"I'm more annoyed at Max Homa and Justin Thomas"- PGA Tour pro jokes after being forced to sit out of limited field ZOZO Championship
The debate over sponsor exemptions resurfaced during the ZOZO Championship, with as many fans and journalists in favor as against. In the midst of the controversy, PGA Tour member Michael Kim joked about the issue, calling out fellow players Max Homa and Justin Thomas.
Some of those with reservations about sponsor exemptions questioned why Joel Dahmen and Gary Woodland each received invitations for the ZOZO Championship. Kim used the context to joke that he was more bothered by the presence of Homa and Thomas in Japan.
Kim wrote on X (formerly Twitter):
"I can obviously relate to the guys that would love to get some free points and secure my card for next yr. But I don’t have much of a complaint about sponsor exemptions… these companies sign a 8 figure check."
"They can have 4 out of 80 spots to control. If I had played a little better earlier in the year, I would have been in the tournament. (I’m more annoyed at Max Homa and Justin Thomas. Just stay home and watch the dodgers and Bama so I can play god dammit lol)."
Homa and Thomas did not need a sponsor's exemption to play in the ZOZO Championship as both qualified as part of the FedEx Cup Top 60. Both have also secured their PGA Tour cards for 2025, which explains why Kim joked he was "annoyed" by their presence at the tournament.
Why is Dahmen and Woodland's presence at the ZOZO Championship in question?
The ZOZO Championship is the fifth of eight FedEx Cup fall events featuring players who are not guaranteed to play on the PGA Tour next season. The goal is to finish in the top 125 in the rankings to keep their card in 2025.
What is being questioned in regards to Joel Dahmen and Gary Woodland is not directly related to the players but to the sponsorship exemption itself. Their detractors claim that it may give undue advantage to certain players while their defenders claim that it is the right of sponsors to invite players they sponsor or who are of interest to them.
The example of Dahmen and Woodland was brought up by an article in The Fried Egg which criticized the fact that these players received this favor at the expense of others such as Pierceson Coody. All three are vying for a spot in the top 125 of the FedEx Cup and the article questioned why Dahmen and Woodland were making the field but Coody was not.
Gary Woodland is a 17-season veteran on the PGA Tour with four wins, including one Major. Joel Dahmen, meanwhile, has played on the circuit for seven seasons with one victory. By contrast, Pierceson Coody is in his rookie season on the circuit and has two top-10 finishes in 24 tournaments played (14 cuts made).