The New Vijay

"Even to this day I get a thrill out of just hitting balls," he says. "Seeing the shot and then hitting the shot.

If I can hit the ball the way I want to hit it on the range, I'd rather do that than play golf. I just love the feeling of hitting good golf shots."

All the purpose and passion makes Singh's area on the range -- always strewn with weighted clubs, training devices and alignment props -- a natural checkpoint for other players. Bubba Watson stops by to talk trash about driving distance, the joshing finally turning into a playful shadowboxing session, Singh breaking out martial-arts kicks that once held him in good stead as a bouncer at an Edinburgh nightclub. When Frank Lickliter approaches to ask for help to achieve spin with a lob wedge, Singh obliges with a demonstration of "tour sauce." Sharing a launch monitor with Jerry Kelly, Singh reacts to one of Kelly's pokes by ceremoniously calling out "152!" in joking reference to Kelly's relatively meager ball speed. (It was actually 156 miles per hour; Singh's was more than 170 mph.) On Tuesday at the TPC Scottsdale, a businessman named Michael Brown had the privilege of carrying Singh's bag after making the winning bid in a charity drawing. But when Brown left the faces of Singh's irons dirty, Singh looked down at them and solemnly intoned, "Bro, don't make me fire you before we even get started."

All of the encounters were punctuated by Singh's high-pitched giggle, equal parts Muttley cartoon-dog wheeze and the cackle of basketball icon Bill Russell. "It's one of the great laughs," says comedian George Lopez, a friend of Singh's who played with him in the FBR Open pro-am. "It's a kid's laugh, uninhibited and infectious. Sometimes Vijay will try to tell me a joke but completely chop up the setup and the punch line. But when it's over he'll laugh his laugh, and it makes the joke funny."

Singh's best delivery is deadpan. It was on display in the best of last year's FedEx commercials, in which Singh unexpectedly breaks in on Trevor Immelman as the young South African is fantasizing about a victory interview in front of a locker-room mirror. Singh shows some acting chops by underplaying his line -- "Trevor ... You all right?" -- with body language that both mocks and empathizes.

"Vijay has got this presence where you know he's really aware," says Lopez. "Some people think he's aloof, but I respect that silence, because I understand that it's his way into his process. I think all really successful people have that ability to go deep inside themselves to pull out their best. That's Fort Knox in there."

Singh isn't about to divulge all his secrets, but he does share some of his philosophy.

"Golf is about knowledge, and studying another player -- more than listening to a teacher -- is the best way to get it," he says, recounting his formative pro years in the late '80s on the European tour. "I learned from the best. Seve, Langer, Lyle -- I loved playing with those guys. And when Jack, Trevino and Player came over for the British Open, they'd let me play with them, and even though I'd almost never ask a question, I'd really watch what they did. And they would tell stories about what they learned playing with Hogan and Snead, so it kind of passes on."

Singh enjoys his role in the chain, and he's known for his generous advice. Bubba Watson remembers flying home from Hawaii in 2006, feeling good after making his first big check. Singh leaned back in his seat and -- in the tradition of Nicklaus to Trevino, circa 1970 -- told him, "The way you play, you need to talk about winning. Don't talk about keeping your card -- talk about winning."

Says Kelly: "There is no one out here more generous than Vijay when it comes to helping another player with his game. He's always been there for me whenever I've asked, good times and bad. There are more misconceptions about him than any other player, because the guy has a huge heart."

Of course, Singh hardens it when it comes to his two biggest rivals. He and Mickelson have maintained a particularly icy relationship since the 2005 Masters, when Singh's complaints that Mickelson's extra-long spikes were tracking up areas around the hole led to a tense confrontation in the Champions Locker Room. "You know, it's 'Hi, Phil,' 'Bye, Phil,' " says Singh. "None of us knows him.

I guess I'd like to know what kind of guy he is."

Singh's relationship with Woods is more nuanced. "We're friends," he says. "I've enjoyed playing against him because he's an incredible performer, but it's been difficult when I'm not playing well. It's good that I passed him for No. 1, but it's also bad because I didn't hold onto it. We meet more times in the gym than anywhere else. We greet each other with respect, but not a lot of words."

The two had a publicly friendly moment at the conclusion of the 2007 Presidents Cup, bumping knees as Singh drove a crowded golf cart while Woods balanced himself on the front.Later, as they stood around the 18th green waiting for the final group to finish, Woods cracked up at one of Singh's jokes. But Singh does not foresee a day when they will be chatty on the golf course.

"You know, the great players, they hardly talk to each other, especially in competition," he says. "Look at Hogan, or Jack. Even Trevino -- a loving guy, but when you play in a tournament with him he might say a lot of words, but none of them are for you. Faldo would not even say hello to you. Seve, I practiced with him a lot, but in a tournament round -- not a word. But all those guys were great players. It's not an accident.

"Today, Tiger doesn't talk. Ernie doesn't talk. Phil talks, but just to relax. You just don't talk. You have to be in your own head. All you're thinking about is your next shot. I think it's like a boxer in a ring. The crowd is crazy, but all he can hear is maybe his trainer. We're the same with our caddies. That's how our world is."