At 62 years old, Vijay Singh finished tied for 40th at the Sony Open in Honolulu, earning $31,522 and reinforcing his enduring dedication to professional golf. The Fijian Hall of Famer, with 34 PGA Tour wins, is using a one-time exemption to compete regularly this year. His performance highlights the benefits of relentless practice amid debates over older players on the tour.
Vijay Singh, approaching his 63rd birthday, made a notable showing in the opening week of the PGA Tour's new season by tying for 40th at the Sony Open in Honolulu. Despite acknowledging weaknesses in his putting game, which prevented a top-10 finish, Singh's result underscores his commitment to competing at the highest level. He earned $31,522 from the event, boosting his career earnings to $71,312,738 and securing eighth place on the all-time PGA Tour money list—a remarkable feat given he has not played full-time for over a decade and debuted at age 30.
Born into a working-class family in Fiji, Singh overcame early struggles, including a 1985 ban from the Asian Tour over a cheating allegation he has always denied. At 23, he worked as a club pro and bouncer; by 43, he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. No other Hall of Famers competed in Hawaii last week. With 34 PGA Tour victories—the most for any non-American, ahead of Rory McIlroy's 29 and Gary Player's 24—Singh's legacy includes a 2000 Masters win, qualifying him for this year's event, and sharing the world No. 1 ranking with Tiger Woods multiple times from 2000 to 2009.
Singh's marathon practice sessions, often lasting hours on his claimed patch at TPC Sawgrass near his Florida home, embody his philosophy. He once said of a 2007 Bay Hill win, where Woods charged early on Sunday, "I wasn’t too concerned." In a recent interaction, asked about his swing work, he replied, "My transition." This dedication contrasts with the senior tour's challenges; as Padraig Harrington noted after his 2022 U.S. Senior Open win, "It would have been lower, but I would have shot lower" against top pros. Like Tom Kite in 2005, who used a similar exemption at 55, Singh aims to elevate his game against the world's best, claiming a spot he has earned under tour rules.