Vijay Singh, who has recorded three victories in golf’s Major Championships, has accepted a special exemption from qualifying for the 2010 US Open Championship, which will be played from June 17-20 at Pebble Beach Golf Links.
The USGA also offered a special exemption for the 2010 US Open to Tom Watson, who won the 1982 US Open at Pebble Beach.
“I’m finally back to good health and really looking forward to competing at Pebble Beach,” said Singh. “It’s a fantastic event at a legendary venue. I appreciate the invitation from the USGA and can’t wait to tee it up.”
Thomas J. O’Toole Jr., chairman of the USGA’s championship committee, said: “There were many compelling reasons for us to invite Vijay Singh into the field of this year’s US Open, particularly his three wins in Majors in the last 12 years.
“He has played through injuries, which caused him to drop, quite quickly this year, in the World Rankings. He’s always been competitive at the US Open and he is healthy and playing well again.”
Singh, an Honorary Member of The European Tour who won the 1998 and 2004 US PGA Championships as well as the 2000 Masters Tournament, has competed in 16 US Open Championships, including the last 15 consecutively. His best finish was a tie for third in 1999 and he has finished in the top ten on seven occasions. In 2003 at Olympia Fields Country Club, he tied a pair of US Open scoring records with a second-round 63 that included a 29 on the second nine. He has won 34 PGA Tour events in his career and has played on eight Presidents Cup teams.
In his last start in the US Open in 2009, he tied for 27th. His first start at the US Open came in 1993 at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, N.J., and that was the only time he failed to make the cut in his US Open appearances.
