When someone mentions Rickie Fowler, it’s hard not to picture his trademark bold orange outfits and the charisma he carries with them. But as we near the end of the PGA Tour’s regular season with the playoffs, another term has also become synonymous with Fowler’s name — sponsor exemptions. While Rickie Fowler has long stood at the intersection of popularity and performance, the 2025 season on the PGA Tour has ignited a question for many: Is he receiving more than he should?
And with his recent performance in Memphis last week, which earned him a last-minute spot within the top 50 of the FedEx Cup rankings, the controversy around his exemptions reached new heights. Many have argued that his route to the playoffs undermines the meritocracy on the PGA Tour, suggesting that his inclusion at the BMW Championship this week was unfair. But others, including a signification portion of our newsletter readers, believe that he is fully deserving of his spot.
But before we dive into why our readers hold this opinion, let’s take a closer look at the path Rickie Fowler took this season — the exemptions he received, the criticism that followed, and the performances that ultimately earned him a spot among the PGA Tour’s top 50.
The Sponsor exemption debate
Rickie Fowler and fellow American Jordan Spieth were given a combined 12 sponsor exemptions into this year’s Signature Events—tournaments known for their elite fields, limited spots, and big prize money. These invitations allow sponsors to bring in players who didn’t qualify through their results. For Fowler, they were especially important. To get into Signature Events on merit, a player must have finished in the top 50 of the FedEx Cup rankings the previous season. Fowler ended last year ranked 108th, meaning he didn’t qualify through any performance-based route.
Instead, Fowler played his way into six of eight Signature Events thanks to sponsor invites. His first start was at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-am, where he finished tied 53rd, and his last was at the 2025 Travelers Championship, where he finished tied 36th. And while he was far from dominant in those appearances, his finishes at some key events, including the 2025 Memorial, earned him a spot even at a major (The Open). In fact, out of the 665 points Rickie Fowler amassed this season, a striking 319 points (48%) were earned via his six sponsor invites.
Without the exemptions, it was very likely that Fowler wouldn’t even be at Caves Valley this week, given that he’s had only two top-10 finishes this year. Last week, at the FedEx St.Jude Championship, Fowler’s 6th-place finish was his best performance this year, which earned him a last-minute entry into the BMW Championship and automatic entry into all eight Signature Events for 2026. But the same luck didn’t play out well for his counterpart, Jordan Spieth. He, too, played in five sponsor exemptions at eight signature events this year and earned 29% of the 865 total points through those exemptions. While Spieth entered last week in Memphis ranked 48th in the FedEx Cup standings, a poor finish dropped him to 54th, effectively ending his 2025 season.
“For as distasteful as the Spieth invites have been, the situation with Rickie Fowler is magnitudes grosser. Fowler barely snuck inside the top-70 cutoff to make the playoffs, finishing the regular season in 64th place. Of the 665 points Fowler earned during the regular season,… pic.twitter.com/60kkx0gCje
— Fried Egg Golf (@fried_egg_golf) August 11, 2025
Naturally, this sparked backlash. On social media, fans and analysts alike called out the injustice. Many fans and critics called it “unfair” and said that “It just doesn’t feel right,” while some even demanded that “It has to stop.” Their point? Signature Events, with their lucrative rewards, should be reserved for players who earned the spot, not for those who are granted it through popularity or sponsorship interests. And Rickie Fowler’s statistics were not supporting his case either. He hasn’t had a win since the 2023 Rocket Classic, and he ranks 76th in the overall strokes gained stats. And his 104th ranking on the OWGR weakens his case further. But there’s a flip side to the argument, and it’s where our readers come in.
Does Rickie Fowler deserve to play this week? Our fans have spoken
A recent poll conducted on our Essentially Sports’ flagship newsletter, Essentially Golf, asked readers, “Do You Think Rickie Fowler Deserves Multiple Sponsor Invites?” And to our surprise, almost 67.66% voted “Yes.” Despite the raging debate across social media and within the golf world at large, a clear majority of our readers stand firmly behind Rickie Fowler, not just because of who he is, but because of what he still brings to the game.
“Ricky Fowler was by any objective measure great at golf,” said the hosts of the No Laying Up Podcast. And it’s true. In 2010, he was awarded the Rookie of the Year award, and two years later, he went on to win his first PGA Tour title at the 2012 Wells Fargo Championship. His popularity exploded then because he beat Rory McIlroy. But it didn’t stop there. In 2014, he finished top 5 in all of the majors, making him “the third golfer in history to finish in the top five at all four majors, something only Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods had accomplished,” as highlighted in the podcast.
And since then, Fowler’s popularity has only increased, as one reader put it, “He’s still one of the faces of PGA golf. Rickie equals sponsorship money, and money is the bottom line to everything.” Sponsors fund the PGA Tour, investing tens of millions that make Signature Events possible. If companies like Genesis or Travelers want Rickie Fowler, arguably one of the Tour’s most recognizable and marketable names, in their field, that’s well within their rights. “Rickie moves the needle, TV Ratings, Streaming, social media, etc. Fans want him there, kids want him there, and he’s done a lot for golf over the past 16 years. Plus, he’s playing better as of late. Calm down,” another fan echoed. Fowler still draws crowds and drives TV ratings like few others.
