Organizers of the FBR Open breathed a collective sigh of relief Wednesday morning when Vijay Singh, the No. 2-ranked player in the world, committed to the upcoming tournament.
There had been speculation that Singh, who won FBR/Phoenix Open in 1996 and 2003, might opt for the Dubai Desert Classic, which is Feb. 2-5, the same week as the FBR. Singh is playing in the Qatar Masters the week prior, and is skipping the Buick Invitational in San Diego.
It would have been much easier, geographically, for Singh to travel to Dubai, which also is located in the Middle East, rather than to Scottsdale.
Mike Haenel, the tournament chairman for the Phoenix Thunderbirds, the civic organization that sponsors the FBR, said Singh’s signing was music to his ears.
“I’m thrilled he’s coming,’’ said Haenel, who had the opposite reaction a month ago when he found out Tiger Woods, the No. 1 player in the world, had accepted a seven-figure appearance fee to play in Dubai.
“I had been talking with his folks at IMG (Singh’s agency) for the past six months, and the fact he was playing over in Qatar had made me a little nervous. But it’s special to have the No. 2 player, and I’m grateful for the loyalty he has for our golf tournament, considering all of the (playing) options these guys have these days.’’
Also committing to the $5.4 million event in the latest release by the Thunderbirds were U.S. Ryder Cup captain Tom Lehman, Steve Elkington, Justin Rose, Shigeki Maruyama and 2004 FBR Open champ Jonathan Kaye. But the announcement of Singh, the only player to wrestle the No. 1 ranking away from Woods in the past two years (twice), was the big news.
“To have Vijay fly half way around the world to play in the FBR Open, that’s awesome,’’ Haenel added. “It would have been easy for him to stay in Dubai.’’
Singh, who turns 43 in February, has won 13 times in the past two years while accumulating nearly $19 million in winnings during that span. Among his 28 PGA Tour victories are three major championships -- the 1998 and 2004 PGA Championships, and the 2000 Masters.
Next up on the FBR’s commitment card is Phil Mickelson, the No. 3 player in the world and the defending champ at the FBR. Haenel said he has a verbal commitment from Mickelson, but no signature yet.
“Phil doesn’t usually sign up until three or four weeks prior, but he has told us he will be here when he was at our tee-off luncheon (in mid-December),’’ Haenel said. “Beyond Phil, I’d still like to get a few more (top 10) players like maybe Sergio Garcia (No. 6) and Adam Scott (No. 8).’’
The top-10 list is limited, because Woods, Retief Goosen (No. 4), Ernie Els (No. 5) and Colin Montgomery (No. 9) are headed to Dubai. Jim Furyk (No. 7) always skips the FBR because he says his game doesn’t fit the TPC of Scottsdale.
At this point, the only other top-10 player in the fold besides Singh is Chris DiMarco (No. 10), who captured the 2003 FBR/Phoenix Open. Players have until Friday, Jan. 27 at 5 p.m. to sign up. As a result, the field will continue to change as players with higher rankings come on board.
“When all is said and done -- and everyone has committed -- I think you’ll find that we once again will have a quality field for what we like to call ‘The Greatest Show on Grass,’ ’’ said Haenel of FBR, which holds the distinction of being the most well-attended event on the PGA Tour, with crowds that often exceed 500,000 for the week.
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