USGA Amateur Exemption

Seeing that the USGA have announced that the exemption given to players who win the US Am will remain in place for the following years US Open even if the am decides to turn pro before the US Open begins. Seems likely a hugely sensible thing to do. I bet Hovland wishes that it had kicked in before now, surely his T12 in the US Open would have helped him earn his card this year.

> @MattyO1984 said:

> Seeing that the USGA have announced that the exemption given to players who win the US Am will remain in place for the following years US Open even if the am decides to turn pro before the US Open begins. Seems likely a hugely sensible thing to do. I bet Hovland wishes that it had kicked in before now, surely his T12 in the US Open would have helped him earn his card this year.

Given that earning a PGA Tour card is now based on points and not $, seems like they could count points won as an AM if they chose to do so. One of the reasons that I thought they may not (and also why I thought an AM lost exemptions if he turned pro) was that you could argue he won something of value as an AM, which might be considered a violation of AM rules??

Personally, I think the AM rules are a bit of a joke, so I'd rather just see guys be able to keep exemptions and points earned as AM after they turn pro. (I'd even be ok allowing an AM to renounce his AM status at the end of a tournament and cash the check).

> @MattyO1984 said:

> Seeing that the USGA have announced that the exemption given to players who win the US Am will remain in place for the following years US Open even if the am decides to turn pro before the US Open begins. Seems likely a hugely sensible thing to do. I bet Hovland wishes that it had kicked in before now, **surely his T12 in the US Open would have helped him earn his card this year.**

Still would have left him short of Pat Perez by less than two points. 4 way tie for 12th at US Open was worth 66.25 FEC points. That would have given Hovland 374.25 FEC points. Perez had 376 FEC points.

https://www.pgatour.com/fedexcup/projected-standings.html

> @SkiSchoolPro said:

> > @MattyO1984 said:

> > Seeing that the USGA have announced that the exemption given to players who win the US Am will remain in place for the following years US Open even if the am decides to turn pro before the US Open begins. Seems likely a hugely sensible thing to do. I bet Hovland wishes that it had kicked in before now, surely his T12 in the US Open would have helped him earn his card this year.

>

> Given that earning a PGA Tour card is now based on points and not $, seems like they could count points won as an AM if they chose to do so. One of the reasons that I thought they may not (and also why I thought an AM lost exemptions if he turned pro) was that you could argue he won something of value as an AM, which might be considered a violation of AM rules??

> Personally, I think the AM rules are a bit of a joke, so I'd rather just see guys be able to keep exemptions and points earned as AM after they turn pro. (I'd even be ok allowing an AM to renounce his AM status at the end of a tournament and cash the check).

They would take it away because the thought was the amature winner was supposed to represent the best in amature golf. As a pro they wouldn't be doing that. Now that pretty much every AM winner is going pro so it was just delaying their start as a pro.

This is a great rule change IMO

Sounds fine. Earned that exemption, turning pro doesn't change that feat.

Good idea, I can see The Open following suit but I think Augusta will resist.

> @grm24 said:

> > @MattyO1984 said:

> > Seeing that the USGA have announced that the exemption given to players who win the US Am will remain in place for the following years US Open even if the am decides to turn pro before the US Open begins. Seems likely a hugely sensible thing to do. I bet Hovland wishes that it had kicked in before now, **surely his T12 in the US Open would have helped him earn his card this year.**

>

> Still would have left him short of Pat Perez by less than two points. 4 way tie for 12th at US Open was worth 66.25 FEC points. That would have given Hovland 374.25 FEC points. Perez had 376 FEC points.

>

> https://www.pgatour.com/fedexcup/projected-standings.html

>

Did you include his top 40 finishes at Augusta and the Palmer?

> @OldTomMorris said:

> Good idea, I can see The Open following suit but I think Augusta will resist.

> @OldTomMorris said:

> Good idea, I can see The Open following suit but I think Augusta will resist.

Augusta may resist, but since its earlier on the schedule so guys can just play it, turn pro right after (or after college season). Part of it tho is that its the Masters so they can get away with things other tournaments can't. DeChambeau for instance was willing to give up his amateur status and lose his ticket to the opens, but he made sure he played the Masters first.

> @grm24 said:

> > @MattyO1984 said:

> > Seeing that the USGA have announced that the exemption given to players who win the US Am will remain in place for the following years US Open even if the am decides to turn pro before the US Open begins. Seems likely a hugely sensible thing to do. I bet Hovland wishes that it had kicked in before now, **surely his T12 in the US Open would have helped him earn his card this year.**

>

> Still would have left him short of Pat Perez by less than two points. 4 way tie for 12th at US Open was worth 66.25 FEC points. That would have given Hovland 374.25 FEC points. Perez had 376 FEC points.