Beyond commercial value, many fans believe Fowler has genuinely earned his place. “He has had a few good recent outing results. Despite his ranking, he is a popular figure that draws followers and therefore is good for the game, especially for golf TV ratings,” another reader wrote. While he struggled to capitalize early in the season, his recent results, including a tied 14th finish at the Open and his most recent performance last week, proved that he grinded it out when it mattered the most. It lifted him from 64th to 48th in the FedEx Cup standings. Those performances weren’t handed to him. He delivered when it counted.
What a special week.
Can’t thank you all enough for following along. Had some amazing moments on the account all week!
An unbelievable fight from Rickie. He has BATTLED these last couple of weeks.
BMW will be Rickie’s 5th straight week of golfing! Let’s continue to FIGHT! pic.twitter.com/PuYiTwA2wi
— Rickie Fowler Tracker (@Rickie_Tracker) August 11, 2025
Rickie Fowler himself acknowledged the thin line he was walking this season. “I got a handful of spots this year, which I’m incredibly grateful for… didn’t really want to bank on that for next year,” he told Golf Monthly this week. And now he won’t have to. His top-50 finish guarantees him entry into all eight Signature Events next year by merit alone. From our vantage point, and clearly from the perspective of many of our readers, that’s not favoritism but a comeback. While many echoed similar sentiments, one fan took it further, pointing to his loyalty — “He did not go to LIV. He stayed loyal, so the PGA Tour needs to stay loyal to him and all the other players who stayed.”
And it was not just the support for Fowler, but even for Jordan Spieth. Another poll, which asked our newsletter readers, “Do You Think Spieth’s Performance Justifies His Sponsor Exemptions?” saw 69.56% vote “Yes.” Much like Fowler, Spieth has been a lightning rod in the ongoing sponsor exemption debate. He didn’t automatically qualify for all Signature Events, but still made several appearances thanks to sponsor invites. And while some critics pointed to his inconsistency, others highlighted the bigger picture, including his four top-10 finishes this season and a solid standing at 52nd in the OWGR.
However, for our readers, it wasn’t just about the statistics. It was about presence, impact, and what Jordan Spieth brings to the table. One fan echoed the sentiment that sponsors can invite whoever they please — “It’s called a sponsor’s exemption for a reason. The sponsor gets to exempt whomever pleases — full stop.” Another reader emphasized Jordan Spieth’s value — “He is still a big draw. Puts butts in the seat. Always been an explosive player. Fun to watch. ‘Nough said.” The idea that tournaments exist solely for high-ranking contenders was challenged by fans. As one subscriber shared, “Tournaments are obviously for the players contending. But they are also for the fans. The fans like and want to see certain players. Some are needle movers and fan favorites. I think Jordan is in that group. He is a draw for the viewers.”
Many fans came out in support of the three-time major champion. Despite not having a win since the 2022 RBC Heritage, Jordan Spieth is undeniably one of the strongest players on tour. Sure, he may not have produced ideal results this season or even the last, but his strokes gained statistics tell a different story. Spieth currently ranks 15th overall in that metric, a strong indicator that his game is still highly competitive, even if the results haven’t always shown up on the final leaderboard. That ranking puts him ahead of several players who automatically qualified for Signature Events, reinforcing the idea that he’s not just coasting on reputation, he’s still grinding and capable of contending.
So while critics may argue that sponsor exemptions should be earned strictly by results, the numbers suggest Jordan Spieth still belongs in these fields. Combine that with his marketability, loyal fanbase, and on-course flair, and the justification becomes even stronger. Like one reader said, “No further justification is needed.”
While we acknowledge that players should earn their way to the top based on merit, we also agree with the majority of our readers who believe that both Rickie Fowler and Jordan Spieth deserved the exemptions and spots in the playoffs. Both players may have benefited from sponsor exemptions, but they’ve also brought immense value to the sport in return. Whether through ratings, ticket sales, fan engagement, or moments of brilliance on the course, they continue to elevate the tournaments they play in. And more importantly, they’ve shown flashes of the competitive form that justifies those opportunities.
Exemptions are not handed out blindly. They’re obviously strategic, commercial decisions made by sponsors who invest millions into the Tour. If these players continue to deliver both in visibility and performance, it’s hard to argue against their inclusion. Rickie Fowler’s late-season push into the top 50 and Jordan Spieth’s statistics are proof that they’re not just filling spots; they’re still capable of making an impact. So while the debate around sponsor invites will no doubt continue, we’re leaning toward the view that Rickie Fowler and Jordan Spieth have earned their invites.
The post Our Readers React: Is the Backlash Over Rickie Fowler’s Sponsor Exemptions Fair? appeared first on EssentiallySports.