But hey, if the committee was looking for a full field why not add him?
Would the letter help his cause or hurt it?!
Tour Event THP Thoughts?
But hey, if the committee was looking for a full field why not add him?
Would the letter help his cause or hurt it?!
- Joined
- Jan 17, 2018
- Messages
- 16,230
- Reaction score
- 4,352
- Location
- Edmond, Oklahoma (NW OKC)
- Handicap
- -10.0
I agree with this, too, but wonder... if they're gonna give out special exemptions, what could a person do to deserve one more?
I mean apart from re-inviting last years participants, which Andy would qualify and would be fair. I don't see how you do it. Its the US OPEN
IT should mean something. I honestly think all participants should have access...
- Joined
- Jan 17, 2018
- Messages
- 16,230
- Reaction score
- 4,352
- Location
- Edmond, Oklahoma (NW OKC)
- Handicap
- -10.0
You mean just the qualifiers from last year, right? Not the exemptions... I wonder if that's on the table. I think that'd be fairly fair.
- Joined
- Jan 17, 2018
- Messages
- 16,230
- Reaction score
- 4,352
- Location
- Edmond, Oklahoma (NW OKC)
- Handicap
- -10.0
If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, wouldn't it be a merry Christmas?
My vote is.
Andy should be proud of his accomplishments and keep working to EARN it in 2021.
I can see why you could feel that way. I ask again, though, if not this guy, then who should the special exemptions be awarded to if the USGA intends on filling out the field?
I am sure everyone wants it to be a great US Open, considering the event status. I think trimming down the field is a disservice to the event. Qualifying was cancelled so roll over last years qualifiers to fill the field. Not sure how many exemptions were entered last year seems its a rarity.
It is a one time deal. I would rather see a full field for 2 days and then trim the cut than a typical small field PGA event.
I am in the no camp on this one
Firstly, when someone turns around and says they deserve it, that comes across as an entitled person and rubs me up the wrong way to start with
Just because he has qualified multiple times in the past is no guarantee that he would do it again this year against other new golfers who are potentially better than him and would have a better chance in the tournament
Maybe if he doesn't get to play this year, it will be an incentive to up his game and do even better next year than he has done in the past - he admits in the article that he doesn't meet the qualifying criteria, so therefore doesn't deserve a spot just based on previous performances in my opinion
Firstly, when someone turns around and says they deserve it, that comes across as an entitled person and rubs me up the wrong way to start with
Just because he has qualified multiple times in the past is no guarantee that he would do it again this year against other new golfers who are potentially better than him and would have a better chance in the tournament
Maybe if he doesn't get to play this year, it will be an incentive to up his game and do even better next year than he has done in the past - he admits in the article that he doesn't meet the qualifying criteria, so therefore doesn't deserve a spot just based on previous performances in my opinion
- Joined
- Jan 17, 2018
- Messages
- 16,230
- Reaction score
- 4,352
- Location
- Edmond, Oklahoma (NW OKC)
- Handicap
- -10.0
Special exemptions are a rare thing, but there are like 60 or so exemptions every year. I'm guessing those shouldn't roll over, but without putting too much thought into it, it actually might make sense to just use the entire field from last year again.
Opens are interesting tournaments and I think everyone should earn their entry. The organizers are going to modify the process and some people will lose. Life isn't fair. He wants to play for the dreamers. No he doesn't; he wants to play for himself. I'm okay with the motivation but don't say it's for me (i.e. the collective we).
Last edited:
- Joined
- Jan 17, 2018
- Messages
- 16,230
- Reaction score
- 4,352
- Location
- Edmond, Oklahoma (NW OKC)
- Handicap
- -10.0
Again, if not him, then who?
I don't think anyone's arguing that he "deserves" a spot. If he deserved it, then he wouldn't be asking for a special exemption. By definition, the "special" exemption seems to be given to someone that didn't, otherwise, deserve it.
I don't know. They all want to watch Ernie get cut again this year, I guess.
