Someone explain pro golf tournament qualifying to me.

Factual Questions
1

This weekend the sports pages are full of stories about a female professional golfer who’s going to play in a men’s professional tournament because of a “sponsor’s exemption.” I don’t want to debate whether she should or shouldn’t play. (FWIW, I say let her play.) What I want to learn is:

  • what is a sponsor’s exemption? Do all tournaments offer them? Who usually gets them, the sponsor’s CEO’s son? Are there any standards for issuing them? How many such exemptions are there?

  • what’s with qualifying for a tourament? I mistakenly thought that once a person qualified for the PGA Tour he could automatically play in any PGA tour event he wanted. How does one qualify for a tourament (assuming one isn’t a famous woman golfer or the CEO sponsor’s son getting a free pass in on a “sponsor’s exemption”?

2

The sponsor of the tournament gets on average 8 spots that they can offer to someone to play. (IAW with the PGA). Usually the sponsor’s exemption are given to someone that can be a draw at the gate. Say, Arnie or Jack, or a young Tiger Woods. Ie., it’s usually someone that has star power.

Most tournaments do have a qualifying round, where you play on Monday for maybe one or two spots. You have to pay an entry fee, play superb, and then you’re in.

Technically once you have your PGA tour card, you can play anywhere you want, however, there are certain tournaments, invitationals and the like, where if you’re not invited, you ain’t playing.