"Instead, he showed the lack of social grace that defines him."

Remember that post about cranky coverage coming?  Here's volume 1. You go Jim McCabe, who calls Vijay "insufferable" before letting the PGA Tour have it for coddling their native Ponte Vedra son:

OK, he blows off print reporters all the time, but to brush off NBC, which pays a hefty fee to televise these affairs and thus is hugely responsible for the exorbitant purses players such as Singh are afforded? Ridiculous.

Double bogeys to anyone who buys Singh's explanation that the FedEx Cup was still up for grabs, because Jim Furyk was on the course with a chance to win the BMW. Singh had the equivalent of a 12-game lead with 13 remaining and no matter what Furyk did, the big Fijian was going to be the FedEx Cup leader after that tournament, so the least he could have done was stop for the NBC cameras and offer thanks to FedEx, the PGA Tour, and even NBC.

Instead, he showed the lack of social grace that defines him.

Does that mean you won't be nominating him for the Jim Murray Award, Jim?

Proving once again that the inmates run the asylum and that the PGA Tour all too often acts as enablers to childish behavior, officials set up a teleconference two days later, spoon-feeding Singh a mulligan so he could finally get around to thanking FedEx and providing him a comfortable forum to do what he does best - blame the media and ignore the character flaws that surround him.

"Let me congratulate Vijay Singh for phenomenal play here during the year," gushed commissioner Tim Finchem, who might want a redo on that one. Singh missed the cut at the Players, the British Open, PGA Championship, and finished T-65 in the US Open - four sub-standard performances in tournaments players of his caliber are judged on. That he prevailed in the FedEx Cup to turn his season around is admirable, but it doesn't change the fact his lack of appreciation is shameless.

Update on 2008-09-12 15:18 by Geoff

Garry Smits, golf writer for Vijay's hometown paper, considered the incident and shares this:

Singh also personally called out Associated Press national golf writer Doug Ferguson for an article he wrote on the issue, and said on the teleconference, “that’s the second time you’ve [Ferguson] created this [controversy].”

Singh was referring to a comment attributed to him by Ferguson in 2003 in reference to Annika Sorenstam playing in the PGA Tour’s Colonial Tournament. Singh was quoted as saying that he hoped Sorenstam “would miss the cut.” Singh has continually claimed he was misquoted.

I can tell you that Ferguson is nationally respected by his peers and almost every player on the PGA Tour with the apparent exception of Singh. He’s as solid a pro as they come in the sportswriting industry.