Undercover Caddie: Picking sponsors’ exemptions can be dirty politics

My player is an up-and-coming name. What he has done so far has justified the hype. Yet, at an alternate event—one with names you’ve hardly heard of that should roll out the red carpet for my guy—he was turned down for a sponsor’s exemption. He was surprised—and pissed. I was upset, too, but not surprised. I knew the fix was in.

Sponsors’ exemptions are some of the most politically biased aspects of professional golf. The tour gives each tournament up to eight exemptions for their fields, and the events can use them however they like. Players who aren’t tour members—like those who play in Europe, or guys just coming out of college—are allowed up to seven exemptions in one…