Campbell Lashes PGA Tour For Following Its Own Rules

Michael Campbell, last year’s US Open Champion, has lately been criticizing the PGA Tour for rules which allow him to play in just ten tournaments this year.

Campbell apparently feels that the PGA Tour should grant him an exeption to its rules because of his status as US Open Champion.

But it’s not like Campbell hasn’t had his chances. He’s just chosen not to take them.

Campbell’s first problem is that the last time he had a PGA Tour card—in 2003—he quit after just eleven tournaments. PGA Tour rules say that if you don’t play the required fifteen tournaments, you are banned from rejoining the tour for five years. He knew the rules and quit anyway.

However, as the US Open Champion, Campbell has been given a second chance. All he had to do was to commit to playing in fifteen tournaments on the Tour.

But Campbell doesn’t want to play in fifteen tournaments. He wants to play in twelve, and keep his membership in the European Tour at the same time.

“I’ve had about 10 invites I can’t accept. I’d love to play Jack Nicklaus’s Memorial event but I can’t because of my status,” he said. “It’s a shame it’s come to this. I can’t prepare for the defence of the US Open. I can’t play a lead-up event. To not give me the opportunity to actually perform my best is disappointing. I feel my wings have been clipped a bit.

I think the guy should quit whining. He won the US Open, but that doesn’t entitle him to dictate the rules to the PGA Tour. The last I checked, the US Open was conducted by the USGA, not the PGA.