Major Win: Should it be a Five or Ten Year Exemption?

[NormanFan]

Since 1998, the PGA has only given major winners a five-year exemption on the TOUR whereas before it was ten years. Reading Tiger Woods book on the 1997 Masters, he noted that the ability to get a ten-year exemption gave him the flexibility to make swing changes whereas Mark O'Meara, who won the next year, didn't get that same length of time and was in limbo for four years before he could join the Champions Tour.

I've always liked the idea of a ten-year exemption for major champions, but what say you?

[bscinstnct]

Ironic that the longer exemption encouraged TW to change the swing that set so many records ; )

 

I think 5 years is very fair. I mean, you don’t get an exemption into the NFL playoffs because you won the SuperBowl last year.

 

[Hawkeye77]

10 was too long then but especially now - lots of good players, need to earn stuff.

[hondaloyal]

Why does it have to be 5 or 10? How about 7?

[Tasals]

5 is a fair enough time to keep getting the exemption. Weve seen the rise and fall of players in less time than the 5 year exemption. Keegan Bradley, Duffner are two guys who were on fire and then lost their game. Dufner is what 300ish in the rankings now, he would be getting exemptions until 2023.

[grm24]

Couple of points. The old World Series of Golf played at Firestone South before it became a WGC event also provided a 10 year PGA Tour exemption. With O'Meara winning his majors in 1998 that kept him exempt on the PGA Tour through the 2003 season. If you look at the number of events O'Meara played in 2004-2006 he was not in any "limbo". O'Meara had 56 starts on the PGA Tour from 2004-2006. He joined the Champions Tour in 2007.

A 5 year exemption for winning a major is fine. You also get a 5 year PGA Tour exemption for winning the Fed Ex Cup, finishing first on the official PGA Tour money list or winning the Players Championship.

[lefty1978]

5 is enough, 10 is way too long. Go earn it.

[storm319]

Long exemptions are to blame for John Daly playing in the PGA Championship and British Open well beyond his ability to compete. From a competitive standpoint not sure that you want to see a player on Tour every week that has to solely rely on a 10 year exemption.

[jgallant415]

I prefer the shorter 5 year exemption. There are too many good players today to let people hang on based on one win, even if it is a major. I’d be cool letting multiple major winners add on to their exemption or something like that (e.g. win a 2021 major, get an exemption through 2026; then win another major in 2024 and your exemption gets extended by 5 years to 2031). But 10 years is just too long in today’s game.

[gvogel]

I like 5 years for the others, but for the major that you win, you should get an exemption until you can't compete. And that could be determined by the organization that holds the tournament.

Augusta National already does this, and the other 3 do it de facto by granting special exemptions.

[JohnnyCashForever]

I think a 5 year exemption is fair...for the 1st major. However, the exemption should be increased for each subsequent major.

2nd major: 7 years

3rd major: 10 years

4th major: lifetime

There are only 29 golfers with 4 or more majors in golf history, and only 5 are still playing on the PGA Tour (Tiger, Phil, Ernie, Rory, and Brooks). I wouldn't mind seeing any of these golfers keep playing on Tour until they decide to call it quits.

 

[dalehead]

Hmm, not a bad idea.

[bscinstnct]

 

JohnnyCash wins the Internet for today!

 

[storm319]

No lifetime exemptions should ever be granted.

[bscinstnct]

 

You win a major 4 times, you should be able play it as long as you want to even if you need a golf cart to cruise around in.

 

How many guys have won a major 4 times?

 

Jack has won them all 4 or more except for the Open.

 

TW has won the masters and pga 4 or more.

 

Hogan won the US Open 4 times.

 

Arnie won the Masters 4 times.

 

Anybody else? I think besides them like maybe just some early 20th century guys.

 

4 times and you should get the keys to the place ; )

[cdnglf]

 

Tom Watson, and to your point the R&A essentially made a rule just for him.

 

[gvogel]

Watson won the Open 5 times.

Hagen won the Open 4 times.

Jones won the US Open 4 times.

[bscinstnct]

Yes, yes, thanks cdn and gv. Knew I was forgetting something ; )

[storm319]

I respectfully disagree regardless of the limited precedent (and so does the USGA considering that the winners exemption for the US Open is a more reasonable 10 years). Too many times have we seen someone on a longtime exemption take the spot of a serious competitor only to miss the cut because they cannot seriously contend. IMHO if the winners exemption has expired and the former champ cannot qualify through one of the other criteria based on the merit of recent play, then they shouldn’t be playing in the event.

Now the Masters is possibly the one exception given that it is a single club sponsored invitational and that the winner is awarded an honorary lifetime membership.

[Shilgy]

Why should the PGA Tour give out long exemptions for majors? The majors are technically a part of the schedule but the tour does not run them.Tiger and Phil, along with Vijay, DJ, and Love III, already have lifetime tour exemptions for having over 20 career wins. Rory has 18 and will likely hit the magic number as well.

Or are you saying every major winner should get that long an exemption into all future Majors? I agree then with a few others that said getting basically a golf lifetime exemption into the major they won is enough. Not to all majors.

[JohnnyCashForever]

No, I think the topic is about granting Tour exemptions. So is my post. Guys who have won 4 majors are very rare. I have no problem if the Tour were to grant them lifetime exemptions. IMO, they should be able to play in any tournament they want, and (with the possible exception of BK who is possibly the least charismatic 4-time major winner in history) the public would be happy to see them play.

[smashdn]

The Tour guys are always trying to come up with ways that they either automatically qualify for tournaments or don't have to battle to stay on tour. Competition is not necessarily a bad thing. Having the "leeway" to make a swing change and suck for five or more years while "working through it" is silly imo. If you win a tournament I think you are also exempt to following season so if you are banking on a ten year exemption you are basically wanting the ability to not win for nine years and still cash checks. I think this breeds mediocrity. There are, again imo, too many guys who are just good enough to make a living at golf but aren't winning. I get that only so many guys can win a year but a balance of familiar names (because they win or are consistently near the top) and fresh, hungry players keeps the level of competition high.

[Shilgy]

Agree. The Champions Tour is a ceremonial tour. The big boy tour runs on merit. And recently earned merit at that.

 

While I also agree that Johnny Cash’s 4 major exemption would only apply to few players the question is why should a Brooks Koepka be rewarded at the age of 46 for accomplishments almost 20 years in the past for a handful of “big” wins.

I guess some of that is our personal view of majors. Some value them very highly. Others? IMO they are big events. Not season championships like the Super Bowl or World Series. I like the 20 win exemption better than the idea of a 4major exemption.

[MattyO1984]

Don’t give them ideas!! I could genuinely see the PGA Tour dishing out a 10 year exemption for winning the Players in their pathetic attempts to try and get it major status.