By Tom Fordyce

His home might have been battered by storms, but Vijay Singh is a happy man this week.

THE MONEY MAN Earnings 2004: $9,455,566 Career earnings: $35,310,489 Won five of last six events Won $4,452,000 in process

Singh flew back to his Florida home on Monday after breaking Tiger Woods' record for most prize money won in a single season.

He returned to discover that Hurricane Jeanne had left his beachfront property without power or water.

But when the clean-up is complete, Singh can reflect on a remarkable campaign in which he also ended Woods' five-year reign as the world's number one-ranked player.

Money might not be able to buy you love. But $9.5m certainly buys you a lot of respect.

Singh has dominated the US Tour like no man since Tiger in 2000.

He has won eight times, including his third major at the USPGA, and has more top-10 finishes than any other player.

To the casual golf fan, Singh's stellar successes so late in life might seem a touch puzzling.

He has been a regular on the US Tour for almost 10 years and on the European Tour for eight years before that.

Where Woods is an icon around the world, Singh could stroll through most cities unrecognised.

Where Woods is steeped in the ways of the modern media game, Singh is still gauche enough to make occasional howlers, like his comments about Annika Sorenstam playing against men ("She doesn't belong out here - if I'm drawn with her, I won't play").

But the quiet 41-year-old is where he is on pure merit.

Woods' 2000 season might have been more spectacular - how could it not be, when it included three major wins - and his scoring average been a whole shot per round better.

Still, Singh's 2004 has been a thing of wonder.

Iron strength

His secret? Well, he hits a long tee shot - an average of just over 300 yards, which leaves him 11th in the tour rankings.

But he's also a little wild, hitting just 60% of fairways.

Where he comes into his own is his ability to make the green with his second shot. That strength off the tee gets him close, even if it is into the light rough, and his ability with his irons does the rest.

Singh makes 72% of greens in regulation, the best figures on the tour. That, plus his much-improved putting, is why he has more birdies and eagles than any of his rivals.

KNOW YOUR VIJAY Name means 'victory' in Hindi Taught golf by father, an airplane technician Was once a club pro in Borneo Has had corrective laser eye surgery Fan of snooker, cricket, football and rugby Married to Ardena; has 14-year-old son, Qass

The only other man to have had a comparable year in recent times is Mark O'Meara, who dominated 1998 at exactly the same age that Singh has hit his peak.

O'Meara won two majors to Singh's one, and also beat Woods in the final of the World Match Play championship.

But whereas Singh has 15 top-10 finishes so far with more opportunities to come, O'Meara had just seven.

And his total winnings of $1.7m are dwarfed by Vijay's enormous haul.

Golfing nomad

Singh's rise to the top of the tree is all the more extraordinary considering his background.

This is no pampered college boy from America's sporting heartlands, but a man who began life on a small Pacific island and learned the game in such golfing backwaters as Borneo, Malaysia, the Ivory Coast and Nigeria.

He has also had his brushes with controversy - notably at the 1985 Indonesian Open in Jakarta, where he was accused of altering his scorecard in order to make the cut and was subsequently suspended from the Asian Tour.

Singh's is a tale of steady improvement, not a Woods-esque explosion onto the scene.

The question now is whether he can keep this form going even further into his 40s.

Jack Nicklaus won his last Masters a full five years older than Singh, and Singh is in better physical shape than the Golden Bear at the same age.

"Winning doesn't get old," said Singh after his win at last weekend's 84 Lumber Classic. "I love it. I never get tired of it."

Just as well, isn't it?