OLYMPIA FIELDS, Ill. – The only thing Vijay Singh did wrong in his controversial episode surrounding Annika Sorenstam playing in the Colonial last May was apologize. There was no reason for it. None whatsoever.

Too many times, we the media complain that athletes don’t offer their honest opinions on dicey issues. Most opt for politically correct answers that won’t get them into trouble with the general public or their corporate sponsors. A prime example is Tiger Woods, the master of the vanilla.

Yet, when Singh was asked by a reporter in early May about Sorenstam getting an exemption to become the first woman in 58 years to play in a PGA Tour event, he gave his honest opinion. He said she didn’t deserve to play with the men. He said he hoped she missed the cut and that he’d withdraw if paired with her during the tournament. For offering his opinion, Singh was vilified in print and on sport talk radio. He was portrayed as the worst stereotype of a narrow-minded man denying a woman her fair chance to compete.

The next day, Singh offered a half-hearted apology and said he was taken out of context. He insisted it wasn’t a personal attack at Sorenstam, and then he blamed the media for all the fuss. He doesn’t like us anymore, and who can blame him? We asked for his opinion, then creamed him for it.

After shooting a 7-under-par 63 yesterday to tie Jim Furyk for the second-round lead at the U.S. Open, Singh granted interviews only because he felt it was his obligation as a tournament leader. He didn’t want to talk about Annika, and he didn’t want to talk about the fan he had ejected from the 14th hole for apparently saying something while Singh was on the green getting ready to attempt a birdie putt he would eventually make. All he wanted to talk about was golf, and his golf is speaking volumes about Singh these days.

He will never have the smile of Woods, the charm of Ernie Els, the lineage of Davis Love III or the sympathetic support of Phil Mickelson. But Singh has plenty of game and plenty of guts.

“I’ve focused on what I’m doing, and that’s playing the golf course and golf tournaments,” he said. “I don’t read too much newspapers. I just don’t let things like that bother me. So I’m more focused on what I’m doing, and let everything take care of itself.”

Still, it must have been warming to Singh when he arrived at the 17th hole yesterday to a standing ovation. There were women clapping, too. By then he had tied Jim Furyk at 7-under par with successive birdies on the 13th, 14th, and 15th holes. There was another ovation when he got to the 18th green as if the crowd was saying all was forgiven. It all about golf now.

It should be no surprise that he’s atop the leaderboard going into the weekend. Long and straight off the tee and accurate with his belly-putter, he was the pick here to win. Having won the 1998 PGA Championship and the 2000 Masters, a victory in the U.S. Open would leave him only needed only a victory in the British Open for a career grand slam. You’re talking legend then. But somehow we don’t see legend in Singh. We see him as some sort of male chauvinist either. He was asked a question and he gave an opinion.

It should be about golf now. No apology needed.

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Vijay’s Scorecard

Hole+Yard+Par+Score

1+577+5+3

2+402+4+3

3+389+4+5

4+164+3+2

5+440+4+4

6+555+5+6

7+212+3+3

8+430+4+4

9+494+4+4

Out+3,663+36+34

10+441+4+3

11+468+4+3

12+458+4+4

13+397+4+3

14+414+4+3

15+187+3+2

16+451+4+4

17+247+3+3

18+462+4+4

In+3,525+34+29

Total+7,188+70+63