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For a three-time major champion like Jordan Spieth, a sponsor’s exemption used to be unthinkable; now, it’s become the flashpoint of a career at a crossroads. As the PGA Tour finalized its 2026 lineup, one detail stood out. It was revealed that Spieth will be leaning on sponsorship exemptions to secure his spot in the biggest tournaments. And this resulted in a loud backlash directed towards the American PGA star.
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For a three-time major champion, this turned out to be an unusual position. But after a challenging stretch that left him outside key qualification categories, Spieth now finds himself on the outside looking in. Amid that, Spieth skipped the Fall Series, which is looked at as a window that many players target to lock in valuable points. His decision was met with tough criticism. However, recently Jordan Spieth has broken the silence on these talks in the golfing community surrounding his exemptions after his dramatic fall outside the world’s top 60
Spieth reflected on his health and stated, “I feel healthy.” Adding to that, he threw light on his swing form which has long been a matter of debate. He shared, “I feel like I should have the structural integrity of my swing by the time I get to January. I’ve gone through phases with it, but this is a good trial run, test it out here this week, and if I finish first or 20th, as long as I’m sticking with what I’m working on, then I’ll be making progress.” He has also reportedly been devoting hours to work on his swings under the guidance of instructor Cameron McCormick.
Spieth defended his decision amid the criticism, saying, “I’ve been off for so long. Hit the ground running, probably play a lot on the West Coast. I want to work my way into events. I don’t want to use exemptions. I don’t want to ever have to use that again. It’s sucked the last couple years.” After the FedEx Cup playoffs, Spieth’s name appeared at No. 54 in the standings.
A week ago, Rex Hoggard voiced what many have been thinking on the Golf Channel Podcast. The golf expert tried to reflect on the questions that many golf fans might be having in mind. How did Spieth allow it to come to this? And why didn’t he play even once in the fall when a single cut could have changed everything? Hoggard said, “These guys play all year long, they play a really gruelling schedule. It’s only going to become more gruelling next year. You deserve the time off, but it is tough when you’re in that category, and you didn’t play once in the fall. You didn’t even give it one shot… I just don’t understand why he made the choice of not even playing if all he needed to do was make one cut and he would have finished in that category, and he wouldn’t even be in this conversation.”
How Rory McIlroy backed sponsor exemptions amid Jordan Spieth controversy
Jordan Spieth has been caught in a crossfire about getting invited to the premium PGA events via sponsor exemptions. However, going against the flow, the former No. 1 Rory McIlroy has previously shown his inclination towards the practice of big names coming in via the exemptions. Especially to make the PGA Tour stand out amidst the emergence of LIV Golf. Back in 2024, McIlroy was asked on the UK’s Stick to Football Podcast about the role of the sponsors.
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PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL – MARCH 14: PGA, Golf Herren golfer Rory McIlroy talks with Jordan Spieth on where his tee shot on the 18th hole went in the water during The Players Championship on March 14, 2024, at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Photo by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire GOLF: MAR 14 PGA THE PLAYERS Championship EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon24031434
And immediately, the Northern Ireland star made it clear that he was fine with the sponsors backing the big-money players. “What LIV and the Saudis have exposed is that you have a tour and you’re going and asking sponsors for millions of dollars to sponsor these events and you’re not able to guarantee those sponsors the players that are going to show up. It’s very hard. I can’t believe they’ve done so well for so long,” said McIlroy.
McIlroy also pointed out why a company would shell out 20-25 million in sponsorship to host an event with no return. Thus, they would certainly want to guarantee that at least the Top 50 golfers will be coming in to maximize their revenue. Thus, it is evident that things are taking quite a complicated turn. Now, it remains to be seen how far the controversy can stretch in the upcoming days.
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