Y'all are some cold dudes up in here.
Without seeing everyone else who would have gone to qualifying to compare against, there is no way any of us can suggest an alternative to him
I am not arguing over the question of whether or not he 'deserves' a spot - The fact he has come out and publicly said he feels he deserves a spot is not something I approve of, but that is maybe just how I see it
It sucks, but that is life at the moment unfortunately
- Joined
- Aug 4, 2010
- Messages
- 19,618
- Reaction score
- 4,085
- Location
- Liberty Lake, Washington
- Handicap
- GHIN 7.1
While I appreciate his previous record, I have to vote no on the special exemption.
Lots of great stories out there, not just his.
It doesn't hurt to ask though.
Lots of great stories out there, not just his.
It doesn't hurt to ask though.
I wouldn't say I *don't* want him invited - I don't know the guy, never heard of him and know nothing about him. But if the US Open is going to somehow select candidates for the field, he should be subject to the same review criteria as everybody else no matter how 'speshul' he personally thinks he is. If he makes it, awesome - good for him. But I think an open whine to the world about "Why you should pick me over anybody/everybody else" is whiny and entitled.
I'd think it would hurt it. It's kind of like ANGC - it's been said that the best way to assure you'll never become a member at Augusta is to publicly express that you want to be a member at Augusta.
Sorry but 2015, 2016 and 2017 is a lifetime ago.
For all the people voting no on Andy here, which I disagree with I have a question. The USGA announced that its field will be made up of all exemptions. So if it's a full field of 156 players then how do YOU set the field? I'm against holding the Open personally because it's now not truly an Open. However I think the way to do it is use last year's field personally.
Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
I would acknowledge it isn't truly an open this year and reduce the field. That eliminates the issue of qualifying and constrains the field to players who qualify through regular criteria for weekly tournaments. It sucks that the open isn't truly an open this year but get in line for all the people who have been negatively affected by C19 and lost the ability to participate in some once in a lifetime type event. The reality is the qualifiers never win, never really even contend and mostly don't make the cut. So doing it this way affects the 'true nature' of the event but not the outcome.
Contrast with 1942. They canceled the open. They still had regional qualifying. They still had an open field. They called the tournament by a different name. Ben Hogan won. It doesn't count as a major.
Last edited:
What about like the top 156 in the WGR? Still not an Open but I could live with that.
Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
I think they should come up with some sort of qualifying criteria and apply it fairly and evenly across the board, to preserve the "open" aspect of the tournament. If Andy makes it in based upon those criteria (which from his resume, it looks like he may), then good for him. But public whining, foot stomping and breath holding should not be part of the criteria they use.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Mar 17, 2018
- Messages
- 20,093
- Reaction score
- 28,334
- Handicap
- 18.0
I do think it stinks that those who need these types of events to qualify will not be able to, however, no I wouldn't offer any special exemptions to people. The idea is to limit the number of participants and thus lowering the probability of someone having the virus and causing an issue for the US Open.
Sorry Andy, see you try to make it in 2021.
Sorry Andy, see you try to make it in 2021.
- Joined
- Jan 17, 2018
- Messages
- 16,230
- Reaction score
- 4,352
- Location
- Edmond, Oklahoma (NW OKC)
- Handicap
- -10.0
I hear you. I think "deserve" may be a poor choice of words. I think his point is, he's gone through the process and been successful in 80% of his tries (assuming he tried in 2018) so he feels like if the process had played out this year, he would have, more than likely, made it. So, he's putting out a plea to the USGA to throw him a bone. I don't see anything wrong with it and I think he made a good case of it. Sometimes, we have to advocate for ourselves because no one else is going to do it for us.
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2019
- Messages
- 20,310
- Reaction score
- 38,372
- Location
- Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Handicap
- 0.1
It really sucks that he doesn't have a chance to qualify, but their are exempt players for a reason. I wouldn't be surprised that they limit the field to the exempt players. Has there been a determination yet?