Golf is not a game for everybody, and it requires heavy financial aid. However, if you work hard enough, anything is possible. Similar is the story of Vijay Singh. In an interview, he shared, “When we were kids, we couldn’t afford golf balls, so we had to make do with coconuts. My father used to say, ‘Little Vijay, golf balls don’t fall off trees, you know,’ so I found some that did!” And look at him now.

Sports were always in his blood, as he grew up playing snooker, cricket, football, and rugby. But what caught his attention was the swing of Tom Weiskopf, and he knew exactly what he wanted to do. Singh turned professional in 1982, and just two years later, he claimed victory at the 1984 Malaysian PGA Championship. The legendary golfer, Vijay Singh, won 34 PGA Tour events and Tiger Woods was considered one of his great rivals.

Vijay Singh was born on February 22, 1963, in Lautoka, Fiji, and raised in Nadi. He is regarded as an Indo-Fijian golfer. However, currently, he resides in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, with his wife, Ardena Seth, and their only child, Qass Seth. His parents, Mohan Singh and Parwati Singh are of the same origin, and they have been the strongest pillars of support in his career. His father was an airplane technician and taught him how to play golf. Singh also has a brother, Krishna Singh, with whom he used to practice.

While Vijay Singh was initially enjoying the sweet taste of success, his professional career was turned upside down due to just one incident. However, after years, he has managed to seep through it and is now faring off with average popularity and no controversies.

The Vijay Singh controversy

With such an exceptional career, there are, of course, moments that Vijay Singh never wishes to forget. However, there are moments that he regrets that have ever happened, and one of the most significant ones was the accusations made against him for cheating on the precursor to the Asian Tour in 1985. It began with allegations but later was confirmed by tournament officials. But what happened?

Vijay Singh was just 22 years old when he arrived at the 1985 Indonesian Open in Jakarta. Like many young professionals in their early years Tour, he experienced a mix of highs and lows, with the lows being more frequent. He was in desperate need of a strong performance. As the second round concluded, Singh found himself just one stroke short of the cutline, in danger of missing it. Whether he was fully aware of this is unclear, but what is known is that, at some point between finishing his final putt and signing his scorecard, Singh improved his score. He mysteriously lost a stroke, lowering his score by one stroke, enough to make the cut.

Singh has always maintained that the incident was a misunderstanding and has consistently denied any intentional wrongdoing or cheating. Nonetheless, he did pay a price. For violating the rules, he faced a lifetime ban on the Asian PGA Tour. However, the Fijian returned to the Asian tournament in 1995. What are your thoughts on the 61-year-old pro? Let us know in the comments section below!