Signature events like the Genesis Invitational are evolving, and this might mean a lot for other events like the Cognizant Classic. These non-signature events can even help a golfer get into the field of signature tournaments. The signature events of the PGA Tour have a bulky purse of $20 million and Genesis, Arnold Palmer, and Memorial are those signature events that have a cut. Added to that there is prize money of $3.6 million and these signature events also reward the winner with 700 FedEx Cup points.
Now, entry to these signature fields is marked by the golfers who are in the top 50 of the FedEx list, and others have to exert extra effort to excel in the non-signature events of the PGA Tour to get into the field. This means events like Cognizant can be a pathway for these golfers. Now, let’s dive deeper into details about these signature and non-signature events!
How do non-signature events impact signature events on the PGA Tour?
There are eight signature events on the PGA Tour in total: the Sentry, the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, the Genesis Invitational, the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the RBC Heritage, the Wells Fargo Championship, the Memorial Tournament, and the Travelers Championship. Now, the golfers who are not otherwise exempt can get a place on the list of these events through a recent PGA win.
For example, Charley Hoffman requested Tiger Woods to help him get into the Genesis Invitational through a sponsor’s exemption but before he got an answer from Woods, he had already secured his place by qualifying with a runner-up finish at the Phoenix Open. Hoffman was grateful for such an opportunity and said,
“I would have like to have been in all the signature events and the Masters and the majors and all that other stuff. Obviously was a huge accomplishment.”
Apart from this, if a golfer wins the Farmers Insurance Open or the American Express, he can play at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Similarly, one can participate in the Travelers Championship through the RBC Canadian Open or the Charles Schwab Challenge.
These signature events consider PGA Tour winners, top-ten FedEx Cup standings finishers, or those within the top 30 of the OWGR list. Apart from this, sponsor exemptions are there, which is why Tiger Woods got into the Genesis Invitational but withdrew due to the flu.
In conclusion, if none of the qualifications for the signature events work, then it is these non-signature events like Cognizant Classic, Phoenix Open, and others that come off as saviors.
