Vijay Singh
A Fijian golfer of immense discipline who rose from scandal to world number one through a legendary, grinding work ethic on the practice range.
Born 1963 (age 63)·Fijian professional golfer·Birthday: February 22·Baby Boomers
Biography
Vijay Singh's path to the summit of golf was the sport's ultimate grind. Banished from the Asian tour early in his career under a cloud of controversy, he rebuilt his game and his reputation from the ground up, literally practicing while working as a club pro in Borneo. His swing, self-taught and relentlessly honed, became a model of punishing efficiency. He broke through on the PGA Tour not as a young phenom, but as a hardened veteran, using a work schedule that became the stuff of legend—often hitting balls before sunrise and after dusk. This obsession propelled him to three major championships, a long reign as world number one, and over 30 PGA Tour wins, cementing his status as the game's most formidable self-made man.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Vijay was born in 1963, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Vijay Was Born
The biggest hits of 1963
#1 Movie
Cleopatra
Best Picture
Tom Jones
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Vijay's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1963Born
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1968Started school
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1976Became a teenager
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Could drive
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1981Could vote
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Turned 21
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1993Turned 30
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 40
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 50
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 60
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 63 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Spent 32 weeks as the number one ranked golfer in the world in 2004 and 2005.
- Won three major championships: the PGA Championship (1998, 2004) and the Masters Tournament (2000).
- Captured the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup in 2008 at the age of 45.
- Won over 30 tournaments on the PGA Tour, including a nine-win season in 2004.
Did You Know?
He is of Indian descent and was born in Lautoka, Fiji.
He is known for his intense practice regimen, reportedly hitting up to 1,000 balls a day.
He was accused of improving his lie on a green during the 1985 Indonesian Open, which led to his suspension from the Asia Golf Circuit.
He is an avid fisherman and owns a sportfishing boat.
“The more I practice, the luckier I get.”
