PREVIEW-Golf-Pacesetting Singh has one eye on Boston challengers
NORTON, Massachusetts, Aug 27 (Reuters) - FedExCup points leader Vijay Singh will be keeping one eye on his closest rivals when he bids for a third PGA Tour title in five starts at this week's Deutsche Bank Championship outside Boston.
Fresh from victory at the Barclays Classic on Sunday, Fijian Singh is in pole position with three playoff events remaining but accepts much can change before the series ends.
"I'm just going to go out there and play hard for the next few weeks," Singh told reporters after beating Spaniard Sergio Garcia and American Kevin Sutherland in a playoff for the Barclays title.
"I've had good outings in Boston. I've won there and finished second once. I know the golf course pretty well so I'm looking forward to that.
"It would be nice to win it (the FedExCup)," added the world number five. "I've got a great start and I just have to go ahead and play hard for the next three other events.
"The guys behind me, the way the system works now, the next guy that wins can just overtake you. It's going to be tough but I've got a head start. I just have to go out there and play consistent, solid golf and hopefully win at the end."
Singh, winner of the 2004 Deutsche Bank Championship, is among 116 players from 16 different countries playing in the second leg of the FedExCup series, where the overall points leader collects a $10 million prize.
Most of the bonus won by last year's champion Tiger Woods came as a deferred payment. This year the playoffs winner will pocket $9 million in cash with $1 million deferred.
The top 70 on the points list following this week's event qualify for the BMW Championship starting on Sept. 4 in St Louis before the leading 30 players advance to the Tour Championship finale, staring on Sept. 25 in Atlanta.
TOP EARNERS
Going into this week, the top points earners are Singh (109,500), Garcia (104,375) and Americans Sutherland (101,950), Phil Mickelson (101,856) and Justin Leonard (101,830).
Like Singh, left-hander Mickelson will also arrive at the TPC Boston exuding confidence, having held off a late challenge by Woods to win last year's tournament by two shots.
"I love the design and I love the setup," said the American world number two, who has triumphed twice on the 2008 PGA Tour. "I love the way the greens are and the way the rough is where you can actually play shots
"I feel like I've been playing some pretty good golf in recent weeks. I haven't taken it to that last level of winning, but I've been just below."
Britons Ian Poulter and Paul Casey will also have the Ryder Cup in mind this week as they strive to attract the attention of European captain Nick Faldo for wildcard picks.
The first 10 names on Faldo's team will be decided on Sunday after the European Tour's Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles in Scotland.
The top five players from the Ryder Cup world points list automatically qualify with the next five advancing from the European points list. Faldo will then add two captain's picks to compete the 12-man team.
Going into this week, Poulter lies eighth and Casey 16th in the world points standings.
The Deutsche Bank Championship starts on Friday. (Writing by Mark Lamport-Stokes in New York; editing by Clare Lovell)
