"When I found out my tee time is 7:30, I said, 'I'm not going to go and qualify.'"

The more I read about Vijay Singh's U.S. Open exemption, the more it stinks and the more it becomes apparent that a regrettable precedent has been set.

First, let's get the touching stuff out of the way. Jim McCabe reports on Vijay thanking the media and in particular, Jeff Rude, who penned a column begging for Vijay to get a spot at Pebble Beach.

“I think they read Jeff Rude,” Singh said, referring to Rude’s website column last week that urged the U.S. Golf Association to offer the Big Fijian an exemption into the U.S. Open.

Told that Rude was not covering this week’s Memorial, Singh smiled.
“I want to thank him for his comments on that.”

Initially refused an exemption, Singh discovered Tuesday night that the USGA had reversed field. And because it did, Singh will play in his 64th consecutive major championship when the U.S. Open takes place in a few weeks at Pebble Beach.

“It was a relief,” Singh said. “I was hoping for an invite.”

Steve Elling praises the USGA for their unusual last-minute move. Yet he offers us plenty of evidence why this stinks. Here's reason #1 this is a bad move:

When he toppled out of the top 50 and was facing a 36-hole qualifier Monday in Columbus, Ohio, Singh reached out to the USGA and asked to be considered for an exemption and was summarily shot down. Special exemptions into the U.S. Open are rare and preferably extended to elder statesmen.

"Then they thought about it, and they said yes," Singh said.

So a player goes to the USGA asking for a special exemption to get out of playing the Sectional Qualifier, and his wish is granted? That's just unfathomable!

Reason #2 this stinks:

"The big thing at the end of the day was what had happened to Vijay the last several weeks in the world rankings," Davis said. "He plummeted because he was trying to play through injury."

So the USGA relies on the Official World Golf Ranking and all the baggage that comes with it, yet one of its greatest flaws is revealed (playing a lot can hurt your cause) and instead of maybe reconsidering the value placed on the ranking, they are going to work around the qualification standards established well in advance.

And the reason this really stinks:

Before the Singh exemption was reconsidered and offered after unanimous agreement of the executive committee, Singh was facing a 36-hole sectional qualifier on Monday and leaning toward not playing.

"When I found out my tee time is 7:30, I said, 'I'm not going to go and qualify,'" he said. "I was really debating it."

He was so passionate about playing in the Open that he waivered about showing up for the qualifying, when there are 9000 other golfers who would kill to have a shot at qualifying?

Meanwhile, a man most definitely not debating about whether it's too early is 60-year-old Tom Kite, 1992 U.S. Open winner at Pebble Beach, who is slated to play at the Littleton, Colorado qualifier (Columbine CC) where 29 players are playing for 2 spots. I'm guessing he's just fine with the early tee time.