“If you’re a player director, you’ll get an invite” - Dylan Wu questions PGA Tour’s sponsor exemption recipients’ selection at signature events
Dylan Wu has criticized the recent exemptions given to the PGA Tour's Policy Board's player directors for receiving the exemption at the signature events.
Last year, the PGA Tour introduced the concept of signature events to challenge LIV Golf with a high purse and a limited field of the best players on the tour at the moment.
The Signature events don't have the usual 144–156 player field. They instead have around 70–80 top-ranked players fighting for the lucrative prize money. However, a few players, like veterans or legends of the game, receive a couple of sponsor exemptions in these events.
On Saturday, Mar. 2, Joel Beall of Golf Digest tweeted that next week's Arnold Palmer Invitational is a third straight signature event where Adam Scott was given an exemption. Moreover, Webb Simpson is also heading to Bay Hill after getting an exemption. Coincidentally, both are on the policy board as player directors.
Wu quoted Beall's post and criticized the current system of picking an exemption for such events.
"Great players and major champions," Wu tweeted. "I can’t say much because I missed the cut hard this week but getting more than one sponsor exemption into elevated events doesn’t seem fair.
"Seems like if you’re a player director, you’ll get an invite into an elevated event. Seems suspect…"
"And trust me, they’re both great players that probably deserve it but this new model is all about meritocracy. Sponsor exemptions going to the same players every elevated event doesn’t seem to follow the 'play better' saying. Seems like 'be more famous' or 'know the right people.'"
While Simpson has had one top-10 finish in the last year and is 235th in the OWGR, Scott has proven that his exceptions weren't wasted. He has made the top 20 in all three starts this season, while a T8 finish at the WM Phoenix Open is his best result.
How has Dylan Wu performed this season?
While Dylan Wu has questioned the process of exempting players at the Signature Events, he doesn't have great results to support his case. In six appearances on the PGA Tour this season, he has made the weekend thrice. This week, he missed the cut at the Cognizant Classic.
Wu is yet to break into the top-20 of any event this season, with a T24 finish at the Mexico Open at Vidanta being his best result. Last season, too, he had just two top-10finishes, but he hasn't had one since a T5 finish at the 3M Open in July.