Vijay Singh's prize for winning the season-opening Mercedes-Benz Championship was a set of keys to a new car, which he handed over to his teenage son as a gift.

Vijay Singh hits out of a bunker at the fourth hole and watches the flight of his ball on another hole during practice, below. (Andrew Davis Tucker/Staff)

If Singh can replicate his performance at the 2000 Masters Tournament and win this weekend at Augusta National Golf Club, he might be just as generous with his second green jacket.

"He can have that one, too," he said Wednesday.

Singh enters the 71st Masters as perhaps the most consistent player this season. Following his two-stroke win over Adam Scott at Kapalua, Singh dominated final-round play during the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill three weeks ago for his 31st PGA Tour win.

Singh and Tiger Woods are the only two-time winners on the tour this year. The Fijian said he is brimming with confidence heading into today's first round, and likes his chances. Judging by his past Masters performances, his aplomb is not unwarranted.

Singh led last year's first round before finishing tied for eighth behind two-time champion Phil Mickelson. It was Singh's fifth-consecutive finish in the top eight at the Masters.

"Everybody talks about his putting," 2003 PGA Champion Shaun Micheel said. "But his mind-set is always to work hard. He believes that you only go around this game one time and you might as well go at it 100 percent."

Not many have argued that Singh doesn't work hard. He keeps driving range and putting green attendants working late hours with his meticulous, arduous practice. That's why PGA Tour regular John Rollins said Singh has to be considered a favorite to win this weekend.

If that happens, the 44-year-old Singh would be the oldest Masters champion since Jack Nicklaus won at age 46 in 1986.

"You see that most guys reach their prime in their low 30s to about 39, and then they kind of hit that 42-to-45 stretch where they're just kind of like, they may still be decent players, but they really don't compete to win as much anymore and the game starts passing them by," Rollins said. "But Vijay has not let that happen. He has so many shots. He's not scared to hit any shot. He's very confident, and he has every right to be.

"I don't really know how he's not the second-best player in the world. You look at everybody else's record, and he's won more tournaments than anybody else other than Tiger. He has a great work ethic, and it pays off."

Singh (Andrew Davis Tucker/Staff)

Singh suffered through what he called a "pretty average" season in 2006, and tried to increase his length and precision off the tee.

Micheel said it really doesn't matter with a player like Singh.

"The way he hits the ball, it's a lot like Tom Watson used to hit the ball," Micheel said. "They said Tom wasn't that great of a putter, but my God, he had so many opportunities. That's what Vijay does. He gives himself a chance."