Patrick Reed Should Be Allowed Back On The Pga Tour

Welcome backmost to SI Golf’s Fact aliases Fiction, wherever 2 of our panelists are backmost from nan College Football Playoff nationalist title and still basking successful nan Hoosier glow.

Once again, we’re present to statement a bid of statements for writers and editors to state arsenic “Fact” aliases “Fiction” on pinch a little explanation. Responses whitethorn besides (occasionally) beryllium “Neutral” since there's a batch of grey area successful golf.

Do you work together aliases disagree? Let america cognize connected nan SI Golf X account.

Patrick Reed is not eligible for nan PGA Tour’s “Returning Member Program” but said he could spot himself playing connected Tour again someday. Eventually nan Tour should let different awesome champions for illustration him to return nether a akin programme pinch financial penalties.

Bob Harig: FICTION. The Tour created a pathway for those awesome champions because they person exempt position connected nan PGA Tour. Reed does not, unless they were to let usage of a one-time all-time money exemption. (Reed is 40th pinch much than $40 cardinal successful profession earnings; players tin usage a one-time apical 50 exemption.) His past PGA Tour triumph was successful 2021. Dustin Johnson technically would person position arsenic a life member. The Tour needs a pathway backmost but you’ll person a difficult clip convincing nan rank that personification whose position lapsed because he went to LIV Golf should get afloat status. Reed, successful theory, could play retired of nan past champion category; he could get sponsor invites; he could Monday qualify. But it’s difficult to simply springiness him aliases anyone without existing position a broad return.  

Jeff Ritter: FACT. For nan Tour, this is nan measurement because it wants to yet checkmate LIV, and creating immoderate benignant of pathway backmost is nan only measurement to get rolling. Today it’s unfastened to nan 4 guys who won fields astatine LIV. Next shape I’d conjecture will see each awesome winners. Then each Tour winners. And eventually, everyone. 

Max Schreiber: NEUTRAL. I echo Jeff’s sentiment. Major winners, pre-2022, and Tour winners could beryllium adjacent successful line. However, really galore of them connected LIV are needle movers? Reed, Niemann, Sergio, Hatton, Watson? We’re astir apt bully connected Westwood, Kaymer, Gooch and Kokrak, to sanction a few. And is anyone really tuning into an arena to watch those guys? Once nan novelty wears off, everyone will spell backmost to their respective rooting interests. 

John Schwarb: FACT. I’ll admit, I conscionable want Reed backmost for nan chaos. There are nary achromatic hats presently connected nan PGA Tour and CEO Brian Rolapp, coming from nan NFL, knows that rooting interests some for and against are what thrust instrumentality interest. Maybe a mates events successful nan reimagined schedule could beryllium designated arsenic LIV-friendly for a fixed number to beryllium allowed to compete (let’s telephone it 4 players), pinch nan pecking bid wished via all-time money. Sounds for illustration Reed would jump astatine nan chance.

Vijay Singh, property 62, playing nan PGA Tour connected a one-time profession net exemption, made nan trim and vanished T40 astatine nan Sony Open successful Hawaii. Would beryllium bully to spot him play much events this play against nan youngsters.

Bob Harig: FICTION. Singh has nan correct to usage nan exemption, and if he chooses to do truthful much often, that is his call. But if you watched him astatine nan Sony, he was struggling to get around. He still has an wounded that is bothering him. This was viewed arsenic one-off to hole for this week’s Champions Tour opener successful Hawaii. I could spot Vijay adding a commencement aliases 2 but to make a wont of it is apt not wise.

Jeff Ritter: FACT. It’s not for illustration Vijay embarrassed himself successful Hawaii—he made nan cut! He’s intelligibly not fresh capable to play 15 PGA Tour events, but if he wants to rotation backmost retired location a fewer much times this season, I deliberation he’s a bully story.

Max Schreiber: FACT. An elder statesman trying to make nan trim and/or beating a bid of nan world’s apical players is bully for gathering interest. But don’t get your hopes up, Singh has said he doesn’t scheme to play distant from nan elder circuit overmuch this year.  

John Schwarb: FACT. “More events” could beryllium conscionable 2 (Singh suggested to america that Phoenix and San Antonio are maybes), but I’m each for it. I’m person to Vijay’s property than, say, Ben Griffin’s and recovered myself scrolling nan Sony leaderboard conscionable to find nan Big Fijian, and fishy galore different fans did too.

TMRW Sports announced nan first group of committed players for a women’s TGL indoor league, including world No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul, Charley Hull and Lexi Thompson. But a mixed convention pinch men and women would person been amended to effort first.

Bob Harig: FACT. The PGA Tour has disappointed successful its effort to bring men and women together speech from 1 offseason arena pinch a constricted field. This could person been different measurement successful that guidance and a women’s-only type of TGL is risky. Integrating them pinch celebrated men players mightiness person been an easier transition.

Jeff Ritter: FACT. The Olympics yet caught connected to nan imaginable of a mixed event. I ideate location are a ton of logistics that spell into assembling 2 men’s TGL teams connected a fixed night, and possibly why that makes it challenging to adhd women to it. But I deliberation moreover a mates one-off mixed events present would beryllium a win.

Max Schreiber: FICTION. I could spell neutral present again. Yes, it’d beryllium nosy to spot a mixed league, and it’d apt pull much viewers, but location mightiness beryllium excessively galore moving parts for that to travel together. And perhaps, nan women want to show they tin beryllium successful connected their own, without nan men’s help, conscionable for illustration nan LPGA Tour has done for nan past 75 years. 

John Schwarb: FACT. Like Max said, nan women surely tin guidelines connected their ain present but comparisons betwixt nan 2 TGLs will beryllium inevitable and apt unfair to nan women. Having a fewer stand-alone mixed matches first arsenic icebreakers for nan women and introducing them to fans could beryllium beneficial—and possibly that could still happen, who knows.

Fans whitethorn retrieve that this week’s American Express, backmost successful nan Bob Hope Classic days, was a five-round tourney earlier cutting backmost to 72 holes successful 2012. The Tour should person astatine slightest 1 regular-season arena that is not 4 rounds. 

Bob Harig: FACT. But I’d advocator for 54 holes instead. Why not person a tournaments, particularly successful nan fall, that return distant immoderate of nan infrastructure load of a section organizer? It mightiness beryllium cheaper for TV, too.

Jeff Ritter: FACT. No logic not to operation it up a little. Also: who’s Bob Hope? (Kidding! Kind of …)

Max Schreiber: FICTION. It doesn’t look for illustration bully business. How galore group are tuning into Thursday and Friday play connected Golf Channel arsenic it is? (especially this early successful nan play erstwhile play is an afterthought to casual sports fans.) Now, different 18 holes? The players, Golf Channel and nan Tour would astir apt pass. 

John Schwarb: FACT. I’d spell shorter alternatively of longer; while a 54-hole arena is astir apt radioactive for nan Tour correct now (oh, location would beryllium memes), I deliberation nan sprint facet would beryllium charismatic connected definite courses. Have 18- and 36-hole cuts ending successful a Sunday shootout.

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