Full Answer
What are sponsor exemptions in golf?
"Sponsor exemptions" is a term applied to places in the field for a professional golf tournament that are set aside to be filled at the discretion of the tournament's sponsor.
How do you get an exemption on the PGA Tour?
There are a variety of ways to acquire an exemption on Tour, but the bottom line is that you have to play well to get it at some point in your life. That time is now for many. According to the PGA Tour’s website, there are 33 ways in which a player may qualify for an exempt status.
Why is Tiger Woods exempt from PGA Tour rules?
Under the current system, Woods would be exempt for a variety of reasons, but officially, he received an exemption for the 2008 season because of his status as “Winner of a PGA Championship or U.S. Open prior to 1970 or in the last 10 calendar years.”
What is exempt status in golf?
Anybody who wins a PGA Tour event gets an immediate two-year PGA Tour exemption. This means that any non-member who gets into the field at a PGA Tour event via a sponsor exemption or Monday qualifier, and goes on to win that event, gets their PGA Tour card.
What does it mean to have a sponsor exemption in golf?
An exemption issued not on merit - rather on the whim of a major sponsor of the sport or an event. For instance, if Brand X Automobiles are sponsoring such-and-such a tournament, they may issue a sponsor's exemption to Player A such that Player A automatically qualifies for the event.
How do you get exempt status on PGA Tour?
All-Exempt PGA TOUR Priority RankingsWinner of PGA Championship or U.S. Open prior to 1970 or in the last five seasons and the current season: ... Winner of THE PLAYERS Championship in the last five seasons and the current season: ... Winners of the Masters Tournament in the last five seasons and the current season:More items...
Is Tiger Woods exempt for life on the PGA Tour?
Woods is among 12 past champions to enter and he is exempt via his 2019 Masters victory. Mickelson's PGA Championship win last year gave him a five-year exemption.
How many sponsor exemptions are permitted in the PGA?
eightSponsor exemptions (a maximum of eight, which may include amateurs with handicaps of 0 or less), on the following basis: A. Not less than two sponsor invitees shall be PGA Tour members not otherwise exempt.
How do you lose your PGA Tour card?
Theoretically, if you finish outside the top 125 in a given season, you lose your PGA Tour card for the following season. However, there are alternative ways to keep a card, and most of the stars have already done so. For example, Rickie Fowler is currently ranked No. 130 in the FedEx Cup standings.
How long is Tiger exempt?
How long can he play on the PGA Tour? For all intents and purposes, Woods can't lose his PGA Tour card. He is exempt for life by virtue of his 20-plus PGA Tour wins (79 in all) and being a member of the tour for at least 15 years.
Who is exempt on the PGA Tour?
While many other players like Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson qualify, only three members are listed officially by the PGA Tour. Woods and Mickelson are exempt otherwise and do not need the lifetime exemption to play on the PGA Tour.
Does Dustin Johnson have lifetime exemption?
It was his 20th career PGA Tour win, which will earn him a lifetime exemption once he has completed 15 years of membership. In April 2019, Johnson finished tied for second in the Masters Tournament, one stroke behind Tiger Woods.
How do you get a lifetime PGA card?
How does one achieve a lifetime PGA Tour membership? According to the criteria, a player needs to win 20 co-sponsored PGA Tour events in their career, while being active for 15 years. When a player achieves both milestones, they become a part of the lifetime membership club.
How does a golfer keep his PGA card?
PGA Tour card holders gain their status via tournament wins, finishing in the top 125 in the previous season's Fed Ex Cup, or through promotion from the previous season's Korn Ferry Tour.
Do Masters winners get a lifetime exemption?
Perks of winning the Masters Tournament A lifetime exemption into The Masters, plus access to the course as an honorary member in perpetuity as well. A five-year exemption for basically every event in golf, including the PGA Tour, the US Open, the Open Championship, and the PGA Championship.