a Fiji native of Indian descent, barnstormed the world, playing in Nigeria and Morocco, even working as a bouncer in Scotland to make ends meet. "Playing in different countries, with pretty much no money in your pocket, you kind of get a different attitude about life," he says. "You're a harder player." So while Mickelson is flying Cessnas and Woods is fishing, Singh is hitting golf balls as though his next meal depends on shooting under par.

He's most at ease around other golfers, though he isn't as relaxed around Woods. "I don't know," Singh says about the rift question. "He's a good guy. It's just that the pressure, the situation of him being as good as he is and the demands on his time, it's very hard to get close to a person like that." Singh didn't like Woods' comments about the Sorenstam affair--"I wish Vijay hadn't said that"--or rumors that Woods suspected him of using an illegal driver. Woods fumed when Singh's caddie wore a hat at the 2000 Presidents Cup emblazoned with the words TIGER WHO?, and of course he hates trailing Singh in the standings. Woods declined to talk to TIME.

The PGA Tour is a traveling high school lunchroom, and sports fans eat up the bickering as though it were a Tater Tot. Which player do you like at Augusta: The stalking Tiger? The surly workaholic Vijay? Or triple-chipper Phil? Mickelson, who slept in his winner's green jacket after last year's Masters, says being defending champ is an advantage. Only three players have repeated at Augusta: Nicklaus (1965-66), Nick Faldo (1989-90) and Woods (2001-02). "I hadn't won a major, so I had that mental hurdle to get by, which tends to wear on you over time," Mickelson says. "I don't anticipate it being harder to win." Indeed, Mickelson is also coming off back-to-back wins in February.

Miller, a former U.S. and British Open champ, thinks this could be the best Masters in years. "The friction is good for the game," he says. "Now if they would just say, 'I'm better than that guy. I'm going to win today,' that would be even better." C'mon, guys, a little trash talk in golf? Doubtful at hallowed Augusta. But we'll be watching just in case.

Keeping Score

Who's the best of the Big Three? In the key rankings, none of them lies in the rough

[This article contains a table. Please see hardcopy of magazine or PDF.]

PGA Tour Wins

Wins in Majors

Career Money

World Ranking

'05 Money Rank