ATLANTA — Jordan Spieth is missing the Tour Championship for the first time in his professional career, having failed to qualify by one spot in the FedEx Cup standings.
But PGA Tour executive Andy Pazder said Tuesday that the tour and Spieth have “come to a resolution” over how the three-time major winner would atone for having violated a tour policy by failing to play in 25 events this season.
By missing the Tour Championship, Spieth came up one tournament short of a policy that requires players to either add one tournament they have not played in the past four years or compete in a minimum of 25 events in either the previous or current season.
With next week’s Ryder Cup, Spieth will have played in just 24 events this season after competing in 24 last year. All along, he had planned on being at East Lake, where he won the 2015 FedEx Cup.
PGA Tour regulations stipulate that a player in violation of the policy is subject to a “Major Penalty,” which can include a minimum fine of $20,000 and a suspension of at least three tournaments.
Don’t expect Spieth to be sitting out any tournaments. In fact, according to the PGA Tour’s Andy Pazder, it appears that Spieth will be adding events in the coming season.
“We have come to a resolution,” said Pazder, the tour’s chief tournament and competitions officer, on Tuesday at East Lake, site of this week’s tournament. “You will see it next season. I think it will be good for the tour, for fans and for golf in general.”
The PGA Tour generally does not disclose or comment on player discipline, and Pazder would not discuss a potential fine or what specifically Spieth will be required to do. But the insinuation was that he will add at least one, and possibly more, tournaments to his 2018-19 schedule – and it is quite possible that they will be in the fall – a time when Spieth did not play in 2017.
The tour’s one new event requirement was put in place for the 2016-17 season and requires players to add a tournament they have not played in the past four years. Failing to do so, they can avoid penalties by having played 25 tournaments either the year prior or in the current year. Veteran members (45 and older) and lifetime members (20 or more PGA Tour victories) are also exempt from the 1 in 4 rule.
Pazder said that Ian Poulter, who won the Houston Open earlier this year, also was in violation of the policy. The European Tour player didn’t make it to East Lake and will have just 21 events including the Ryder Cup.