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."

For more
information about the Fiji International please visit www.fijiinternational.com