Singh reaps benefits of positive putting strategy
NORTON, Massachusetts (Reuters) - Twenty-nine days ago, Vijay Singh made a decision which transformed his PGA Tour season by lifting his comfort level with the putter to unprecedented heights.
After overcoming an erratic display on the greens to win last month's WGC-Bridgestone Invitational by one shot at Firestone Country Club, the Fijian realized he had to change his attitude.
The ploy worked and, helped by a putting device that controls his tempo, Singh went on to claim two more PGA Tour titles, including the Deutsche Bank Championship on Monday.
"Winning in Akron was big," the world number five told reporters, referring to his triumph at Firestone where he sweated over a four-foot par putt at the final hole.
"That was the first win of the year and the way I was rolling the putts, I didn't know if I was going to do it, even coming down the stretch there.
"Making the last putt told me a lot, it told me that I needed to change some kind of an attitude or change my putting style.
"So I went back home and made a good attitude change," added Singh, who won his second title of the year at the Barclays Classic eight days ago.
"I spoke to some psychologist who was trying to help me and I arrived last week with a great attitude on the putting green, I just kind of felt like I belonged on the greens."
POSITIVE FEELING
That feeling has stayed with Singh over the last four days at the TPC Boston. Despite difficult conditions for Monday's final round on slick greens, he totaled only 23 putts to seal his 34th PGA Tour victory.
Three times over the back nine, he rolled in birdie putts from 35 feet or more and he kept reinforcing his positive attitude by telling his caddie Chad Reynolds he was the best putter in the world.
"When I started putting comfortably, my whole game started coming around," said Singh, long regarded as one of the best players from tee to green.
"It's a great feeling to hit a putt and see the ball rolling into the hole. There's nothing better. I've never felt this comfortable on the greens."
The former world number one, who switched back to a belly putter two months ago, recalled the frustrations of last year when he continually experimented to find a solution.
"Weeks went by where I really played well but I didn't putt well," he said. "That part of it was just kind of killing me. I went to a short putter to a long putter to whatever.
"I was trying to change my grip. I tried it all. I know it boils down to a great attitude change, a change in my head. Now I feel just great."
(Editing by Ed Osmond)
