Struggling meaning the players on the bubble of retaining their tour cards or guys on the Nationwide tour trying to earn their tour card. Those guys are trying to make a living playing golf and depend on some of the exemptions. One of the other exemptions is the reigning US Amateur champ...the others will be announced soon.
I read an article about this in "Golf Week" a long time ago. Plus Kornheiser had a lot of guests from different golf magazines on his radio show this week that confirmed by statement. Most exemptions at tournaments are throw-aways given to minor celebs in the local market. Rarely are they given to actual professional golfers. I'm just passing on something I read and I've heard on the radio. I don't have extensive knowledge about the situation.
This is from PGATOUR.com Sponsor exemptions (a maximum of eight, which may include amateurs with handicaps of 2 or less), on the following basis A. Not less than two sponsor invitees shall be PGA TOUR members not otherwise exempt. B. Not less than two of the top 35 finishers and ties from the last Qualifying Tournament, as well as 2-15 from the 2002 Nationwide Tour money list, if not all of them can otherwise be accommodated. (Note: PGA TOUR members may receive an unlimited number of sponsor invitations. Non-TOUR members may receive a maximum of seven per year).
NEWSFLASH! Life is NOT fair. Also there is the PGA (Professional Golfers Association) and the LPGA (Ladies Professional Golfers Association). There is nothing in the bylaws of the PGA that says that a women cannot play. There are, however, bylaws that state that the LPGA is for women only. BTW this is not the first time this has happened... Babe Didrikson did it a long time ago. Check out this article.
NEWSFLASH! I'm pretty sure we agree on this. I have absolutely no problem with her playing and will be rooting for her.
Well someone better inform the golfing world's media. Anyways, I still have to feel for the lower ranked pro golfers trying to earn a living on the professional golf tour. They're getting screwed (in my opinion.) But again, as a sports fan I will enjoy watching her play.
One person is possibly getting screwed. Maybe he should worry about becoming a better golfer that doesn't have to rely on sponsors' exemptions to get into tourneys. He's got no one to blame but himself.
That statement shows that you really haven't got a clue as to what the guys on the bubble of the tour go through.
take it easy pom pom boy....its funny how you were so against my argument but you didnt have a clue as to who even received the sponsor's exemptions...do you just argue to hear yourself argue? it must be a cheerleader thing
I'm against your argument that men should be able to play in the LPGA if she gets to play in the PGA more than I'm against the sponsor exemption thing. I'd like to know the life of these players on the bubble that should make me feel for them more than I already do. Why are they on the bubble? Thanks in advance Mr. Women's Rights are Crap Boy. While your at it, could you explain the pom pom reference. I've told you once, I won't dress up like that for you. Maybe if you respected women more, your wife would.
I think if you're going at it from an issue of fairness you have to bring up Martha Burk and her case against Augusta. The LPGA is similarly discriminatory. I hate golf but it seems to me that when you say if men were allowed into the LPGA that it would just be another crap tour, if the best women golfers played in the PGA then the LPGA would still be just another crap tour as well. The LPGA would probably be hurt dramatically if it lost Sorenstam who I assume is their biggest draw. This also sets precedent for tennis. Is Serena Williams going to be allowed to play in the ATP? Then what happens to the WTA if they lose their main draw? Will Serena be allowed to double dip by playing in ATP tournaments on surfaces that might give her a better chance to compete against the men and then go back to the WTA when they play on grass? Is that fair?
I don't think anyone's worried about the LPGA losing Sorenstam. She might play in a few tournaments, but I'm pretty sure that's it. Even if they did, she's a special player. It's not like it's going to open the floodgates for women golfers to play in the PGA. Personally, I'd have no problem with Serena playing a few ATP tourneys.
Fair enough...you have to earn your tour card to play on the PGA tour. Here are many ways. 1. Winner of PGA Championship or U.S. Open prior to 1970 or in the last 10 calendar years: 2. Winner of THE PLAYERS Championship in the last 10 calendar years: 3. Winners of the Masters Tournament in the last 10 calendar years: 4. Winners of the British Open in the last 10 calendar years: 5. Winners of the World Series of Golf in the last 10 calendar years: 6. THE TOUR Championship winners of the last three years, beginning with the 1999 winner: 7. Winners of World Golf Championship events, beginning in 1999 (a three-year exemption): 8. The leader in PGA TOUR official earnings in each of the last five calendar years: 9. Winners of PGA TOUR cosponsored or approved events (except team events) within the last two calendar years, or during the current year; winners receive an additional year of exemption for each additional win, up to five years: 10. Members of the last-named U.S. Ryder Cup team 11. Leaders in official PGA TOUR career earnings, as follows: A. Players among the top 50 in career earnings as of the end of the preceding calendar year may elect to use a one-time, one-year exemption for the next year: B. Players among the Top 25 in career earnings as of the end of the preceding calendar year may elect to use this special exemption for a second year, provided that the player remains among the Top 25 on the career money list. 12. Sponsor exemptions (a maximum of eight, which may include amateurs with handicaps of 2 or less), on the following basis: A. Not less than two sponsor invitees shall be PGA TOUR members not otherwise exempt. B. Not less than two of the top 35 finishers and ties from the last Qualifying Tournament, as well as 2-15 from the 2002 Nationwide Tour money list, if not all of them can otherwise be accommodated. (Note: PGA TOUR members may receive an unlimited number of sponsor invitations. Non-TOUR members may receive a maximum of seven per year). 13. Two international players designated by the Commissioner. 14. The current PGA Club Professional Champion for a maximum of three open events, in addition to any sponsor selections. 15. PGA Section Champion or Player of the Year of the Section in which the tournament is played. 16. Two members of the PGA Section in which the tournament is played, who qualify through sectional qualifying competitions. 