Championship Sunday approaches at the Senior PGA Championship

Keith Horne leads the field, but Vijay Singh fires a third round to remember.

By Jack Nelson
| 8:17 p.m. April 18, 2026

Vijay Singh watches his drive on the fifth hole at The Concession Golf Club. The World Golf Hall of Famer and 34-time PGA Tour winner shot 5-under par in the third round of the Senior PGA Championship.

East County
Sports

There's a certain exemption listed in the PGA Tour's eligibility rules. For some golfers who have lost their tour cards, it's like a golden ticket.

Anyone who ranks top-50 in career earnings regains full membership for one season — regardless of age or recent performance.

Vijay Singh took advantage of that rule for 2026. He hadn't appeared on the tour since 2021, but even today, his $71.3 million qualifies as eighth-most all-time.

Using his exemption was the easy part. Keeping up physically with the rigors of this season hasn't been so straightforward.

"I'm really struggling with my body right now," Singh said. "I've got a really bad left foot... and then I have this crazy sciatica going down my right side. So it was very close for me not playing over here."

The World Golf Hall of Famer has played through the pain — three rounds of it — in the Senior PGA Championship. On April 18 at The Concession Golf Club, he carded 5-under par, his lowest score of the tournament thus far.

Singh's error-free effort on the front nine produced four birdies, including three from the fifth to eighth holes. He also sank a pair of birdies on the back nine and suffered just one bogey on the day.

That outing thrust the 63-year-old into a four-way tie for seventh place alongside Greg Owen, Miguel Ángel Jiménez and Brian Gay.

"Very scrappy. I played well in patches and putted nicely," Singh said. "Too many loose shots out there, but very happy with the score."

He's won five times on the PGA Tour Champions, and last season, he racked up six top-10 finishes across 20 starts.

Those numbers pale in comparison to his 34 victories on the PGA Tour — among them, titles at the 2004 and 1998 PGA Championship and 2000 Masters Tournament.

Singh journeyed to The Concession after failing to make the cut at Augusta National Golf Club. He shot 10-over par across his two rounds there.

"It's almost as hard as Augusta if you look at some of the greens, and they're getting faster," Singh said. "Thank God we haven't had any wind here. If it's going to be blowy (Sunday), we're going to have some fun."

The fourth and final round will begin at 7:25 a.m. April 19 with groups teeing off on the first hole. Tickets can be purchased at srpgachampionship.com/tickets/.

Miguel Ángel Jiménez reads the green before a putt on the 10th green. He shot 4-under par in the third round, moving to 8-under par overall. — Miguel Ángel Jiménez reads the green before a putt on the 10th. He shot 4-under par in the third round, moving to 8-under par overall.

Pádraig Harrington watches his shot from the 11th tee. The winner of the 2008 PGA Championship — as well as The Open Championship in 2007 and 2008 — is 6-under par through three rounds.

Bernhard Langer makes his approach shot on the first hole. The two-time Masters Tournament champion sits at 2-under par entering the final round.

Ernie Els cracks a smile on the 11th green. The four-time major champion boasts two top-five finishes in three PGA Tour Champions events this season.

A heron departs its nest near the 11th green and takes flight. During the silence before every stroke at The Concession, the chirping and squawking of birds fills the air.

Henrik Stenson chips a shot from behind the walking path on the second hole. He won The Open Championship in 2016 — his only major victory to date.

Justin Leonard pauses to read the third green before attempting a putt. The 12-time PGA Tour winner has yet to shoot below 70 through three rounds at The Concession.

Zach Johnson thanks fans for their applause after sinking a putt on the ninth green. He carded a 71 in the third round compared to 67 in the second.

Vijay Singh makes par with his putt on the fourth hole. He's won five times on the PGA Tour Champions, but not since 2023's The Ally Challenge.

A furry spectator stops to say hello by the first-hole fairway. The Senior PGA Championship has attracted golf fans from all over Sarasota and Manatee Counties — and from The Concession's backyard. — A furry spectator stops to say hello by the first-hole fairway. The Senior PGA Championship has attracted golf fans from all over Sarasota and Manatee counties — and from The Concession's back yard.

author

Jack Nelson

Jack Nelson is the sports reporter for the East County and Sarasota/Siesta Key Observers. As a proud UCLA graduate and Massachusetts native, Nelson also writes for NBA.com and previously worked for MassLive. His claim to fame will always be that one time he sat at the same table as LeBron James and Stephen Curry.