Tireless Singh looks strong for inaugural FedExCup chase

By Larry Fine

HARRISON, New York (Reuters) - Though question marks surround the U.S. PGA Tour's season-ending points chase that will be launched with the Barclays Classic on Thursday, Vijay Singh seems to have a strong shot at success.

The inaugural FedExCup series is comprised of four events in four weeks, the sort of stretch many top players try to avoid - but not the hard-working Singh, who routinely plays that often and who has three wins at Westchester Country Club.

"All my life, I've just played a lot of events. A lot of guys stay home and practise a lot. I pretty much play a lot of events and keep myself sharp that way," said 44-year-old Singh, known for practising harder than anyone else on the tour.

Singh, defending the Barclays title he won last year, is second seed in the playoff series behind Tiger Woods, who is skipping the Barclays because of fatigue following back-to-back victories at the WGC-Bridgestone and U.S. PGA Championship.

Many players shrug their shoulders when asked how they think the season-ending chase will unfold, with points awarded along with prize money as fields are progressively whittled down until 30 contest the Tour Championship in Atlanta next month with a $10 million (5 million pound) bonus going to the points leader.

MORE AGGRESSION

"It's a different format this four weeks, a different mind-set," Singh said. "You're going in there with a lot more aggression and trying to get as much points and win all the tournaments you can."

Other top contenders have also had success at Westchester. South African Ernie Els and Spain's Sergio Garcia have both won twice, and Jim Furyk has a pair of runner-up finishes on the traditional parkland course.