Arnie’s Grandson Overlooks Spieth & Fowler For Invitations Into Arnold Palmer Invitational.

8 months ago by Comments Off on Arnie’s Grandson Overlooks Spieth & Fowler For Invitations Into Arnold Palmer Invitational.

You will not find top stars Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler among the list of those afforded invitations into next week’s $20m Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando.

That’s surprising as one would think the likes of the triple major winning Spieth and Fowler will be great crowd pullers when the event tees-up on Arnie’s beloved Bayhill course.

No, that is not how Steve Saunders and Arnie’s grandson looks at it.

Thanks to colleague and good friend Adam Schupak of Golf Week we are learning from Saunders, who is a member of the tournament’s exemption selection commitee, that the committee has gone with a ‘more balanced and fair process’ in choosing who to extend invitations.

“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,” said Saunders.

“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.

“At the end of the day it’s who’s getting the ball in the hole the fastest that are the ones who get the opportunities.

“You can’t make everybody happy with exemptions. So you try to just do it as fair and balanced as possible.”

So, who did Arnie’s selection committee choose.

They chose Rafael Campos, the 36-year-old from Costa Rica, super-talented Aussie Min Woo Lee who is 26-years of age and has won on three different tour’s, American Jackson Koivun a 19-year-old amateur who was a member of last year’s winning Arnold Palmer Cup team plus Canadain Mackenzie Hughes, a two-time PGA Tour winner.

And there a fifth Bay Hill invitation to Rosie.

Rose is the current World 38th.  He’s aged 44 and posted a last win at the 2023 AT & T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.  There’s no denying Rose is a popular player with he and wife, Kate wonderful with their work during and now post the Covid lock-down period.

The more-than-likely 2027 European Ryder Cup Captain contested last year’s 68-player Arnold Palmer and missed the cut.

Spieth is 13-years younger than Rose and is only returning to competition in recent week’s after being sidelined since last August following an operation on his wrist.  He delighted fans last month in Phoenix in sharing fourth place.

The Texan, and whose wife is expecting the couples third child, has contested Arnie’s event just twice (2021, 2013) and finished fourth on both occasions.

Fowler’s one of the more popular players on the PGA Tour and though he’s not won a major, there’s no denying he is a crowd puller. In fact, he’s teed-up on no fewer than 13 occasions at Bay Hill and with a best finish of third.  That’s how much he loves Arnies event.

The now 36-year-old ranked Fowler is currently ranked No. 95 in the world while his last taste of victory was in July 2023 at the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

Both players could still ‘earn’ their way into next week with victory in this week’s Cognizant Classic via the Tour’s Swing-5 process.

 

 

 



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