GOLF • PGA TOUR • SONY OPEN IN HAWAII

The three-time major champion opened with an under-par round at Waialae, answering early mistakes with birdies — and a bunker hole-out that lit up the leaderboard.

By Swikriti | Sat, Jan 17, 2026 | Updated: Jan 17, 2026

It’s 2026 — and Vijay Singh is still capable of producing a PGA Tour round that makes people stop scrolling. The 62-year-old, a three-time major champion and former world No. 1, returned to the spotlight at the Sony Open in Hawaii and opened with a composed two-under 68 at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu.

Singh hasn’t been a weekly presence on the PGA Tour in recent years, and that’s exactly why his start mattered. In an era built on speed, power, and youth, an under-par round from a player in his sixties becomes a story about craft: ball-striking, patience, and the ability to reset after a mistake.

For official updates and coverage from tournament week, the PGA Tour has tracked Singh’s return and the wider Sony Open field as the season gets underway.

A rough opening — and a veteran’s response

The round didn’t begin like a highlight reel. Singh’s first hole set an immediate test: trouble off the tee, pressure early, and a double bogey to start the day. For many players, especially one returning to the Tour stage after limited starts, that’s where the round can drift.

Singh didn’t drift. He settled. He found a rhythm on the front nine and began stacking small wins: fairways recovered, greens found, and three birdies that pulled him back toward level par — then beyond it. It wasn’t flashy golf; it was controlled golf, the kind that has carried him through decades of elite competition.

The back nine delivered another jolt. A second double bogey at the par-3 13th threatened to undo the work. Again, Singh answered the moment instead of reacting to it. He steadied himself and went on an immediate run, collecting birdies over the next stretch to move back under par.

The shot that flipped the round

The signature moment came at the short par-3 16th — a hole that can feel routine until it isn’t. Singh found the greenside bunker, then produced the kind of touch that doesn’t age: he holed out from the sand for birdie, a swing that turned a solid round into a talking point.

Suddenly, the scorecard read like a lesson in resilience: two doubles, multiple birdies, and an under-par finish. It was the rare combination of grit and artistry — and it made his place on the leaderboard feel earned, not ceremonial.

Singh’s performance wasn’t only a one-day spark, either. He followed that opening 68 with an even-par second round to make the cut, keeping the weekend storyline alive. (You can read the PGA Tour’s write-up on Singh making the weekend here.)

How rare is this at 62?

Golf has always allowed room for longevity — but making cuts on the PGA Tour at an advanced age remains exceptional. The modern schedule, the depth of talent, and the scoring environment leave little margin for anyone, let alone a player in his sixties.

The benchmark for age-and-cut history is still the record held by Jay Haas, who made the cut at the 2022 Zurich Classic of New Orleans at 68 years and 141 days. (The record is documented by Guinness World Records here.)

That mark surpassed Sam Snead, who made a PGA Tour cut at the 1979 Manufacturers Hanover Westchester Classic at 67 years, 2 months, and 21 days. Some fans still debate the comparison because Haas set the record in a team format event — but even with that context, the achievement remains remarkable.

What to watch next

The hardest part of a comeback story is always the same: repeating it. One under-par round can happen. Holding the standard across four days is where the tournament exposes every weakness — stamina, recovery, and the mental discipline required when pressure builds late on Friday or Saturday.

But Singh has already done the most important thing: he’s made his return feel competitive. Not nostalgic. Competitive. And at a season-opening event where early momentum often shapes the weeks that follow, that alone is enough to keep eyes on Waialae.

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