Sponsors, tournament exemptions play key roles on Tour

It’s an economic principle fit for Felicity Huffman

Sponsors pay millions of dollars to the PGA Tour for the honor of having a tournament in their name. For those millions of dollars, they get to fill a couple of spots with whomever they please (“It’s time for Romo to take a knee on Tour,” Sept. 30).

If you’re willing to come up with big dollars, you get certain privileges. It’s like buying one’s way into a university or buying a seat on a foreign oil company’s board.

Tony Romo did not embarrass himself or Safeway. He missed the cut, but his 36-hole score tied FedEx playoff participant Lucas Glover and was only one stroke behind Akshay Bhatia, the 17-year-old who has yet to do something with his sponsor exemptions.

Charlie Jurgonis
Fairfax, Va.

Romo gives golf a much-needed edge in fall
Mike Purkey might be too young to remember a former quarterback who also was a former touring professional, John Brodie. If one follows Purkey’s logic, many pro golfers should be cut for the season after they miss several cuts (“It’s time for Romo to take a knee on Tour,” Sept. 30).

I thought that one of golf's objectives was to get fans interested in taking up golf, coming to events at all levels, buying equipment and stuff from sponsors.

Tony Romo was good enough to shoot a 70 and surpassed several pros who had won major championships, including Phil Mickelson, whose career is sunsetting. Romo might not have played college golf, but nor did a huge number of professional golfers. How many names on the Claret Jug are degreed golfers? Since when is attending a college needed to be successful in professional golf?

If a sponsor gives someone an exemption to play, that's its business. Romo shot 70 one day and 78 the next; that's golf. He has missed four cuts in as many starts on the PGA Tour. How many professional golfers have missed four cuts? All?

Professional golf once again is competing with professional football, baseball and hockey, with poor TV and media coverage of the wraparound season. Maybe if golf got back to being golf rather than a money show, Romo would not have to decide whether he is going to work for CBS or play round 3.

Patrick Scott
Lakewood Ranch, Fla.

Without Romo, Safeway Open would go unnoticed
I have no problem with Tony Romo’s participation in the Safeway Open (“It’s time for Romo to take a knee on Tour,” Sept. 30).

Romo has accomplished way more than any of the guys slamming him: NFL quarterback, outstanding announcer and accomplished amateur golfer. The event always hands out sponsor exemptions to washed-up tour pros and occasionally to local PGA pros. During the fledgling NFL season, who could draw more attention to an event that's going head-to-head with college football and the NFL?

I see it as an attempt to get TV attention at a time when it's hard to come by. Romo and the Safeway Open sponsors couldn’t care less what you, me, Mike Purkey and the naysayers say anyway.

Garen Eggleston
The Villages, Fla.

If Tour goes all-in on gambling, taxman merits a cut
If the PGA Tour does get into the gambling business beyond its partnership with DraftKings, with betting during tournaments, then the Tour should give up its nonprofit status (“Vegas, gambling and golf? It’s no lock,” Oct. 1).

The Tour has become a for-profit enterprise and should pay taxes like for-profit corporations. Otherwise, gambling is just another way for the Tour to make tons of money at taxpayer expense.

Bob Geismar
Boca Raton, Fla.

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