PGA Restrictions on Michael Campbell

[dpwrx]

Does this bother anyone?

So the PGA tour has been and will be restricting Michael Campbell, allowing him to play in only 10 PGA tournmanets this year.

I'm still piecing things together things, but here's what I've figured out so far (for those who haven't read up on it):

1) Campbell is not currently a full member of the PGA tour, and has elected to focus on keeping his Euro tour status, citing time with family as a concern if he has to travel and spend at least 15 weeks in the US (the minimum number of tournaments he must play as a PGA tour member).

2) He does, however, have exempt status by right of his US open win (?)

3) In a previous stint on the PGA tour, in 2003, he failed to play the minimum number of events (15). He left the US toward the end of 2003 to take a break from golf because he was playing so poorly.

4) The tour put a 3 year penalty on him, restricting him to only 10 events maximum on the PGA tour in 2004, 2005, 2006.

5) Now, in the final year of that penalty, he finds the 10-event ceiling restrictive due to all of the demands for his appearance in the wake of his 2005 US open win. Specifically, he has stated that he may not be able to play tournaments such as the Memorial or Barclay's due to the restriction.


Retief Goosen, for one, has publicly stated his support of Campbell's case.

Personally, I think the time when he should have appealed this penalty has passed. If he didn't complain of the fairness of the penalty in 2004, he can't complain now.

Now, of course, the PGA is allowed to make exemptions in individual cases. It has the 15-event requirement to ensure tour members' commitment to playing (and thus supporting) the PGA tour. On the one hand, if you're gong to have a rule, it should be enforced or else it eventually becomes toothless. On the other, it arguably helps the tour more to have a (currently) high-profile talent who is (for now) playing well to entertain viewers and increase the drawing power of tournaments.

In the end, I really won't lose any sleep over how many events Campbell gets to play. Does anyone have a problem with either the handling of the Campbell situation or the 15-event requirement in general?

[tickyboy]

Do you not think the PGA loses more, not having the reigning US Open champ in the field more than Campbell does playing elsewhere?

[JoeF]

Also the US Open is not a PGA event it's a USGA event.

I don't think the PGA will be lacking for talent in any event that Michael Campbell is not in.

He's a good golfer but he knew what the minimun tournament requirements were.

[Goose]

I think it is bad for the PGA Tour to have this restriction on the reigning US Open champ. Sure micael Campbell says that he doesnt want to be a member or doesnt mind being restricted to 10 tourneys but the fact of the matter is he is most likely bothered by it...come on he is the US Open Champ. It is bad press by the PGA to have a player of that caliber be restrictted to the schedule he can keep bc of something that happened 3 years ago. Michael Campbell may not want to play a full PGA Schedule but you can safely bet he wishes he had more than 10 oppurtunities to play....BC Masters, US Open, British Open and PGA...theres 4..then there is the 2 or 4 WGC events that 7 or 8...he played will want to play in some of the other premiere eventts as well... Bay Hill, Doral, Memorial thats 10 or eleven right there and i was only getting started ...you see my point tho.

 

 

dan "goose" :drinks:

[kklick]

Well I have no problem with the restriction. He KNEW what the requirements were and he failed to meet them. He also knew very well that he failed to meet them but apparently didn't care. I like to watch him play but the rules are there for everyone. They are not singling out anyone or any paticular tour. Pga tour member = 15 tournaments period. Sorry about his luck but next year is a new year. He said in an interview earlier this year that he will probably be a full member in 2007.

[mahbles]

I agree with kkclick on this one. He knew the rules, and even though he violated them in 2003 when he didn't play the max number he wass uppose to, how did he know he was going to with the US Open? Rules are rules and them's the facts.

 

Suck it up Cambo and defend your US Open. I enjoyed watching him play but I pray he doesn't end up like Perks, Micheel, Curtis and Hamilton.

[mfo]

I disagree with the PGA's strict position on this issue. The purpose of the rule is to ensure that the top players in the world play at least 15 PGA events per year. The concern the PGA held when it enacted the rule was that foreign players like Norman would skip lesser events in favor of European/Asian events with larger purses or appearance fees, or set up a competitive world tour. The PGA is undermining the purpose of the rule by prohibiting Campbell from playing more than ten events. He did not play less than fifteen events in 2003 because he wanted to play other tournaments. He was not making cuts, which I am sure became very expensive with all of the travel involved. I think Cambell deserves the exemption. It is also better viewing. My .02.

