PGA Tour caddy shines a light A PGA Tour caddy has shed light on the “dirty deals” going on behind the scenes regarding sponsor exemptions.
Writing for Golf Digest about his “promising” player, the looper claimed that sponsor exemptions are “some of the most politically biased aspects of professional golf.”
He wrote that his player was recently moved to an alternate event to make room for a golfer represented by the tournament’s governing body.
“He was surprised and upset,” he wrote. “I’m also sad but not surprised. I know the fix is there.”
The alternative events take place across from some of the biggest tournaments on the PGA Tour.
In the past, they have faced the Arnold Palmer Invitational, WGC Match Play, Scottish Open and The Open.
The match has been removed from the 2023-2024 calendar.
They provide opportunities for core members to earn OWGR and FedEx Cup points. However, there is less money at stake. But they offer a greater chance for players to achieve a resounding win.
One of the changes to the 2023-2024 calendar will see that winners of alternate events will not be awarded any places in the top events.
The repeater added:
“Take my player. Do you know why he didn’t participate? The alternative event is run by a company that represents professional golfers. “Guess which player gave these waivers the green light? Ding Ding:
those represented by the event organizing agency.
“If each body had its own tournament this wouldn’t be an issue, but some of the more prominent bodies are affiliated with half a dozen or more events and many of these are ‘single’ weeks.
“Since these tournaments are generally not as popular as major tournaments or designated events, the behind-the-scenes politics do not receive the attention they deserve.”
PGA Tour members can benefit from an unlimited number of sponsor exemptions.
Non-PGA Tour members may participate in up to seven rounds. Players who need a sponsor exemption often write a letter to the tournament director and then plead for it.
Practitioner added that he does not support eliminating the exemption for sponsors.
“But we need to do a better job of controlling how they are used,” he wrote.
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