Amid Rickie Fowler and Jordan Spieth snub, former US Open winner and three others earn Arnold Palmer Invitational exemptions
The PGA Tour players will tee off next week at the 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational, and ahead of that, the four sponsor exemptions for the event have been announced. Previously, Arnold Palmer’s grandson, Sam Saunders, revealed that one of the exemptions was given to 2024 Butterfield Bermuda Championship winner Rafael Campos, after he wrote a letter seeking an exemption.
In addition to Campos, former U.S. Open winner Justin Rose, Mackenzie Hughes, and Min Woo Lee are the three others who earned the sponsor exemptions for next week’s PGA Tour event.
However, some other top names, including former world No. 1 Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler, did not make the cut. Fowler and Spieth had a tough season last year and finished outside the top 60 in the FedEx Cup standings.
As a result, they did not automatically qualify for the Arnold Palmer Invitational. However, they had a chance to secure spots via sponsor exemptions, but unfortunately, neither of them earned one.
Saunders, who is also a member of the sponsor exemption committee for the Arnold Palmer Invitational, explained the reason for this year’s picks, saying (via Golfweek):
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“What our team did was try to pick players that, you know, it’s about protecting and growing the game of golf as a whole. And doing what’s the most balanced and fair process. Honestly, I think there was a lot of thought put into each and every player that was selected.”