Patient Singh says he's still got a great chance to win

Despite going into the third round five shots behind leader Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh believes his familiarity with the Old Course and the room for improvement in his game make him a legitimate contender this weekend.

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland (PA) -- World No. 2 Vijay Singh shrugged off the seemingly overpowering dominance of his main rival Tiger Woods on Friday, and claims he will never have a better chance of winning his first Open Championship.

The Fijian shot a second straight 69 on Friday to move to 6-under -- even with Woods' overnight 6-under before Woods, an afternoon starter, had even teed off. Woods managed a 5-under 67, and ended the day at 11-under, five shots in front of Singh.

"I'm not worried about Tiger," said Singh, who is halfway to a career grand slam with two PGA Championships and one Masters title. "I'm going out there to play my own game at the weekend.

"I have played a lot of practice rounds here and in the Dunhill Links [Championship on the European Tour] so I'm very familiar with the golf course," he added. "If I'm going to win an Open Championship, it is probably going to be on this golf course rather than other courses, but you still have got to go out there and make the shots.

"I am in a very good position to do it," he said. "I'm playing well, I'm very patient and I'm just going to go out there [Saturday] and play the golf course."

World No. 3 Ernie Els, who shot a 5-under 67 Friday to move to 3-under, suggested that 15-under would be a good score come Sunday afternoon. Singh was inclined to agree, although he said it depended entirely on the weather.

"The conditions we have, that is possible, but it is only the second day," he added. "The weekend is to come and we don't know what the wind is going to do. Conditions can change like today, when the wind slowed down and changed direction for two holes and then went back again.

"You just have to be patient and go out there and play," he said. "Fifteen-under is a good number if it stays as it is now, but if the wind starts blowing then that will fall over."

Singh had three birdies at the first, ninth and 14th in a bogey-free second round, but was still not satisfied with the way he played.

"I was very disappointed with the way I scored. I left a lot of shots out there," he said. "It wasn't that I wasn't stroking it well [on the greens], it just wasn't going in. The pace of the greens were a little slower today because of the overnight rain. But you make some and miss some, and I'm hoping at the weekend I'm going to start making some."

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