Much of the talk heading into the Arnold Palmer Invitational has focused on one of the players who will not be in the field at Bay Hill – with Jordan Spieth missing out on receiving an invite to the event.
The PGA Tour season really gets going in the coming days. The Arnold Palmer Invitational is one of the marquee events of the season, with the winner in two of the last three years going on to win the Masters.
Nine of the world’s top 10 will be at Bay Hill. But one of the PGA Tour’s biggest stars is set to miss out, with Jordan Spieth not being handed an invite for the event.
Spieth had been added to the field for both of the previous two signature events. And in truth, neither week proved to be particularly successful for the 31-year-old, with a missed cut at the Genesis Invitational. He did however, impress at both the WM Phoenix Open and the Cognizant Classic.
Brendon de Jonge reacts as Jordan Spieth misses out on an invite to the Arnold Palmer Invitational
Spieth would mock the decision, claiming that he obviously needed to play better while injured last year to receive an invite.
It appears to be a contentious decision from the tournament organisers, given that Spieth is one of the biggest stars in the current game. However, some have defended the decision – and actually suggested that it is another call which is more controversial.
Speaking on 5 Clubs, Brendon de Jonge criticised Spieth’s petty comments, and claimed that it is another name who can probably feel more aggrieved to miss out.
“I have no problem with these sponsor exemptions. I would have understood completely if Spieth had got one. Of course, it made sense. He’s a needle mover. But I also understand him not getting one. I’ve got no problem with it. He’s been given a lot of these exemptions. I don’t think it’s a great look if we continue to see the same names with sponsor exemptions in all these signature events,” he said.
“I’m more surprised that Rickie Fowler didn’t get one, because he was a big supporter of that tournament. He really did a wonderful job.
“I didn’t care for the remarks that Jordan Spieth made, ‘I needed to play better injured’, because it was kind of a backhanded slap. I didn’t care for those remarks at all. It was kind of crying about it a little bit.”
How Rickie Fowler has played at Bay Hill during his career
While Spieth has only played the Arnold Palmer Invitational on three occasions during his career, Fowler has been much more of an ever-present at Bay Hill over the years.
Admittedly, he does not have the best record from the event. His best result was a tied third finish back in 2013. But that remains his only top 10 in 13 appearances at the tournament. Meanwhile, he has finished under par in just one of his last five visits.
Fowler has broken 70 in just one of his last 24 rounds at Bay Hill. But clearly, de Jonge feels that his connection with the tournament makes him a much better candidate for an invite than Spieth.
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