WEBB SIMPSON FORCED TO SHUT DOWN CONTROVERSIAL PGA TOUR POLICY BOARD THEORY

Former PGA Tour policy board member Webb Simpson has dashed criticisms over invites to signature events on the American circuit as he hit back at his detractors.

The one-time major champion has been on the board since the start of 2024 but has already tendered his resignation - controversially recommending Rory McIlroy as his replacement. As the fallout from that episode plays out, the 2012 US Open winner has attracted some sideways glances again from naysayers as he received a fourth invite for a signature event this season.

His critics have pointed at his current rankings of 151st in the FedEx Cup and 227th in the OWGR, which has come off the back of just a single top-30 finish this term. His latest invite is for the Wells Fargo Championship, which has a $20 million (£16m) purse this year, with the winner set to net $3.6 million (£2.9m).

However, the disgruntled 38-year-old brushed off claims that the invite comes as a result of his placing on the PGA Tour's policy board. Instead, Simpson insists that he has received these opportunities as a result of his relationships with tournaments and sponsors, which he has accrued during his career.

Hitting out at detractors, he asserted: "Well, I'm not a very active social media user, so y'all probably see a lot more criticisms than I do. Look, it's a different day and age now than it was. I know these sponsor exemptions are probably the most coveted sponsor exemptions in the history of the Tour, but we're not going to make everyone happy.

"As we're looking at what criteria should these sponsor exemptions be, yadda yadda, we're trying to balance making sponsors happy, giving them the opportunity to invite -- you know, these tournament directors, who do they want to bring to their tournament, to their community, who do they think will add value to their tournament.

"These tournament directors are working round the clock for a year trying to make their tournament the best," he said, as he posited: "We want to give them the opportunity to say hey, you have a few spots, four spots in these Signature Events to be able to invite who you want to invite.

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The star also drew attention to contemporary Adam Scott, as he continued to address the theories which have abounded, saying: "I know that I've gotten, this is my fourth sponsor exemption, and Adam Scott's received his fair share. There was controversy and guys were trying to link us being on the board, but it has nothing to do with me being on the board.

"I've known these tournament directors, and they'll tell you themselves, since my rookie year in 2009. I have great affection for those tournaments and those sponsors and I think it's way more than just currently who's getting in," he said, before adding: So I certainly think the criticisms, I knew they were going to come depending on who got them.

Simpson added: "But I'm very comfortable knowing that we've given the sponsors the opportunity to pick, and the tournament directors. I want -- I want to move on from it and realize that the Wells Fargo Championship is an amazing tournament."

2024-05-09T12:11:13Z dg43tfdfdgfd