>

> https://www.pgatour.com/fedexcup/projected-standings.html

>

I may be wrong but isn't it based on the 125th guy from last years Fed ex cup list for the special exemptions?

I like this rule change as well. I would definitely be open to guys earning points as amateur to help earn their card for the next year even though they don't earn the money. This flies in the face of them trying to make these guys go through the KF tour though.

> @doublehans said:

> > @OldTomMorris said:

> > Good idea, I can see The Open following suit but I think Augusta will resist.

> Augusta may resist, but since its earlier on the schedule so guys can just play it, turn pro right after (or after college season). Part of it tho is that its the Masters so they can get away with things other tournaments can't. DeChambeau for instance was willing to give up his amateur status and lose his ticket to the opens, but he made sure he played the Masters first.

I agree. Hovland is only affected short term as he is too good not to succeed. It's unlikely someone would ever miss out by a few FedEx Cup points because of amateur status and we never hear of them again.

> @canonlbp430 said:

> > @grm24 said:

> > > @MattyO1984 said:

> > > Seeing that the USGA have announced that the exemption given to players who win the US Am will remain in place for the following years US Open even if the am decides to turn pro before the US Open begins. Seems likely a hugely sensible thing to do. I bet Hovland wishes that it had kicked in before now, **surely his T12 in the US Open would have helped him earn his card this year.**

> >

> > Still would have left him short of Pat Perez by less than two points. 4 way tie for 12th at US Open was worth 66.25 FEC points. That would have given Hovland 374.25 FEC points. Perez had 376 FEC points.

> >

> > https://www.pgatour.com/fedexcup/projected-standings.html

> >

>

> I may be wrong but isn't it based on the 125th guy from last years Fed ex cup list for the special exemptions?

>

> I like this rule change as well. I would definitely be open to guys earning points as amateur to help earn their card for the next year even though they don't earn the money. This flies in the face of them trying to make these guys go through the KF tour though.

Don't they use the previous year when a player is on a medical carried over from that season hence using the 125th points from the prior season as the benchmark.

> @OldTomMorris said:

> > @canonlbp430 said:

> > > @grm24 said:

> > > > @MattyO1984 said:

> > > > Seeing that the USGA have announced that the exemption given to players who win the US Am will remain in place for the following years US Open even if the am decides to turn pro before the US Open begins. Seems likely a hugely sensible thing to do. I bet Hovland wishes that it had kicked in before now, **surely his T12 in the US Open would have helped him earn his card this year.**

> > >

> > > Still would have left him short of Pat Perez by less than two points. 4 way tie for 12th at US Open was worth 66.25 FEC points. That would have given Hovland 374.25 FEC points. Perez had 376 FEC points.

> > >

> > > https://www.pgatour.com/fedexcup/projected-standings.html

> > >

> >

> > I may be wrong but isn't it based on the 125th guy from last years Fed ex cup list for the special exemptions?

> >

> > I like this rule change as well. I would definitely be open to guys earning points as amateur to help earn their card for the next year even though they don't earn the money. This flies in the face of them trying to make these guys go through the KF tour though.

>

> Don't they use the previous year when a player is on a medical carried over from that season hence using the 125th points from the prior season as the benchmark.

That may be what I'm thinking of. So many rules to keep track of.

> @SkiSchoolPro said:

> > @grm24 said:

> > > @MattyO1984 said:

> > > Seeing that the USGA have announced that the exemption given to players who win the US Am will remain in place for the following years US Open even if the am decides to turn pro before the US Open begins. Seems likely a hugely sensible thing to do. I bet Hovland wishes that it had kicked in before now, **surely his T12 in the US Open would have helped him earn his card this year.**

> >

> > Still would have left him short of Pat Perez by less than two points. 4 way tie for 12th at US Open was worth 66.25 FEC points. That would have given Hovland 374.25 FEC points. Perez had 376 FEC points.

> >

> > https://www.pgatour.com/fedexcup/projected-standings.html

> >

>

> Did you include his top 40 finishes at Augusta and the Palmer?

No. They can not be counted as he earned those spots in those tournaments because he was an amateur. Same with the US Open this year. Had the USGA made their exemption change for this season Hovlands first event as a professional would have been at the US Open and not the Travelers. You earn no FEC points as an amateur. The article linked below lays it al out.

https://golfweek.com/2019/08/05/new-usga-rule-viktor-hovland/

> @canonlbp430 said:

> > @grm24 said:

> > > @MattyO1984 said:

> > > Seeing that the USGA have announced that the exemption given to players who win the US Am will remain in place for the following years US Open even if the am decides to turn pro before the US Open begins. Seems likely a hugely sensible thing to do. I bet Hovland wishes that it had kicked in before now, **surely his T12 in the US Open would have helped him earn his card this year.**

> >

> > Still would have left him short of Pat Perez by less than two points. 4 way tie for 12th at US Open was worth 66.25 FEC points. That would have given Hovland 374.25 FEC points. Perez had 376 FEC points.

