Lawrence Donegan reports on a new policy board-approved clause that lets some elite non-member international players to get in one more PGA Tour appearance than originally thought.
"I spoke to them last week and I can play three world golf championships [in the US], four majors, the Players Championship and three invites," Westwood said.
The Englishman's problem was that in addition to the 10 most obvious events he also wanted to play in the St Jude Classic in Memphis, a tournament he won last year. "That adds up to 11. I would then have to pick between the Players and Memphis, and I don't think anyone would have wanted that, not the PGA tour or the sponsors."
The concession to Westwood, who snubbed the PGA Tour in fairly forthright terms, lends weight to the belief that the tectonic plates of global golf are shifting to the disadvantage of an organisation which has long been the richest and most powerful entity in the sport.
Doug Ferguson explains how was less about the strength of the tour and more about The Players.
Players who resign their membership or fail to play the minimum 15 events face a five-year period of playing only 10 Tour events. Westwood gave up his U.S. membership in 2008 when he played only 10 times, while McIlroy decided this year to resign his membership.
Westwood prefers to play the Honda Classic (situated between two World Golf Championships), the Houston Open (the week before the Masters), and the St. Jude Classic, where he is the defending champion. Throw in The Players Championship, which has the deepest field and offers the highest purse in golf, and he would have to decide.
Geoff
