"But you almost feel bad for taking the spot."

Jason Sobel does a nice job summing up all of the storylines heading into this week's U.S. Open, but he just had to go and get me all riled up about the USGA's Vijay exemption and Tom Kite's snub.

Here's where the lack of consistency comes into play. Like Watson, Kite is 60 years old. Like Watson, his lone U.S. Open title came at Pebble Beach. Like Watson, his final-round chip-in remains one of the most iconic and lasting images from this championship over the past few decades.

Unlike Watson, however, Kite was forced to play a sectional qualifier in Littleton, Colo., last Monday, posting scores of 69-68 to miss a spot in the field by a single stroke.

"You could tell he was disappointed," said local club professional Jason Preeo, who earned one of the two spots available at the qualifier. "He came up and shook my hand and said congratulations. But you almost feel bad for taking the spot."

I know, I know, Watson almost won last year's Open Championship. Save your fingers.