Augusta Chronicle Columnist

The hardest working man in golf built his green jacket one stitch at a time on the practice ranges of Borneo and putting greens of Nigeria.

But before Vijay Singh could become our 2000 Masters champion, before he could laugh with Jose Maria Olazabal, tell stories about Augusta National chairman Hootie Johnson and don the 46-long blazer, he first needed to look into the mirror of his mind and believe himself capable of being in such a position.

For despite his No. 5 World Ranking, his inordinate success around the world, his PGA Championship in 1998, his relentless range habits and his limitless ability, Singh lacked for self-confidence.

Vijay means victory in Hindi, but for Singh at Augusta, it's usually been defined with part frustration, part hopelessness. It was here at Augusta in 1998 where a string of 53 consecutive cuts was snapped, and Singh pouted off in defeat.

Golf, more than most sports, becomes a game of attitude. Can you look at an 18-footer for par, as Singh did early Sunday morning on the 17th green, and talk yourself into thinking you're capable of executing?

Do you believe yourself able, in mind and body, to hit a 4-iron 216 yards to a pin that's tucked behind a pond, as Singh did at No. 15 Sunday?

All of these inner demons have escorted Singh around this hallowed ground, a confluence of doubt, despair and defeat that tends to drum his ego.

Said Singh's Scottish caddie Dave Renwick: ``If he putts half decent, Vijay can win every week he tees it up. It's all in his mind.''

Said Farid Quedra, his Algerian swing coach: ``It's all about believing in his methods and routine.''

Said Dave Pelz, the man who started working with Singh on putting about four years ago: ``The old Vijay, if he missed a green, the chances are he wouldn't be able to get up and down, and it would be an instant bogey. But he's working as hard on his short game and his putting as he does with his full swings, and he's moving in the right direction. He just needs to believe in himself.''

Even his 10-year-old son Qass gave Singh a confidence pump-up when he wrote him a note that said, ``Papa, trust your swing.'' That note was attached to his golf bag on Sunday.

And his wife Ardena stepped in.

You have to know this about the Singhs: they are reliant on each other, having been together through his accusations of cheating in 1983, golf exile from the Asian Tour and a club pro job in Borneo that paid Vijay roughly $160 a week.

She knows, more than any of us, how grand a player Vijay has become. Ardena was not going to tolerate all of his deprecating comments.

``I know how good of a player he is, and I wanted to keep telling him how good he was,'' she said after the green jacket ceremony. ``He can be stubborn sometimes.''

Singh claims to own about 1,000 putters, a sign of his ``stubbornness.''

``You know, when it stops going in, I get something that will,'' Singh said. ``I'm trying to enjoy putting on the greens. I'm trying to tell myself when you walk on the green you're going to enjoy this putt instead of walking out there thinking, oh, how am I going to get up and down. That's the attitude you need to have. I've read a lot of books about it, heard a lot from my wife about it. If you keep talking to yourself, you're going to be able to do it.''

On Sunday he raised his Dandy brand putter above his head, pointing it at the appreciative audience enveloping the 18th green. He knows what weapon won him his Masters lore, and now he was showing it off for all to see.

``When I was in Fiji, I never really saw this ceremony live. It was always on tape delay replay,'' Singh told the crowd who remained behind to embrace him. ``And never once did I think I would be able to be here.''

Here he is. Vijay Singh's belief has a distinct tint of green to it now.

Reach Rick Dorsey at (706) 823-3219 or rdorsey@augustachronicle.com.