…Have indeed proven greatly exaggerated.

Several times during this 2008 season, I have referred to Vijay Singh as being on the down side, and at age 45 – and relative to his nine-win, Player-of-the-Year 2004 campaign, at least – he must certainly be.  

But not much.

By claiming his second straight victory at the Deutsche Bank Championship, and his third PGA Tour title in five weeks, Singh has once again proven himself nearly impervious to age.  Indeed, the Deutsche Bank was his 23rd American victory since turning 40, which moves him five ahead of Sam Snead in the made-for-TV category of Most Victories After Beginning One’s Fifth Decade.  

[Aside: By my own criteria – which differ somewhat from the Tour’s not-so-organized record book – Snead should also be credited with wins at the 1952 Julius Boros Open, plus an additional five triumphs at the Greenbrier Open/Sam Snead Festival, giving him 24 middle-aged victories and keeping him, for the moment, one ahead of Singh.]

Still the exceptional ball-striker, Vijay has obviously been getting the putts to fall of late – which suggest that he may well run the table for the duration of 2008.  Thus while Singh continues to roil many of his peers and much of the media with his particular brand of  “confidence,” there can be no denying that we should all be on such a “downside” after turning 45.