[VTHOKIES]

My thought process on this is to restrict him to the 10 events but exclude the majors. This will allow/make him play at least 14 events in the US. The tour is trying to get the best fields week in and week out and if they didn't have the 15 event limit some players would only play 10 or so like Goosen, Els, etc.

[kklick]

Here is a little more in depth look at some of his numbers from the past few years . I had this posted on another forum just copied it over here.

 

Here are his results for the 2003 season.

 

http://www.pgatour.com/players/results/399370/2003

 

2004 season

 

http://www.pgatour.com/players/results/399370/2004

 

2005 season

 

http://www.pgatour.com/players/results/399370/2005

 

In 2005 he only played 5 events. Won the us open. Didn't hear him complaing about not playing enough events that year. Why didn't he play his 10 events? In 2004 he only played 6 events. Why not all 10? Did we hear him complain then? NO.

 

Now all of sudden he has found enough game to compete on the pga tour. Look at the 2004 stats and its no wonder he didn't play his 10 events. He was not good enough to compete. Now that he has found his game he wants to come to the pga tour where the big money can be found. I say tough s***.

 

"Sometimes I feel my wings have been clipped but I am my own boss and I believe that I should be able to do what I want," Campbell said. "Obviously what I did three years ago, in not completing 15 events on the U.S. Tour, has really affected my 2006 schedule now I am U.S. Open champion.

 

 

Cry me a river mr us open champ. He didn't do what he had to do in 2003 period. He played 14 events and only made the cut in 5 of those. Best finish was a tie for 33rd. He obviously felt he couldn't compete and didn't care enough to play his 15th event.

 

I understand people think the money obligations and such could have held him back but there is no way thats true. In 2003 he actually had a pretty good year on the European tour. Had one win one second and two other top 10 finishes. He made 881,995 euros or about 1,055,827 us dollars. I think he could afford to travel. Looks like he played around 26 events or so in 03 on the pga and eur tours starting on feb 23 and ending 11-16. Thats about 39 weeks total for his season. Now he may have played the Aussie tour that year but I'm not positive. That leaves about 13 weeks in his season he could have fit in one more event.

 

"What happens if Jack Nicklaus invites me to play his Memorial tournament but I can't because of my status?" Campbell told reporters prior to this week's Johnnie Walker Classic.

 

 

Tell him you were a jackass and couldn't do what you were supposed to do. Say sorry I screwed up in 03. I couldn't compete with the us talent so I went back to europe. Look me up next year.

 

Rules are rules plain and simple. Follow them or face the consequences. Time for him to pick his 10 events and shut up.

[bigblue]

I am so sick of these people who catch lighting in a bottle and then all of a sudden want the rules changed just for them. Does anyone really think that Ernie, Tiger, and the rest of the so called world players would go to any tournament without the huge appearance fees. It has been reported that Tiger received a 3 million fee for playing in Dubai. When all these people talk about being world players it is code for allow me to travel where I want for huge fees and do not bother me about rules that have been in place to protect the US pga tour. The pga tour has an obligation to its sponsors to try and provide the best players they can. MC knew when he did not play that last tournament that he broke the rule but because he won the US open he thinks that it is now unfair, give me a break. The pga tour is a buisness and as such has guidelines to be a member. It is a fact that that the ones who complain the most are players who are from other countries, that come to the US and become big names, then get mad when the tour will not change for them to allow them to chase all over the globe for huge appearance money and then pick and choose which US tournaments to play in. I applaud the tour for sticking to it's guns.

[hacker17]

No, he broke the rules and is getting what the punishment that is seen fit for the crime.

[ScottWS33]

I for one are not entirely in favour of the rule that if you are a international player you have to play a certain number of events. I think it is highly biased however whether or not I agree with it Campbell clearly broke the rule and so must pay the consequences. At the time he knew what the requirements were and so US Open champion or not he has to accept the restrictions that are now placed upon him.

[bigblue]

All of the big name players claim to be world players, where they choose to play is a moot point. The fact is that the pga policy board sets the rules, there are players on the board and the rules are set up to protect the US PGA TOUR, not he ET or any other tour. If the players do not like the rules stay the h*** away and play on the tour they want but do not complain about rules when it does not fit what they want to do. Why should so called international players not be subject to the same rules as US players. I am sorry if I seem biased but the bottom feeder foreign players do not complain about the rules , it is only the big names that want the huge guarantees for showing up and playing on the other side of the world under the guise of being a world player. Do you honestly think that the sponsors would put up such huge sums if there were no rules in place.

[golfclubber]

Who cares??If ya want to play in the US and take our$$ and equiptment deals then follow the rules, if not then go back to where you came from..