For a three-time major champion like Jordan Spieth, relying on sponsors’ exemptions was once unthinkable. However, that’s become the flashpoint of a career at a crossroads now. After five exemptions this season and still finishing outside the top-60 after the FedEx Cup Fall season concluded, the Golden Child of golf has attracted much criticism.

Fans berated him, analysts questioned the process, and a fellow pro, Robert Garrigus, challenged him to play for any amount. At stake would be his five sponsor exemptions. Other than briefly touching on the issue earlier this year, Spieth remained silent all the while. Until now.

“I’ve been off for so long. Hit the ground running, probably play a lot on the West Coast. I want to work my way into events,” Spieth revealed while talking about his plan for the next season. “I don’t want to use exemptions. I don’t want to ever have to use that again. It’s sucked the last couple years.”

Clearly, using exemptions turned out to be an unusual position for the 13-time PGA Tour winner. Although he got a bunch of them, Spieth regrets that he had to rely on special invites. But after a challenging stretch of golf, Spieth found himself on the outside looking in.

Amid all this, Spieth also skipped the Fall Series, which is a window of opportunity that many players target to secure valuable points. His decision was met with criticism since if he had played in the Fall Series, that could’ve improved his ranking.

Sami Valimaki won the RSM Classic 2025. Max McGreevy finished runner-up and Nico Echavarria ended the event at T4. That helped the three pros into the Aon Next 10. Essentially pushing out Spieth, Jake Knapp, and Kevin Yu out of the rankings. In the OWGR, as well, the former World No. 1 now finds himself at No. 70.

Currently 61st in the FedEx Cup Rankings, he is the first alternate for the Genesis Invitational next year. He is also eligible for the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. However, it might get tougher for him later in the season unless Spieth performs well in the first few tournaments. Regardless, this isn’t the first time he’s mentioned how he isn’t comfortable with the sponsor exemptions.

“I didn’t like asking for exemptions this year at all,” Spieth told TriadGolf in July. “I was fortunate to receive a lot of them, but you just never know. And when you miss out on elevated events, the way it’s structured, they’ve got the best players in the world at all of them, and you don’t want to miss any of them.”

But as much as the fans dislike Spieth getting a sponsor exemption, there’s a bigger reason why he keeps receiving them.

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Jordan Spieth is still a fan-favorite

Jordan Spieth has been caught in a crossfire majorly because of the fact that many believed these invites should be going to up-and-coming stars and amateurs. With the reduced field size in Signature events, rising stars have less chance to break into top-tier tournaments. However, Spieth still remains a fan-favorite who can draw a large number of people.

In a survey conducted by Essentially Golf, 69.56% of our readers said Spieth deserved the sponsor exemptions because he was still a big draw. In today’s world, marketability matters. That’s what Jordan Spieth brings for the sponsors. Rickie Fowler is another name who gets these exemptions regularly for the same reason. Whether the public likes it or not, that’s the reality of it. However, it does feel better that Spieth wants to work to earn his chances and not rely on sponsor exemptions.