For next week’s Sony Open, the roster is out. Sitting among young pros is Vijay Singh, 62. For Singh, this could have been a moment of pride had he not been accused of stealing spots from young players. Perhaps in the same light, The Fore Play podcast dropped the roster list and specifically circled out Singh’s name. But the comment section told a different story, with fans rallying behind him.

The criticism, however, for Singh hadn’t come out of nowhere. Over the last year, the PGA Tour has aggressively restructured its field. The number of Tour cards was shrunk to make the field more competitive. And in the middle of that, it was Singh who found his spot.

What he did was actually simple. The Hall of Famer activated his one-time Top 50 Career Money List Exemption for the 2026 season. Singh sits in sixth place with a massive $71.2 million. A few analysts have argued that this exemption should not even exist in the first place. He cannot play the signature events, and his full schedule for 2026 is still unknown, but the Sony Open is apparently a smart start, as he won this event in 2005.

Vijay Singh’s last standard PGA Tour start was in 2021 at the Honda Classic, where he missed the cut. The golf veteran also played in majors after this, and his last appearance was at Augusta in 2024, finishing 58th. Singh’s appearance in Hawaii is likely going to raise several eyebrows. Had he been a consistent performer, the reaction might have been different.

Funnily enough, this isn’t the first time Singh has tried for a comeback. In 2020, he entered a Korn Ferry Tour event, the Korn Ferry Challenge, and then, too, criticism followed. A KFT pro, Brady Schnell, at the time, called him “a true piece of trash.” He was sorry later, though, but Singh withdrew. Pointing the same, Brandel Chamblee was unhesitant in his harsh remarks.

“This is what happens when you give in to or give too much power to players,” Chamblee wrote on X.

Chamblee’s points make sense. In a similar example, Matt Kuchar also had a chance to take such a career money list exemption for 2026, but he decided otherwise. The PGA Tour boasts about its meritocracy. But then, at the same time, it allows for such absurd exemptions, which might not add any value to the overall sport.  The same criticism might circle the Tour if it allows ex-LIV golfer Brooks Koepka an easy entry into its program after the reinstatement application.

But that’s a story for a different time. Right now, fans are quite united in their support of the Fijian golfer who will be teeing off at the Waialae Country Club in the coming week.

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Fans rally behind Vijay Singh’s PGA Tour exemption

The Fore Play Podcast dropped a question to its fans, circling Vijay Singh’s name on its post. “Thoughts on this?” If they thought the fans would tear the tour apart for its silly exemption, they were wrong.

“Ummmm, … yes? Excited for golf to start the new year. Is that your question?” said a commentator, responding to the page’s question. The intent was simple: this fan saw nothing out of the ordinary with Singh in the roster; rather, it brought him excitement.

“Vijay, along with obviously Tiger and Phil, brings back fond memories of golf’s glory days. Love that he’s teeing it up next week!” another fan wrote.

The Fijian’s resume is simply gold standard, placing him among the all-time greats. He has accumulated 34 wins, 28 runner-ups, and a cut percentage of 80%. That’s impressive in all aspects. With his over $71 million career earnings, Singh is among the very best, like Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Justin Rose, and Jim Furyk.

“This is a spot he has earned. He is one of 39 players, all-time, that have won more than 20 times,” said one fan. A similar opinion was expressed by former Athletic and NBC Sports writer Matt Williams. “My take: He earned it. Not much else to say.”

Another echoed the same sentiment, “When you’ve paid your dues and EARNED your stripes. YOU GO FOR IT! Kudos to Vijay 👍.”

With such blind support from fans, it would be interesting to see how Singh plays out next week. It wouldn’t be too negative to say that he’s going to be a standout player. He might make the cut, that’s all. But the entire ordeal will be an interesting watch.