Singh to have knee surgery after Mercedes

KAPALUA, Hawaii -- Vijay Singh withdrew Monday from next week's Sony Open in Hawaii and will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right knee next week near his home in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

Singh said he hurt the knee three weeks ago while winning the Chevron World Challenge, though he didn't say when or how. "More than anything, it's just wear and tear on the meniscus, and it just kind of gave out," Singh said Tuesday at Kapalua Resort's Plantation Course, where he is preparing for the Mercedes-Benz Championship, the season-opening event on the PGA Tour. "It's something I needed to get done, and I didn't want to put it off."

An MRI two weeks ago revealed a slight tear in the knee. Dr. Paul Shirley will perform the operation, Singh said.

Singh, 45, the No. 5 player in the world, said he expected to be out for at least three weeks, but he wanted to make sure that he would be ready to play at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, where he will be paired with his son, Qass. Singh, who won the 2005 Sony Open, said he was looking forward to spending time with Qass helping him get his game sharp.

"He's been struggling and he really wants to play well at Pebble Beach, so we'll be working on that," Singh said.

Winner of 34 PGA Tour titles, Singh captured three official tournaments in addition to the Chevron World Challenge in 2008. His victories in the first two playoff events helped him lock up the second FedEx Cup title before the Tour Championship.

Singh is one of 33 players in Maui for this week's season-opening Mercedes-Benz Championship, restricted to winners from the '08 season. Singh won the 2007 edition and has finished in the top five at the Plantation Course seven times since the tournament of champions moved to Kapalua in 1999.

-- Dave Shedloski