Vijay Singh, now 62, made a surprising return to the PGA Tour at the Sony Open in Hawaii last week.
He had not featured in a regular Tour event since the 2021 Honda Classic, where he failed to make it past the cut.
Many golf fans were sceptical about his comeback, and most did not expect much from him given his age.
But his showing in Hawaii surprised many, as he finished ahead of several well-known names.
Vijay Singh outperformed five notable players in Hawaii
Singh’s main goal at the Sony Open was to make the cut, and he did just that. The cut line was set at -1, and he finished the first two rounds at -2.
By making it through to the weekend at Waialae Country Club, Singh ended up finishing ahead of a number of players.
The most recognisable names to miss out were Ryder Cup duo Collin Morikawa and Keegan Bradley.
Singh finished tied for 40th place at -5 for the tournament after putting together two more solid rounds over the weekend.
He also posted better scores than former Open champion Brian Harman (-2) and eight-time PGA Tour winner Billy Horschel (+4).
Aaron Rai, currently ranked 23rd in the world, also finished one stroke behind Singh. Rai recently defeated Tommy Fleetwood in a DP World Tour playoff in November.
Dan Rapaport not a fan of Vijay Singh playing on PGA Tour
Singh’s eligibility for PGA Tour events this season comes through the career money list exemption.
This rule gives the top 25 earners in Tour history a chance to regain full status for a single season.
Not everyone is on board with that, including Dan Rapaport, who voiced his concerns about Singh’s inclusion in the Sony Open field.
The main argument was that his spot could have gone to a younger player trying to break through.
However, his strong performance and top-40 finish turned out better than many had expected, proving he can still hold his own against top competition.
Rapaport, though, did not change his stance. He still feels Singh should not be playing this season under the exemption rule.
“I am very impressed with Vijay Singh’s play this week,” he said. “I remain opposed to the money list exemption rule. Two things can be true at once.”
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