Singh aiming for Houston hat-trick

World number three Vijay Singh is hoping to carve a slice of PGA Tour history this week by winning the Houston Open for the fourth time in five years.

The tall Fijian is bidding to join Tiger Woods (Memorial), Tom Watson (Byron Nelson Championship) and Stuart Appleby (Mercedes Championship) as the only players in the last 25 years to win the same competition three years running.

Singh, 43, would be the first to clinch a hat-trick on a different layout, with this year's event moving to the Tournament Course at the Redstone Golf Club.

The Tournament Course is not as long as its sister layout, the Redstone Golf Club, but at 7,422 yards will still favour the big-hitters.

Singh has yet to win this season although he has posted seven top-10 finishes in nine tour starts.

There may be no better place for him to break his duck than in Houston where he has never missed the cut.

Singh said it had been other elements of his game stopping him from winning, not his putting.

"I think I've been putting pretty good for the last two or three months," he told reporters at his previous tour appearance in the U.S. Masters earlier this month.

"The rest of my game I've been struggling with, but not my putting."

COURSE RECORD

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Last year Singh equalled the course record with an opening eight-under 64 before defeating the popular John Daly in a playoff to become the first player to successfully defend the title.

Daly forced a playoff with three late birdies but then found water on the first extra hole as Singh claimed victory with a par.

Aaron Baddeley arrives in Texas riding the momentum from his maiden tour win at the Heritage Classic in Hilton Head, South Carolina on Sunday.

But it is likely to be the colourful Daly and Houston resident Jeff Maggert who will be the crowd favourites this week.