Vijay Singh doesn't often volunteer information, but he figured this was worth sharing.

　　His father, a former airline mechanic and part-time teaching pro, has come to Augusta National from his home in New Zealand to watch Singh play in the Masters.

　　"It's the first time my dad is ever here," Singh said on Tuesday.

　　Singh has done some amazing things since his father gave him a used set of clubs and watched him dash across the runway at Fiji's Nandi airport to get to the golf course.

　　A touring pro in Asia, then Europe. A game good enough to come to the PGA Tour and be rookie of the year. A PGA Championship. A green jacket from the Masters. And now, at age 41 and fitter than some of the flatbellies just out of college, a chance to replace Tiger Woods at No. 1 in the world.

　　"I really focus on what I'm doing, what I need to do to improve my ranking if I'm playing," Singh said.

　　One reason there is so much attention on Woods' game coming into the Masters is that he has a legitimate threat for the first time since David Duval was No. 1 in the summer of 1999.

　　Singh won four times last year, captured the PGA Tour money title to end Woods' four years of domination, and nearly beat him out for PGA Tour player of the year.

　　Nothing changed with the new year. He won at Pebble Beach for his 12th consecutive finish in the top 10, and the gap between No. 1 and No. 2 in the world ranking has never been this close - 3.35 points - in the two years since the system was revamped more than two years ago.

　　Still, even when Woods isn't at his best, he's still better than most. And Singh understands that the only way to make up ground is in the majors. The Masters would be an excellent place to start, and Singh already has a locker in the Champions Room at Augusta National to prove he can do it.

　　"This is, to me, the hardest test of golf we play," said the hardest-working man in golf. "It requires the whole package."

　　While Woods is a three-time Masters champion and the favorite to join Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer as the only guys with at least four green jackets, there are plenty of players on top of their games.

　　Phil Mickelson might be the steadiest this year. He won the Bob Hope Classic, and has finished out of the top 10 only once this year. Mickelson is No. 1 on the money list for the first time in six years.

　　Ernie Els won in Hawaii and Australia, and his victory at Royal Melbourne in the Heineken Classic was particularly noteworthy because the course is often compared to Augusta National. Mike Weir, the defending champion at the Masters, already has defended one title this year at Riviera.

　　Asked who might be the player to beat this year, Singh suggested someone with a swing that looks a lot like Woods'.

　　That would be Adam Scott, who is coming off a strong victory two weeks ago in The Players Championship.

　　Woods is never too far away. Woods has won eight majors, but the focus is on the fact he has gone six straight majors without winning one.

　　(The Associated Press)