Golf: Singh boosted by Watson heroics

Vijay Singh believes Tom Watson's showing at the Open can be an inspiration to him and his fellow 40-something golfers.

Singh, 46, has won 22 tournaments since his 40th birthday, more than anyone else in PGA Tour history, but even he was impressed by Watson's runner-up finish at Turnberry on Sunday when the 59-year-old lost a four-hole play-off to fellow American Stewart Cink.

Speaking ahead of his World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational title defence in Akron, Ohio, in two weeks, Fijian Singh was asked if Watson's performance had been inspirational to over 40s.

"Yes, definitely. People are still talking about Tom Watson, I've had more questions about his age and (how that) makes us old guys look great," Singh said.

"I said, 'hang on a second, I'm not that old'.

"But it does. It does give me a lot more inspiration. It would have been great if he had won, but what he did is just incredible. It shows how good of a player he is, and really, that age doesn't really matter.

"If you're healthy and you're fit and your golf game is good, you can play for as long as you want to play, and that gives me a lot more confidence.

"Just like when Tom won the TPC at the age of 48, 47, that shows that you are healthy and that if you can play with the boys, why not?

"That's the kind of feeling that I have, and I think that I can last out here as long as my mind says 'go ahead and do it'."

Singh, with 56 total career wins worldwide, became the oldest player to win a WGC event last August when he held off Lee Westwood, Stuart Appleby and Phil Mickelson with a final-round 68 at Firestone Country Club to land the Bridgestone Invitational.

The victory was his first of 2008 and it served as the springboard for the rest of the campaign as he moved into the PGA Tour's FedExCup play-offs, won two of the four events and captured the FedExCup itself.

After a below-par 2009 to date, with three top-10 finishes from 17 starts, the world number 11 is hoping for a similar kickstart when he returns to Firestone in two weeks.

"I'm really disappointed this year, but I came out of February well, and I just started playing a little too soon and it kind of put me back quite a bit," Singh said.

"Instead of taking two months off, I took a month and a half off, and going to the range created a lot of bad habits for my golf swing. And it took two or three months to get out of it because every time you get out of something, you develop something new.

"But, it was the first time in a long time that I won so late in the season (at the Bridgestone), and that gives me a lot of confidence going back there.

"I'm feeling really confident about the golf course. My golf game is coming around. I just can't wait.

"I have two weeks to practice, and I can't wait to get out there and do it again. So it will be great and I hope it will be the place where it started out."