Golfer Vijay Singh put his money and reputation on the line, as he tried to bail out his sponsor Sir Allen Stanford, who is battling 21 criminal charges of fiddling investors out of $7 billion.

Singh, a former world number one, offered to stand surety for Standford's $500,000 bail, according to CNBC, which reports that Stanford's lawyer mentioned the offer during a court hearing in Houston.

Unfortunately for Stanford, Singh's offer was rejected because he is not a US citizen.

Singh, who has won three major championships, has long been sponsored by Stanford Financial group and despite the fact that the company is in liquidation, he was still wearing a Stanford emblazoned shirt and cap at last weekend's US Open in New York.