Michael Campbell Update RE Exempt Status

Greetings ..

Well, Well, Well - Isn't THIS Special !!

It turns out that Michael Campbell's restricted status is not as restricted as many may have first thought - including this author!

According to this 1-13-2006 GOLFWORLD News Article , Campbell does have the opportunity to become a Special Temporary Member in 2006, and thus be eligible for unlimited sponsor invitations. And he will also have the opportunity to join the PGA Tour as a bona fide full-time member in 2007.

Now to gain Special Temporary Membership in 2006, Campbell must earn at least as much money as the 150th player on the 2005 Official Money List, which was Thomas Levet, with $485,343. Campbell's off to a very good start in this regard, having earned $287,500 at the season-opening Mercedes Championships. The next PGA Tour stop for the Kiwi is the Accenture Match Play in late February, where the first immediate goal is to get as far as the quarterfinals. A finish that high is worth at least $240,000 , and that would "seal the deal".

Thanx-A-Lot, Frank-0-Sport

Greetings ...

To refresh your memories --

As a non-member in 2002, Michael Campbell earned well in excess of the 125th player on the Regular Members' Official Money List. He was therefore eligible to join the PGA Tour as a full regular member for 2003, and he did so.

Unfortunately, Campbell couldn't quite fit the minimum 15 official PGA Tour events into his schedule, so at the end of 2003 the PGA Tour imposed a five-year restriction penalty.

As an absolute pure non-member (as opposed to a Special Temporary, or a full-time member) , Campbell was restricted to 10 official events (IE, any event where the victory and the money is deemed official) per year from 2004 thru 2008.

For 2006, Campbell is playing these 10 "official" events - the four Grand Slam Majors, the Players Championship, the three official World Golf Championships plus two "Regular" PGA Tour Events -- the already-played Mercedes Championships, where he tied for 3rd and earned $287,500; and the upcoming Bay Hill Invitational.

To set the record straight, Campbell isn't complaining so much that the PGA Tour imposed the 10-event limitation on him in the first place. He's more upset that his US Open win doesn't grant him entry into two or three more events.

And Campbell has not asked for the Sun, Moon and the Stars. He's asked ONLY for the right to play at Jack Nicklaus' Memorial Tournament and the Barclays-Westchester Classic, both of which occur right before the 2006 US Open. That's All!

Let me add my 2 cents here --

(1) I take issue with the 10-event limitation because it includes events that are not under the PGA Tour's control - specificly the four Grand Slam Majors. If at the very least the PGA Tour had elected to leave the Majors out of the 10-event equation, Campbell would had have the two events he wanted plus, if he elected, two extra events. And no complaints whatsoever!

(2) Even with this restriction in effect, Campbell still has the opportunity to achieve Special Temporary Membership in 2006, which would allow him to add more events to his schedule. Furthermore, he can do in 2007 or beyond what overseas commitments have prevented him from doing in 2006 - join the PGA Tour full-time, using his 2005 US Open win for exempt status.

So, what good is the restriction if there are ways out of it ??

(3) Even if the restriction were not in effect, and Campbell had not elected to join the PGA Tour full-time for 2006, he would have started the year off just as he actually has - as an absolute pure non-member. The only difference being that he would have been eligible for at least five more PGA Tour events thru sponsor invitations. That's really just about all the "Restriction" has cost him.

(4) If Campbell played 2006 as a non-member with or without restriction, but decided not to join the PGA Tour full-time in 2007, then he'd start from scratch again!

Thanx-A-Lot, Frank-0-Sport