golfrewind.com

Greetings ....

Introducing a forum thread in which official money earnings, Fed Ex Cup Points and PGA Tour exempt status can be discussed.

The 2008 PGA Tour Media Guide says that David Duval, playing 2008 on a Major Medical Exemption, has a total of 20 events in which to earn at least $713,235. When added to the $71,945 he actually earned in 2007, this would equal the total of the 125th player (Mathias Gronberg) on the 2007 Money List, and thus make Duval exempt for the rest of 2008.

Duval is not in the field at the Puerto Rico Open, being played opposite to the CA-Doral Invitational. I make an educated assumption that he will probably tee it up at both Zurich-New Orleans (using Major Medical Exemption) and Shell-Houston (using last free exemption as 1998 winner of the event, as win occurred before 2000).

Brad Faxon is using a Top 25 Career Earnings exemption in 2008. According to the PGA Tour Media Guide, the Top 25 exemption is good so long as the player stays among the Top 25 on the PGA Tour's Career Money List. The Media Guide does not say anything about the exemption being restored if, within the current season, the player falls out of - then gets back into - the Top 25.

As of March 16th 2008, Faxon, who is not in the Puerto Rico Open field, is in 24th place on the career earnings list. Any one of four players in this week's CA-Doral Invitational field - KJ Choi, Rory Sabbatini, Adam Scott and Robert Allenby - can move Faxon down to 25th place. Any two of the four could knock Faxon out of the Top 25. The scenarios are as follows ---

KJ Choi - simply finish all 72 holes without withdrawing or being disqualified.
Rory Sabbatini - finish no worse than a two-way tie for second.
Adam Scott or Robert Allenby - Win the tournament.

Thanx-A-Lot, Frank-0-Sport

Greetings ....

Other than reigning British Open champion Padraig Harrington, who intentionally chose not to play, Steve Flesch is the only 2007 PGA Tour Top 30 Money winner not in this week's WGC CA-Doral Invitational field.

Why?

Because, beginning 2008, the PGA Tour has chosen to recognize the Top 30 off the previous year's Fed Ex Cup Points List instead.

If the Top 30 Money Winners were being recognized, Flesch would be the only one among them who had not already qualified through other means.

Flesch did not qualify for the WGC Accenture Match Play, but is qualified for the WGC Bridgestone Invitational - as well as for the Masters, Players Championship, US Open and PGA Championship.

Thanx-A-Lot, Frank-0-Sport

Greetings ....

On the strength of their Top-10 finish at last week's Zurich-New Orleans Open, Tim Wilkinson, Nicholas Thompson, John Merrick (Exemption Category-24) and Marco Dawson (Exemption Category-27) are in the Shell-Houston Open field.

PGA Tour Exemption Categories

David Duval (Past Champion, 1998) and Brad Faxon (Top-25 Career Earnings Exemption) are not in the Houston field.

Davis Love III is entered, seeking a win to get into the Masters Tournament.

Thanx-A-Lot, Frank-0-Sport

Very interesting. Thanks for the links.

Greetings Billy-G ...

Dee-lited 2 B of service.