17. Four low scorers at Open Qualifying which shall normally be held on Monday of tournament week. 18. Past champions of the particular event being contested that week, if co-sponsored by the PGA TOUR and the same tournament sponsor (except for Team events), as follows: a. Winners prior to July 28, 1970: unlimited exemptions for such events. b. Winners after July 28, 1970 and prior to Jan. 1, 2000: 10 years of exemptions for such events. c. Winners after Jan. 1, 2000: five years of exemptions for such events. 19. Life Members (who have been active members of the PGA TOUR for 15 years and have won at least 20 co-sponsored events). 20. Top 125 on previous year's Official Money List: If not exempt under "Special Exemptions," the top 125 PGA TOUR members on the previous year's Official Money List, in order of their position: 21. Players who finished in the Top 125 on 2001 PGA TOUR Money List as non-members: 22. Major Medical Extension: If granted by the Commissioner, if not otherwise eligible, and if needed to fill the field, Special Medical Extension. 23. Leading Money Winner from 2002 Nationwide Tour 24. Top-10 and Ties among professionals from the previous open tournament whose victory has official status are exempt into the next open tournament whose victory has official status. 25. Top 35 & Ties from the previous year's PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament, in order of their finish, and players 4-15 on the 2002 Nationwide Tour money list. 26. Players winning three Nationwide Tour events in the current year, in priority determined by the date they win their third event. 28. Next 25 members after the Top 125 members from previous year's Official Money List. If needed to fill the field, the next 25 PGA TOUR members after the top 125 PGA TOUR members from the previous year's Official Money List, in order of their position on the list. 29. Non-Exempt, Major Medical Extension 30. Past Champions, Team Tournament Winners and Veteran Members Beyond 150 on Money List: If not otherwise eligible and as needed to fill the field, Past Champion members, Team Tournament Winners and Veteran members beyond 150th place on the previous year's Money List, in order of their combined official PGA TOUR and Nationwide Tour earnings in the previous year. 31. Past Champion Members: If not otherwise eligible and if needed to fill the field, Past Champion members, in order of the total number of co-sponsored or approved events won, excluding Team events. If two or more players are tied, the player who is higher on the PGA TOUR Career Money List shall be eligible. 32. Special Temporary: If during the course of a PGA TOUR season, a non-member of the PGA TOUR wins an amount of official money (e.g., by playing in PGA TOUR events through sponsor exemptions, Open Qualifying, etc.) equal to the amount won in the preceding year by the 150th finisher on the official money list, he will be eligible for the remainder of the year. 33. Team Tournament Winners: If not otherwise eligible and if needed to fill the field, winners of co-sponsored team championships, in order of the total number of team championship tournaments won. If two or more players are tied based on the number of such tournaments won, the player who is higher on the official PGA TOUR Career Money List shall be eligible. 34. Veteran Members: If not otherwise eligible and if needed to fill the field, Veteran members (players who have made a minimum of 150 cuts during their career), in order of their standing on the PGA TOUR Career Money List. What it usually boils down to (other than sponsors exemptions) is the top 125 on the money list. The other tourney winners usually win enough to make the top 125 list. The guys who don't make it have to go to Q School to try and get the card. If you don't, you have to play on one of the lesser money tours where you can only survive for so long without being able to compete for higher stakes. Many of these guys drive their owns cars from tourney to tourney(which could be from Arizona to Florida)...sleep in their cars to avoid paying hotel bills...carry their own bags during tournaments to save money on the caddy...pack their meals in a cooler that they keep in their trunks...all the while holding down another job because even a top 10 finish doesn't always pay the bills. Hopefully when they get back from the weekend, their boss isn't too pissed about them taking Thurs and Fri off and they still have a job...especially the ones who take Thurs and Fri off of work and don't advance to the weekend. Imagine being one of these guys living out of your car for days at a time and then you open the sports page and see that the PGA is letting Annika play with one of the very coveted sponsors expemtions just so she can see what she can do. Perhaps Annika will finish 40th and take home a paycheck that will still be more than next week's winner's check on the Nationwide tour.
Thanks NJ. I'll admit that's the <B>only</B> part of this I'm a little uncomfortable with. I don't really have a problem with a one-time exemption, but if she starts getting a lot, especially without doing to well in any of the other tourneys, then I'll have a bigger problem.
I'm an avid golfer NJ, but I don't have a problem with this exemption. Sponsor's exemptions are not earned, they are given. No matter who they are given to, you could argue that someone else who is deserving got screwed. Instead of Annika, for example, the spot could have been given to last year's winner of the Dallas City Championship. Does he deserve a chance to play on the PGA tour? No, but he might appreciate it. I bet he would be hard pressed to say that he is more qualified than Annika for the spot. The golfers who deserve to play in the Colonial have already earned their way there. Anyone else who gets in is a "lucky loser". As such, they should be grateful for the chance, but if they didn't get a spot and then complain about Annika, they need to shut up and get better.
Look for Serena Williams to try and get into a mens tourny next. If Sorenstam can pull it off and look good more power to her. If women can race at the Indy 500 or in a NHRA dragster they can play golf which isn't nearly as demanding.
The way I see it, you have a minor league for women only, a minor league for seniors, then a major league for whoever can cut the mustard (men, women, seniors, even juniors sometimes). I have no problem with that at all. (She will hit from the same tees, right? If she doesn't, that would be crap.)
She will hit from the same tees. The men will have to wear pantyhose. This is not a circus. They want this to be as fair as possible. Go girl go.