> >

> > https://www.pgatour.com/fedexcup/projected-standings.html

> >

>

> I may be wrong but isn't it based on the 125th guy from last years Fed ex cup list for the special exemptions?

>

No. This years 125th place finisher.

Thanks for posting this, I like the change. I understand why they did it that way before, and even though that reasoning has been a bit stale for some time, I'm glad that there has been some "updating" for this particular issue.

> @grm24 said:

> > @SkiSchoolPro said:

> > > @grm24 said:

> > > > @MattyO1984 said:

> > > > Seeing that the USGA have announced that the exemption given to players who win the US Am will remain in place for the following years US Open even if the am decides to turn pro before the US Open begins. Seems likely a hugely sensible thing to do. I bet Hovland wishes that it had kicked in before now, **surely his T12 in the US Open would have helped him earn his card this year.**

> > >

> > > Still would have left him short of Pat Perez by less than two points. 4 way tie for 12th at US Open was worth 66.25 FEC points. That would have given Hovland 374.25 FEC points. Perez had 376 FEC points.

> > >

> > > https://www.pgatour.com/fedexcup/projected-standings.html

> > >

> >

> > Did you include his top 40 finishes at Augusta and the Palmer?

>

> No. They can not be counted as he earned those spots in those tournaments because he was an amateur. Same with the US Open this year. Had the USGA made their exemption change for this season Hovlands first event as a professional would have been at the US Open and not the Travelers. You earn no FEC points as an amateur. The article linked below lays it al out.

>

> https://golfweek.com/2019/08/05/new-usga-rule-viktor-hovland/

My point was that he played well enough this year to be top 125 if the rules were different and all his results counted.> @OldTomMorris said:

> > @doublehans said:

> > > @OldTomMorris said:

> > > Good idea, I can see The Open following suit but I think Augusta will resist.

> > Augusta may resist, but since its earlier on the schedule so guys can just play it, turn pro right after (or after college season). Part of it tho is that its the Masters so they can get away with things other tournaments can't. DeChambeau for instance was willing to give up his amateur status and lose his ticket to the opens, but he made sure he played the Masters first.

>

> I agree. Hovland is only affected short term as he is too good not to succeed. It's unlikely someone would ever miss out by a few FedEx Cup points because of amateur status and we never hear of them again.

>

Yes, but Jamie Lovemark is an example of a guy who almost won straight out of school, just missed getting his card, played great on Web.com, but had back surgery and recovery time before getting back to the PGA Tour (and may be recovering from another injury as it looked like he didn't play for a while after a WD, then made a (rehab?) KF start.

Time is $ and I'm sure Hovland will try his hardest to get his card in the coming KF finals.

> @SkiSchoolPro said:

>

> > @grm24 said:

> > > @SkiSchoolPro said:

> > > > @grm24 said:

> > > > > @MattyO1984 said:

> > > > > Seeing that the USGA have announced that the exemption given to players who win the US Am will remain in place for the following years US Open even if the am decides to turn pro before the US Open begins. Seems likely a hugely sensible thing to do. I bet Hovland wishes that it had kicked in before now, **surely his T12 in the US Open would have helped him earn his card this year.**

> > > >

> > > > Still would have left him short of Pat Perez by less than two points. 4 way tie for 12th at US Open was worth 66.25 FEC points. That would have given Hovland 374.25 FEC points. Perez had 376 FEC points.

> > > >

> > > > https://www.pgatour.com/fedexcup/projected-standings.html

> > > >

> > >

> > > Did you include his top 40 finishes at Augusta and the Palmer?

> >

> > No. They can not be counted as he earned those spots in those tournaments because he was an amateur. Same with the US Open this year. Had the USGA made their exemption change for this season Hovlands first event as a professional would have been at the US Open and not the Travelers. You earn no FEC points as an amateur. The article linked below lays it al out.

> >

> > https://golfweek.com/2019/08/05/new-usga-rule-viktor-hovland/

>

> My point was that he played well enough this year to be top 125 if the rules were different and all his results

>

Hovland should have played better in his 5 exemptions once he turned pro like Morikawa and Redman did. Morikawa had his card clinched in 5 events before he won at The Barracuda. Redman eaned enough points in his first 5 exemptions to get his card. That said Hovland should easily get his card in the KF playoffs.

Thing is, I don't think you can assume Hovland gets the same results in those tournaments if money is involved. He was playing with house money in those events.

But it's a good change. As stated elsewhere, just because a guy turns pro doesn't invalidate the US Am win.