Top Golfers of the Century |
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Leaders for the 2005
Vijay Singh (Fiji) age 42
World Ranking: 1
Number of U.S. Opens: 11
Best U.S. Open finish: tied for third in 1999
Hottest player in the game over the last two-and-a-half years, winning 16 times on the PGA Tour and piling up record earnings of $10,905,166 in the United States last season. Ended Tiger Woods's five-year reign as world number one by winning the Deutsche Bank Championship last September and is now in his third spell at the top of the official rankings.
Has maintained his astonishing run of form on this year's PGA Tour, winning the Sony Open in Hawaii in January, the Houston Open in April and last month's Wachovia Championship. Boosted by six other top-five finishes, he leads the U.S. money list with $5,292,006.
A Fijian of Indian descent whose name means 'victory' in Hindi, Singh is known for his work ethic. Won his first major title in the 1998 U.S. PGA championship at Sahalee and his second at the 2000 U.S. Masters, beating runner-up Ernie Els by three strokes. Clinched his third major in a three-way playoff for last year's U.S. PGA Championship at Whistling Straits.
Has produced five top-10 finishes at the U.S. Open in 11 starts, his best a tie for third when the tournament was first held at Pinehurst in 1999. Following opening rounds of 69 and 70 that year, he slipped back with a third-day 73 before a closing 69 left him two strokes behind winner Payne Stewart.
Tiger Woods (U.S.) 29
World Ranking: 2
Number of U.S. Opens: 9
Best U.S. Open finish: won in 2000 and 2002
Best player in the world since Jack Nicklaus, although his dominance has diminished over the last two-and-a-half years. Won his first major since the 2002 U.S. Open, and ninth of his career, at the U.S. Masters in April when he sank an 18-foot birdie putt at the first extra hole to beat compatriot Chris DiMarco.
After spending much of last year revamping his swing for the second time since turning professional, has come close to producing his best form this season. Has won three times on the PGA Tour, including a one-shot victory over Phil Mickelson at the Doral Open in March that owed much to magical shot-making and superlative driving all four days.
Won his first U.S. Open crown at Pebble Beach in 2000 by a record 15 strokes and clinched his second at Bethpage Black in 2002 to lift his career haul of majors to eight in only 22 professional starts. Drew level with Ben Hogan and Gary Player in the all-time listings with his ninth major title in April.
Was youngest player, aged 21, to win the Masters in 1997 with a record 12-stroke victory and became the first person to hold all four majors at the same time with his two-shot triumph over David Duval at the 2001 Masters.
Ernie Els (South Africa) 35
World Ranking: 3
Number of U.S. Opens: 12
Best U.S. Open finish: won in 1994 and 1997
Enjoys a distinguished record in the U.S. Open with seven top-10 finishes in 12 starts, including victories in 1994, after a playoff with Loren Roberts and Colin Montgomerie at Oakmont, and again in 1997, at Congressional. Tied for ninth last year at Shinnecock Hills, despite closing with a 10-over-par 80 in treacherous conditions on a sun-baked course.
Was probably the form player in the 2005 majors after being edged out by Mickelson at the final hole of the U.S. Masters, losing a playoff for the British Open at Royal Troon and sharing fourth place at the U.S. PGA Championship.
Although he struggled all week on his way to a tie for 47th at this year's Masters, his worst finish in 12 starts at Augusta National, he has otherwise produced good form this season, winning three times on the European Tour and producing four top-10 places in the U.S.
Possesses one of the smoothest swings in golf and is also one of the longest hitters. His 2002 British Open victory in a playoff at Muirfield finally convinced him he has the game and mind to deal with the last-day pressures down the stretch. In 2000, became the first player to place runner-up in three straight major championships, finishing second behind Singh at the Masters and to Woods at the U.S. and British Opens.
Phil Mickelson (U.S.) 34
World Ranking: 4
Number of U.S. Opens: 14
Best U.S. Open finish: second in 1999, 2002 and 2004
Ended a 12-year wait for his first major title with a dramatic one-shot victory over Els at last year's U.S. Masters. Holed an 18-foot birdie putt at the final hole to complete a blistering back nine of five-under-par 31, he and Els having produced an epic battle of shot-making.
Has been in sparkling form this season with back-to-back PGA Tour wins at the FBR Open and Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in February and a playoff victory at the rain-hit BellSouth Classic in April. Finished 10th on his title defence at the Masters after closing with a 74.
Four times the Californian left-hander has come close to winning the U.S. Open, tying for fourth at Shinnecock Hills in 1995 and placing second at Pinehurst in 1999, at Bethpage Black in 2002 and again at Shinnecock last year.
Last year, produced 13 top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour, including a victory at the Chrysler Classic in January. After his Masters success in April, he finished second behind Retief Goosen in the U.S. Open, third in the British Open at Royal Troon and tied for sixth in the U.S. PGA Championship at Whistling Straits.
Retief Goosen (South Africa) 36
World Ranking: 5
Number of U.S. Opens: 7
Best U.S. Open finish: won in 2001 and 2004
Made his major breakthrough in 2001 with a playoff triumph in the U.S. Open at Southern Hills after nearly squandering his victory chance when he three-putted the 72nd green. Won his second U.S. Open crown at Shinnecock Hills last year, holding off Mickelson by two shots in brutal last-day conditions on a sun-baked layout.
Has become an excellent performer in majors played on difficult courses and is almost certain to be a factor at Pinehurst, despite missing the cut when the U.S. Open was first played there in 1999. Widely viewed by his peers as the underrated and 'forgotten' fifth member of the so-called "Big Four" -- Singh, Woods, Els and Mickelson.
Improved results since 2000 owe much to his work with Belgian sports psychologist Jos Vanstiphout. The pair no longer work together but the quietly spoken Goosen has become a proven front-runner with an ice-cool temperament and one of the smoothest swings in the game.
Was European number one in 2001 and 2002 and has since become a consistent performer on both sides of the Atlantic. On the European Tour, has won the 2003 Lancome Trophy and the 2004 European Open. On the PGA Tour, has won the 2003 Chrysler Championship and the 2004 season-ending Tour Championship.
Sergio Garcia (Spain) 25
World Ranking: 6
Number of U.S. Opens: 5
Best U.S. Open finish: fourth in 2002
Probably the most precocious talent in the modern game, he first burst on to the world scene by finishing runner-up to Woods in the 1999 U.S. PGA championship at Medinah, closing with a 71 that featured a stunning second shot at the 16th hole.
Has not yet realised his full potential at the highest level of the game, however, and struggled for much of 2003 after making swing changes at the end of the previous year. That work seemed to pay off in 2004 when he won twice in playoffs on the PGA Tour, where he has been playing most of his golf.
This year, though, has been a bit of a mixed bag. Has produced four top-10 finishes in 10 PGA Tour starts, including a playoff loss to Singh at last month's Wachovia Championship, but has missed two cuts in his last four events, including the U.S. Masters in April when he opened with 77 and 72.
Turned professional on April 21 1999 after becoming earlier that year the first British amateur champion to finish as lowest amateur in the U.S. Masters at Augusta. Won his first PGA Tour title at the Colonial in 2001 and followed that with a second U.S. victory in the Buick Classic one month later. At his best, he has very few peers.
