Rickie Fowler Receives Special Invite to PGA Championship

[golfortennis]

1 hour ago, StlEER said:

Meh...play better. The PGA Tour is about money and entertainment. Somewhere much further down the list is fair and equitable career advancement.

 

You mean the guy getting bumped by Fowler?  He has been playing better.  That's the point.  

 

And this is not the PGA Tour's event.

[DFS PFD]

3 hours ago, Frankensteins Monster said:

There will a minimum of 20 players who will qualify for this that have absolutely no shot of winning, and many, if not all, will miss the cut. What's one more?

For some of them that will be the highlight of their career. You think Rickie is gonna prep for this opportunity like those guys that are hungry for anything? 

[bscinstnct]

34 minutes ago, DFS PFD said:

For some of them that will be the highlight of their career. You think Rickie is gonna prep for this opportunity like those guys that are hungry for anything? 

 

Well, they may not win but at least they get to tell they friends

 

they met Rickie!

 

🤣

 

; )

[golfgirlrobin]

One of the things I find unfortunate about this is that RF could have shown up at the Valspar and taken a shot at legitimately qualifying and chose to sit it out.  
 

Being happy to take a questionable exemption rather than trying to earn it says a lot about where his head is at right now.  I have to think that the vast majority of these guys would be at Innisbrook. 

[Draw Driver]

Rick: What up with me? 

[tiderider]

4 hours ago, Frankensteins Monster said:

There will a minimum of 20 players who will qualify for this that have absolutely no shot of winning, and many, if not all, will miss the cut. What's one more?

 

.

[bscinstnct]

3 minutes ago, Draw Driver said:

Rick: What up with me? 

 

Who care ranking?

 

Rickie look dope in that pic!

 

Rickie go PGA, miss cut, and head of McDonald’s go over to him like in parking lot like,

 

Rickie, we want to name a new burger after you

 

The McRickie!

 

 

[TiScape]

23 hours ago, bscinstnct said:

Rickie should 

 

 

Turn it down!

 

I agree. I know I wouldn’t feel right or good about playing if I didn’t actually qualify. Especially if indeed I am taking someone’s place that did qualify. 

[MilkyButterCuts]

If he wins or even top 5's, I pledge to never say another bad thing about Fowler again. 

[bscinstnct]

4 minutes ago, TiScape said:

I agree. I know I wouldn’t feel right or good about playing if I didn’t actually qualify. Especially if indeed I am taking someone’s place that did qualify. 

I imagine he might want to but not with all his sponsors who expect him to be out there.

 

Possible they are why he got the exemption?

 

I mean, Rockets Home Loan like,

 

Guys, we paid like 42MM in commercials. Put in Rickie ya bastids!

[miamistomp]

[grm24]

4 minutes ago, TiScape said:

I agree. I know I wouldn’t feel right or good about playing if I didn’t actually qualify. Especially if indeed I am taking someone’s place that did qualify. 

He's not taking the place of somebody who qualified. Neither is John Catlin who also received a special exemption to the PGA. Other players in the past have received exemptions into the event. The PGA has a defined list of ways to get into the event. Receiving a special exemption has long been part of that list. 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PGA_Championship#Qualification

 

The PGA Tour is an elite organization of tournament professionals, but the PGA Championship is still run by the PGA of America, which is mainly a body for club and teaching professionals. The PGA Championship is the only major that does not explicitly grant entry to the top 50 players in the Official World Golf Ranking, although it invariably invites all of the top 100 (not just top 50) players who are not already qualified.^{[citation needed]}

 

List of qualification criteria to date:

• Every former PGA Champion.
• Winners of the last five U.S. Opens.
• Winners of the last five Masters.
• Winners of the last five Open Championships.
• Winners of the last three The Players Championships.
• The current Senior PGA Champion.
• The low 15 scorers and ties in the previous PGA Championship.
• The 20 low scorers in the last PGA Professional Championship.
• The 70 leaders in official money standings on the PGA Tour (starting one week before the previous year's PGA Championship and ending two weeks before the current year's PGA Championship).
• Members of the most recent United States and European Ryder Cup Teams, provided they are in the top 100 of the Official World Golf Ranking as of one week before the start of the tournament.
• Any tournament winner co-sponsored or approved by the PGA Tour since the previous PGA Championship .
• The PGA of America reserves the right to invite additional players not included in the categories listed above.
• The total field is a maximum of 156 players. Vacancies are filled by the first available player from the list of alternates (those below 70th place in official money standings).

 

 

[Mustard_Tiger]

I am shocked and chagrined, mortified and stupefied at this news. It's outrageous, egregious, preposterous!

[bscinstnct]

1 minute ago, miamistomp said:

 

 

[dcfas]

I get why people do not approve, but in Rickie’s defense he has been a positive force in growing the game imho. If the passes were to become a pattern that would be too bad, but an invite here seems okay to me.

