62-Year-Old Pro Golfer Took the PGA Tour Exemption, Then Made the Cut: The Only Way to Deal With Criticism
Silhouette asian golfer playing golf during beautiful sunset,Thailand people model released
Silhouette asian golfer playing golf during beautiful sunset,Thailand people model released
How old is too old to benefit from an exemption?
Vijay Singh, a 34-time PGA Tour winner and former world No. 1, used his one-time career money-list exemption to return to the PGA Tour for the 2026 season.
Singh led the PGA Tour in earnings three times and ranks eighth on the all-time money list with more than $71 million.
That exemption secured Singh a place in the 120-player field at the season-opening Sony Open in Hawaii, a tournament he won in 2005. It also marks his first non-major PGA Tour start since the 2021 Honda Classic.
Sport Bilder des Tages Sport Bilder des Tages August 7, 2022, Calgary, AB, CANADA: Fiji s Vijay Singh hits from a sand trap during the PGA, Golf Herren Tour Champions Shaw Charity Classic golf event in Calgary, Alta., Sunday, Aug. 7, 2022. Vijay Singh PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY - ZUMAc35_ 20220807_zaf_c35_054 Copyright: xJeffxMcintoshx
Sport Bilder des Tages Sport Bilder des Tages August 7, 2022, Calgary, AB, CANADA: Fiji s Vijay Singh hits from a sand trap during the PGA, Golf Herren Tour Champions Shaw Charity Classic golf event in Calgary, Alta., Sunday, Aug. 7, 2022. Vijay Singh PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY - ZUMAc35_ 20220807_zaf_c35_054 Copyright: xJeffxMcintoshx
Singh has not played regularly on the PGA Tour since 2020, but he opened his week in Hawaii with a 2-under 68, finishing the round alongside players such as Keegan Bradley and Jordan Spieth.
But his decision to play the 2026 PGA Tour season has drawn criticism from some fans.
At 62, he also faced questions about whether he could still compete at this level, but his early results offered a response.
Vijay Singh’s Performance in His Opening Round of the 2026 PGA Tour Season
January 15 began with trouble as Vijay Singh's first two shots found the trees, leading to a double bogey on the opening hole.
However, he responded quickly, making three birdies on the front nine to move back under par.
Singh made another double bogey at the par-3 13th, but he responded with three straight birdies from the 14th through the 16th to steady the round.
On the 16th, he missed the green with his tee shot and ended up in a greenside bunker, then holed out from the sand to reach 2-under for the day.
Now the focus shifts to keeping that momentum across four rounds at the Sony Open, but his opening performance left him in a solid position heading into the rest of the week.
Written by
Aditi Singh
Edited by
Oajaswini Prabhu