Upcoming changes to this petition
Hey guys. In order to get the word out, and to achieve maximum flexibility with this petition, I will be making some changes in the coming days.
The first is the title of the petition. No longer will it be about letting one golfer in, but allowing non-members who are otherwise qualified but failed to win on tour during the season. After all, Zalatoris will be a member of the tour once the Fortinet Championship starts in Napa, California in mid-September. To call it a "let Zalatoris in" petition, then, would be meaningless. Instead, the petition will be rebranded as a "reform FedEx Cup Playoffs eligibility" deal.
The second is the details in the petition. If possible, I will strike certain details of Willy Z's journey from the online description to keep it up to date. This will also provide for a flexible petition cause, as many other non-members have been snubbed from the FedEx Cup Playoffs, LITERALLY for being non-members. Furthermore, with WGC events being downplayed from the upcoming season--and the cancellation of the HSBC Champions for the second year running means there will only be one WGC this season, the Match Play--it is altogether likely that several non-members will be snubbed despite their non-WGC points otherwise qualifying them to play for the $15 million pot of gold unless the "members only" criterion for participation be abolished. Although the Scottish Open, Barbasol Championship and Barracuda Championship will all be jointly-sanctioned with the European Tour from 2021-22, it might come at the potential expense of true up-and-comers on the Korn Ferry Tour, as the last two alternate events have provided valuable income to such golfers for years.
In sum, the grievances I am airing are threefold: discrimination against otherwise qualified non-members of the PGA Tour, increased importance of non-WGC events and the risk of reduced opportunities for lesser members and non-members to make the Playoffs. This isn't about me or even Willy Z. It's about ensuring that the qualified, whether member or non-member, be allowed to restore the meritocratic nature of tour golf to the PGA Tour. Only then can the Tour speak of growing the game in any way.
Thank you,
Edward