HONOLULU (AP) — Matt Kuchar isn’t aware of PGA Tour policy for granting clearances to play in a contradictory event, especially because it’s never been an issue for him.
Not that he doesn’t like to travel. Kuchar played the Scottish Open and Dutch Open in his first full year on tour 20 years ago. Since then he has played in Singapore and Fiji, Abu Dhabi and France. Only four years ago he played three regular European Tour events.
PGA Tour policy states that players “normally” receive three versions for 15 times each when playing on the PGA Tour. Kuchar never needed more.
He’s not one of more than two dozen players who have applied for clearances for the Saudi international — Kuchar will play at Pebble Beach This week – though he still has questions about defining an independent contractor.
“I’ve always had the feeling that the liberation thing is unpleasant,” he said. “I can see both sides. As a player, I would like to believe that if we fulfill our commitment to play 15 tournaments, you should be able to play wherever you want. From the point of view of the visit, you want to protect your events.”
What is different in the new versions is that each member who is going to play at &T Pebble Beach Pro-Am once or twice, depending on how many times he has played Pebble in the last five years.
If it’s specific to Saudi Arabia? This must be determined.
“What’s unique about this Situation is the total number of requests,” PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan said last week. “We had 22 to 23 last year, and to have 29 to 30 is an unprecedented number. To try to project a number forward… if we get to the future, we will talk about how we deal with it.”
The tour has never been big on hypothetical.
According to the book – a policy more than a policy — anyone wanting a fourth publication should add five PGA Tour events, then five more (for a total of 25) for a fifth publication. Over the years, there have been exceptions, especially for players who, like Ernie Els, have set a standard for World Golf.
Billy horschel played on the European Tour four times and won the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.
This year he is thinking about one or two tournaments in Germany (Porsche European Open, BMW International Open), the Dunhill Links Championship and the title defense at Wentworth and, depending on the ranking, the season finale in Dubai.
“I want to play five and 21 here,” Horschel said.
A year ago, the left Dunhill was opposite the Mississippi, and the DP World Tour championship was the same week as Sea Island. Horschel does not remember any conditions for these publications. Again, none has attracted a long list of American-born PGA Tour players.
“I didn’t have anything in front of me when I was playing,” Horschel said of his European stations. “It depends on how the tour sees different things. And with the orientation to the DP World Tour, perhaps there will be a little less, where there are not so many conditions.”
