When many people picture a golfer they may think of a middle aged man who has perhaps over indulged on the finer things in life.
However that image could not be further away from the modern Professional golfer.
Nowadays, Professional golfers are athletes, who train just as hard in the gym as they do on the driving range.
From Pilates and Yoga to increase flexibility and range of motion in the swing to lifting weights to increase power, most Professional golfers have enviable physiques to go along with their sweet swings.
Fiji’s own Vijay Singh led this evolution in golf and it’s arguably the reason why at 53 years of ages, when most of his counterparts have moved onto the Champions Tour, Singh is still a formidable force on the PGA TOUR.
“I love playing, I love the game of golf and I love to compete,” said Singh, who has finished in the top-10 in the first two Fiji International tournaments.
“If I want to go out there and compete I have to look at the guy next to me and say, ‘I’m going to beat you.’ That’s why I am still on the regular Tour.”
While Singh may have introduced a fitness regime to Professional golf, it’s his new trainer and caddy, Chris Ropero who continues to motivate him.
“I have a great new trainer, he is young and he is keeping me going, he kicks my butt a lot,” said Singh.
“Sam Snead won a tournament at 52 years of age, and my trainer keeps reminding me of that. That’s the goal to win a tournament at 52 or even older.”
This year Vijay is returning home to compete in the Fiji International at Natadola Bay Championship Golf Course from 6-9 October.
“I’m not hurting anymore. The last five years I had really bad back issues, so I have worked that out,” added Singh.
“I am playing probably better than I have done in the last 10 years. I am fired up, I think I can go out there and perform the way I really should.”
Just as confident in Singh’s ability is his trainer, Chris Ropero.
“The more I have got to know Vijay, the more I have got to believe in him and what he does,” said Ropero.
“He works so hard. I believe in every shot that he takes and everything that he does, he is going to make history.”
“I believe in what he is doing. Look what he has already done, he was a kid down in Nadi and then he was the World Number 1, you have to believe in that.”
But it isn’t just belief, it’s also hard work. Singh has long been renowned as one of the hardest working players on the PGA TOUR and that still rings true today.
“You can’t really teach Vijay Singh about golf training but we can learn and we can make it better,” added Ropero.
“We are very close and we work very hard. We get up at 4am some mornings and we grind it out.”
“I think as a trainer, if you have someone who is trying to lose weight or if it’s Vijay trying to climb back to the top at his age, you have to believe in him. You have to walk with him, you have to see every hole, how his body language is and how his body is firing, they are important things.”
As much as Ropero is employed to train Singh, he also finds that he learns more from Singh too.
“The thing for me with Vijay was; I came in thinking I could bring a lot to the table but I also wanted to learn,” added Ropero.
“He brought training to golf pretty much, him and Tiger Woods, probably Vijay more so.”
“I wanted to soak up and learn as much as I could, then bring my energy and excitement to the table.”
“It’s been an evolving ride, I am really happy to say that Vijay Singh is a client but he is also a friend.”