Edited April 28, 2021 by dcfas

[TiScape]

10 minutes ago, grm24 said:

He's not taking the place of somebody who qualified. Neither is John Catlin who also received a special exemption to the PGA. Other players in the past have received exemptions into the event. The PGA has a defined list of ways to get into the event. Receiving a special exemption has long been part of that list. 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PGA_Championship#Qualification

 

The PGA Tour is an elite organization of tournament professionals, but the PGA Championship is still run by the PGA of America, which is mainly a body for club and teaching professionals. The PGA Championship is the only major that does not explicitly grant entry to the top 50 players in the Official World Golf Ranking, although it invariably invites all of the top 100 (not just top 50) players who are not already qualified.^{[citation needed]}

 

List of qualification criteria to date:

• Every former PGA Champion.
• Winners of the last five U.S. Opens.
• Winners of the last five Masters.
• Winners of the last five Open Championships.
• Winners of the last three The Players Championships.
• The current Senior PGA Champion.
• The low 15 scorers and ties in the previous PGA Championship.
• The 20 low scorers in the last PGA Professional Championship.
• The 70 leaders in official money standings on the PGA Tour (starting one week before the previous year's PGA Championship and ending two weeks before the current year's PGA Championship).
• Members of the most recent United States and European Ryder Cup Teams, provided they are in the top 100 of the Official World Golf Ranking as of one week before the start of the tournament.
• Any tournament winner co-sponsored or approved by the PGA Tour since the previous PGA Championship .
• The PGA of America reserves the right to invite additional players not included in the categories listed above.
• The total field is a maximum of 156 players. Vacancies are filled by the first available player from the list of alternates (those below 70th place in official money standings).

 

 

Fair enough, thanks for the info. Don’t take it for the first reasons I stated then. Didn’t earn the spot. But that’s just me. I’ve never been one to feel good about accepting what feels like “charity”.  But like bscinstnct said. Probably will play due to his sponsors. Oh well. 

Edited April 28, 2021 by TiScape

[freeze16172002]

didnt know they give out buddy passes to the PGA Championship. Fowler had a chance to qualify by playing well in the Valero or at Hilton Head, but didn't play. So they rewarded his lack of effort

[freeze16172002]

4 minutes ago, dcfas said:

I get why people do not approve, but in Rickie’s defense he has been a positive force in growing the game imho. If the passes were to become a pattern that would be too bad, but an invite here seems okay to me.

The game has grown since he has been on tour? 

[grm24]

Just now, freeze16172002 said:

didnt know they give out buddy passes to the PGA Championship. Fowler had a chance to qualify by playing well in the Valero or at Hilton Head, but didn't play. So they rewarded his lack of effort

And he can still qualify without the special exemption if he enters and wins the Wells Fargo or ATT Byron Nelson in the two weeks prior to the PGA.

[grm24]

15 minutes ago, TiScape said:

Fair enough, thanks for the info. Don’t take it for the first reasons I stated then. Didn’t earn the spot. But like bscinstnct said. Probably will play due to his sponsors. Oh well. 

What are your thoughts on John Catlin also getting an exemption into the PGA? Announced the same time as Fowlers. He is an American playing the European Tour and is ranked #82 in the most current OWGR. 

Edited April 28, 2021 by grm24

[TiScape]

8 minutes ago, dcfas said:

I get why people do not approve, but in Rickie’s defense he has been a positive force in growing the game imho. 

I agree with that. The game of golf is better when he’s competing and playing well. 

[miamistomp]

  Other than being a nice guy - what IS Rickie's appeal ?

  He has won 5 or six  times in 12 years ?

  Arguably he was a more interesting amateur than a pro if it was not for all those commercials

[TiScape]

3 minutes ago, grm24 said:

What are your thoughts on John Catlin also getting an exemption into the PGA? Announced the same time as Fowlers? He is an American playing the European Tour and is ranked #82 in the most current OWGR. 

The same. I’m not meaning to single out Rickie. Just my opinion. I’m not one to accept things I didn’t earn. 

Edited April 28, 2021 by TiScape

[freeze16172002]

6 minutes ago, grm24 said:

And he can still qualify without the special exemption if he enters and wins the Wells Fargo or ATT Byron Nelson in the two weeks prior to the PGA.

Why isnt he playing this week?

[grm24]

Adam Scott and Joaquin Niemann both received special exemptions to the 2018 PGA Championship. As others have before them. And as others will get them in the future.

[grm24]

Just now, freeze16172002 said:

Why isnt he playing this week?

Why does it matter if he is or isn't? He plays when he wants. If he wants he has two more shots to qualify automatically after this week. 

[grm24]

1 hour ago, golfgirlrobin said:

One of the things I find unfortunate about this is that RF could have shown up at the Valspar and taken a shot at legitimately qualifying and chose to sit it out.  
 

Being happy to take a questionable exemption rather than trying to earn it says a lot about where his head is at right now.  I have to think that the vast majority of these guys would be at Innisbrook. 

He can also try and qualify the next two weeks at Quail Hollow and The Byron Nelson.

[freeze16172002]

4 minutes ago, grm24 said:

Why does it matter if he is or isn't? He plays when he wants. If he wants he has two more shots to qualify automatically after this week. 

Huh? To not back door your way into the PGA and have enough pride to qualify on your own. 

Edited April 28, 2021 by freeze16172002

[golfortennis]

8 minutes ago, grm24 said:

Adam Scott and Joaquin Niemann both received special exemptions to the 2018 PGA Championship. As others have before them. And as others will get them in the future.

 

Adam SCott was never worse than 73 in OWGR in 2018.  Niemann had 4 top 10s on tour that year, coming from 1600th before the Masters.  So maybe that one was charity.  But in both cases, their current level of play was the factor.

[RSinSG]

16 minutes ago, miamistomp said:

Other than being a nice guy - what IS Rickie's appeal ?

You should ask any one of the thousands of stary-eyed young ladies who apparently think he is very appealing.