S-1 .... Calendar Year Grand Slam (10 years)
Winning the Masters Tournament, U.S. Open, British Open Championship -AND-
PGA Championship within a single calendar year.
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S-2 .... Annual Leading Money Winner {Arnold Palmer award}
a. Last 10 calendar years (beginning 2010)
Provided that performance requirements of the Season
Championship are fulfilled in the same calendar year
that player wins the Money Leader title.
See the Season Championship section in Box-4, "Hypothetical
2010 PGA Tour Schedule" for performance requirements.
b. Last five calendar years (beginning 2010)
Any Leading Money Winner not fulfilling Season Championship
performance requirements.
c. Last five calendar years (prior to 2010)
Winners of the Fed Ex Cup Championship or Leading Money
Winner Title
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S-3 .... Winners of an individual Grand Slam Championship (5 years, 1998- )
a. Masters Tournament b. U.S. Open
c. British Open Championship d. PGA Championship
See S-7 below for U.S. Open, PGA Championship winners prior to 1970
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S-4 .... Winners of the Players Championship (5 years, 1998- )
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S-5 .... Any player who within the last five calendar years has achieved a 20th,
40th, 60th, 80th, etc. Career PGA Tour Victory.
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S-6 .... Winners of the following events within the last three calendar years,
all beginning 2010 (a-b-c-d-e-f) ---
a. S.B.S. Winners Challenge
b. Doral-CA Invitational (formerly WGC CA Invitatonal)
c. BMW Western Open
d. Canadian Open by RBC
e. Bridgestone World Series of Golf
Includes (from 2010 to 2012 only) Bridgestone Invitational winners
prior to 2010
f. SONY Grand Finale
g. Winners of the Tour Championship or Accenture Match Play, prior to 2010,
until the natural end of each event's exemption period.
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S-7 .... Winners of regular PGA Tour events, current year or --
a. last 3 calendar years - any player who has achieved a 5th-10th-15th -OR-
25th-30th-35th -OR- 45th-50th-55th etc. Career PGA Tour Victory.
b. last 3 calendar years - conditional, if among Top 20 Money Leaders in the
same year as that of the win (beginning with 2010 winners).
c. last 2 calendar years, any other such winners.
d. Prior to 2010
Last X Calendar Years, Y wins in same calendar year, as follows --
3 years - 2 wins; 4 years - 3 wins; 5 years - 4 wins.
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S-8 .... Lifetime Exemption
NOTE
Category S-8 and S-9 exemptions (see below) can not be used together
within the same calendar year.
A Lifetime Exemption is earned by any one of the following means ...
a. Calendar Year Grand Slam
b. 20 Career Wins -AND- 15 years active Tour membership.
Applies to past, present and future.
c. US Open and PGA Championship wins prior to 1970
Beginning 2010, a player with S-7-C status is unconditionally exempt
for up to 10 events (open or invitational) per year. Any such player
is eligible for 20 events per year by meeting the conditions required
of players with S-8-A or S-8-B status (see below).
Conditions for usage if status is S-8-A or S-8-B, beginning 2009 --
During the previous year the player must be within a specific threshold on
the Official Money Winners List -AND- play a minimum number of competitive
rounds. If such conditions are not satisfied, then such a player is limited
to three events (open or invitational) per year.
Events Per Year Money List At Least XX Maximum
(Open or Invitational) Threshold Competitive Rounds Uses (Each)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
20 Top 120 50 Five
10 Top 180 30 Unlimited
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S-9 .... Career Earnings Exemption
NOTE
Category S-8 and S-9 exemptions (see above) can not be used together
within the same calendar year.
A: Usage
If not otherwise fully exempt for a given year, a player may
apply for full exempt status by using a Career Earnings
Exemption for the duration of that particular year. Each
such exemption is usable only once.
On two different occasions out of five allowed, a player
may enter up to 20 official events (open or invitational)
using a Career Earnings Exemption. On three different occasions
out of five allowed, the limit is ten events (open or
invitational).
If the Career Earnings Exemption is used to enter the Players
Championship in any given year, it will count as two event uses
of the exemption.
A player may use Category S-9 for annual exempt status up to
five times during their career.
Category S-9 usage is limited to two consecutive calendar
years at a time, and no more than three uses within any
given five calendar year period.
B: Career Earnings Exemption
1st: Top 60 career money and 1-4 career wins
2nd: Top 60 career money and 5+ career wins
-OR-
Top 30 career money and 1-4 career wins
3rd: Top 60 career money and 10+ career wins
-OR-
Top 30 career money and 5+ career wins
4th: Top 60 career money and 15+ career wins
-OR-
Top 30 career money and 10+ career wins
5th: Top 60 career money and 20+ career wins
-OR-
Top 30 career money and 15+ career wins
Any previously used Top 25 Career Earnings Exemption
counts as a used Top 30 exemption. Any previously used
Top 50 Career Earnings Exemption counts as a used Top
60 exemption. Furthermore, any previously used Top 25
and Top 50 exemptions will count as used Top 30 and Top
60 20-event-per-year exemptions.
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S-10 ... Winners of the particular event being contested
a. 5 years, 2000-after
b. 10 years, prior to 2000
c. Life, prior to 7-28-1970 ... until end of 2010
NOTE
A Non-Member past champion (within last 5 years) may exchange use of
a potential S-11 or O-9 exemption for an S-10 exemption.
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S-11 ... Sponsor Invitations (12 per event)
3 - Regular, Life, Past Champion or Veteran Member
3 - Nationwide Top 25 / Q-School Top 25+
2 - Non-Member Internationals who are not otherwise exempt
4 - Unrestricted (Amateurs to have a Zero handicap)
Regular and Special Temporary PGA Tour Members may receive up to
20 such invitations per year. All other players, pro or amateur,
are limited to seven such invitations per year.
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S-12 ... PGA National Club Professional Champion (6 open events)
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S-13 ... In PGA Section where tournament is being contested --
a. The Section Champion (or, Player of the Year)
b. 2 Section Members from qualifier
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S-14 ... Six Open Qualifiers (Amateurs to have a Zero handicap)