Golf Insider highlights Gary Woodland's PGA Tour status amid claims of 'unfair' exemption in ZOZO Championship

Gary Woodland is tied for 22nd place after the first round of the ZOZO Championship. Despite his good start, his presence at the event has caused much controversy due to the fact that he was given a place in the field through a sponsor exemption.

A recent article in The Fried Egg questioned why Woodland was given this benefit and other players were not, despite being in a similar position in the FedEx Cup standings. The article used the example of Pierceson Coody, who is ranked 130th, while Woodland is ranked 137th.

Sports Illustrated's renowned journalist, Bob Harig, added to the debate by highlighting a detail regarding Woodland's status on the PGA Tour. Harig reminded X (formerly Twitter) that he is exempt until the end of the 2025 season:

"One thing to note: Woodland is exempt for next year. … which is not the point obviously. Not sure if they extended US open exemption due to Covid or if this is medical related."

The fact that Gary Woodland has secured his PGA Tour card for 2025 is crucial to the analysis because it means his goal in Japan is not to earn FedEx Cup points. However, it is also true that many players who do not have the same status as Woodland are at the ZOZO Championship playing for their permanence on the circuit, and many others were left out of the tournament due to the limited field.

The tournament is the fifth of the eight events that make up the FedEx Cup Fall. It is a series that primarily features players who have not secured a PGA Tour card for the next season.

Those who finish in the top 125 in the rankings are exempt for 2025. Those who finish outside that group, but within the top 150, will be able to play on the circuit, but with the condition of special temporary membership.

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How many sponsor exemptions did Gary Woodland receive in 2024?

Gary Woodland has received five sponsor exemptions in the 2024 season, most of them for limited-field tournaments. The first was granted by Tiger Woods to play in the Genesis Invitational in February.

At Riviera, Woodland finished tied for 39th with a score of 1-under. Two months later, he received another sponsor's exemption for another Signature event, the RBC Heritage. There he tied for 64th with a score of 1-over.

His third sponsor's exemption was for the Wells Fargo Championship (another Signature Event). He tied for 38th at Quail Hollow, with a score of 4-over. His fourth sponsor's exemption was at the Scottish Open, where he made the cut and finished T67, 2-under.

In the first round of the ZOZO Championship (his fifth sponsor's exemption), Gary Woodland carded five birdies, one bogey and one double bogey to start the second round at 2-under.