European Tour Membership

[ger147]

How does this square with both the Paul Casey and Russell Knox issues...

http://www.golfshake.com/news/view/...ecial_European_Tour_Membership_Exemption.html

 

[Deleted member 15344]

I don't think it's related to Caseys issue

I'm not sure what the issue is with Knox ? He joined the tour and is a member and has qualified - think it's right that you can't backdate points that were won when a player wasn't a member of the tour

I also think it's not right that someone is given membership because of an event won when he wasn't a member of the tour but I would have thought he has played 5 times ? Even then it's good to see a top Yank actually want to have membership in Europe

 

[HomerJSimpson]

As the article says, there is much going to be said on this and it'll rumble and cause waves

 

[ger147]

I don't think it's related to Caseys issue

I'm not sure what the issue is with Knox ? He joined the tour and is a member and has qualified - think it's right that you can't backdate points that were won when a player wasn't a member of the tour

I also think it's not right that someone is given membership because of an event won when he wasn't a member of the tour but I would have thought he has played 5 times ? Even then it's good to see a top Yank actually want to have membership in Europe

He hasn't played enough events to retain his card but has been given an ET exemption anyway.

Hence the reason I mentioned both Casey and Knox as both have had issues with the criteria required to hold/retain an ET card.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

He hasn't played enough events to retain his card but has been given an ET exemption anyway.

Hence the reason I mentioned both Casey and Knox as both have had issues with the criteria required to hold/retain an ET card.

I didn't think Knox had an issue ? He joined then played the required events ? Thought the issue with Knox was about backdating points

They also changed a lot of the requirements to suit Casey but he was always going to prioritise the US tour - I'm sure that Casey had an exemption based on the Irish Open win but gave up his membership - I still believe he still hasn't picked up his toys since 2010

 

[ger147]

Still a curious one IMO i.e. why have criteria you have to meet to retain your ET card and then waive them for one player?

Nothing against Reed at all and it's great he wants to play over here, but as the article states if he says he wants to play over here then how about actually coming over here and playing in the requisite number of events to retain a card?

And also how about the ET enforcing their own rules fairly and to all players and not making arbitary exceptions when it suits them for whatever reason.

 

[UlyssesSky]

Even then it's good to see a top Yank actually want to have membership in Europe

It's not like he was begging to be allowed to keep his card, more like Mr. Pelley "bending over backwards" (as an american magazine phrased it) to keep him on the tour.

First he was going to give him a "chief executive exemption" but since that would have been too obviously unfair, they now somehow came up with that exemption for an event he won some decades ago.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I am pleased Reed has decided to play the European tour. We need more American players to grasp the nettle and try and play over here more. Sadly most are too insular and pampered on their home tour to bother. That of course is something we've discussed on here before and something I'm sure the ET are working hard to change

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Still a curious one IMO i.e. why have criteria you have to meet to retain your ET card and then waive them for one player?

Nothing against Reed at all and it's great he wants to play over here, but as the article states if he says he wants to play over here then how about actually coming over here and playing in the requisite number of events to retain a card?

And also how about the ET enforcing their own rules fairly and to all players and not making arbitary exceptions when it suits them for whatever reason.

Totally agree it is very curious

Right now Pelley is doing everything in his power to try and keep the ET relevant - the recent Rolex announcement was a good start

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Pelley seems to be working hard and is keen on trying new things to reinvent the ET brand. The Rolex announcement was good and I hope he keeps it going. However the tour and Pelley don't need to generate negative press and this ET membership will ruffle some feathers

 

[UlyssesSky]

I am pleased Reed has decided to play the European tour.

Did he?

As far as I've taken it, it was Pelley who basically personally delivered the tour card to Reed on a golden plate, shoved it into his hand and made sure he couldn't drop it before the cameras were turned off.

If Patrick Reed really cared about playing on the European Tour, he probably would have played more than one (!) event in all of 2016.


He probably sees his tour card as a convenient way to get in some good practice before The Open at the Scotish Open, but that's about it, I guess.