Silent Types

Vijay Singh(below), the player with the longest active streak of consecutive majors played (63), is in danger of missing next month's U.S. Open because he has fallen out of the top 50 in the World Ranking. Plagued by injuries and a balky putter, the last person to hold the No. 1 spot in the world not named Tiger Woods will have to go to sectional qualifying, along with the likes of Tony Romo, if he wants to tee it up at Pebble Beach. Singh's swing has always looked as if it would age well, but his 47-year-old body appears to be breaking down (bad back). So while the world wonders if Tiger will find his game at the Open, we can also ponder whether Vijay will even be there.

• In my estimation, more has been written about Ben Hogan than any other golfer, and this week's Tour stop brings us closer to the man who inspired all those words (and a movie). Appropriately, Hogan's last win came at the Colonial in 1959, and while I never played with him, I did watch him hit balls a few times. In 1983, when I was still an amateur, I received a sponsor's invitation to the Colonial, and I met Hogan at a dinner that week. He overcame a lot to produce one of the greatest records in golf, but more than that, he left us with a gift. Hogan's swing is still talked about on the range at every PGA Tour event and used as an example by almost every instructor. Inside the clubhouse at Colonial a video of that swing plays on a loop. In '83 I stood and watched that video over and over. This week I'll once again make my way to the clubhouse and stand in awe as I see the result of a lifetime of hard work, Ben Hogan's swing.

Brandel Chamblee, a 15-year PGA Tour vet, is a Golf Channel analyst.

PHOTO

FRED VUICH (CHAMBLEE)

PHOTO

DAVID WALBERG (SINGH)