[PHOTO: Getty Images]
Three years into the PGA Tour’s signature events series and it’s clear the concept still needs work.
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“Designated events” were launched midway through 2022 as a way of strengthening the tour while players were rumoured to be joining LIV Golf. Get the best players together more often, and increase the prize purses. A good concept with good intentions.
But a glance at the 72-man field for this week’s Travelers Championship in Connecticut, the final Signature event of the year, leaves this head-scratcher: how are Jake Knapp and Australia’s Karl Vilips not in the field and instead sitting on the alternates list?
It’s puzzling in two ways.
Firstly, that Knapp, 59th on the FedEx Cup points standings, and Vilips, a winner on tour this season and 68th on the list, are not automatically in the field at TPC River Highlands. Knapp and Vilips weren’t automatically qualified because the duo didn’t progress to the penultimate tournament on last year’s FedEx Cup finals, the BMW Championship – the first category among others for entry into the 2025 signature events.
Secondly, that two very marketable golfers on the PGA Tour weren’t given sponsor’s exemptions. Knapp’s likeable personality, silky, powerful golf swing and credentials as a PGA Tour winner within the past 18 months would certainly elevate my interest in the Travelers and likely many other fans would agree. It’s a sight to behold watching Knapp hit driver, or any of the long clubs. Vilips, originally from Perth, is a winner on tour this season and yes, the Puerto Rico Open was an opposite-field event, but it’s still a victory. He’s also a remarkable success story of the PGA Tour’s pathways in that he used PGA Tour University to slingshot his way onto the Korn Ferry Tour and then won his way to a PGA Tour promotion in just over a year.
Sponsor’s exemptions are the discretion of the tournament sponsor to hand out to whomever they feel increases the buzz around their event. But if this series is the best of the best, should there be more than two wildcards?
And should one be given to Tom Kim, who is 84th on the FedEx Cup and who was earlier this year called out on the TV broadcast at the AT&T Pebble beach Pro Am for slow play? Granted, he lost in a playoff to Scottie Scheffler at last year’s Travelers Championship. But he owns one top-25 on the PGA Tour all year.
There is a very obvious solution to the $US20 million signature events concept: take the top 70 on the FedEx Cup as of the Friday prior and use that to comprise the majority of the field. Then, fill the remaining two spots with the most meaningful sponsor’s exemptions. It would be hard to argue with the composition of the Signature fields when it’s just the current best 70 players and two great storylines.
Sign me up to that.
AUSTRALIANS IN THE FIELD
Adam Scott, fresh off his T-12 at the US Open while playing in the final group at Oakmont and holding a share of the lead at one point on the final day, headlines the Australian contingent while Jason Day, Min Woo Lee and Cam Davis are also in the field.
Around the world, another women’s major kicks off after the recent US Women’s Open at Erin Hills with the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Australians in the field include former champion Hannah Green, as well as two-time major winner Minjee Lee as well as Robyn Choi, Karis Davidson, Grace Kim, Steph Kyriacou, Hira Naveed, Cassie Porter and Gabi Ruffels. New Zealand’s legendary Lydia Ko is also in the field and hunting for a fourth major title after last year’s emotional triumph at the Women’s British Open at St Andrews. You can watch the action live from 1am-5am Friday, Saturday; 1am-8:30am Sunday; and 1am-8am Monday on Fox Sports 505 and Kayo.
