Rickie Fowler Branded Unworthy of New PGA Tour Feat as ‘Sponsor Exemption’ Debate Is Reignited

To say that Rickie Fowler has been remarkable in 2025 would be unfair. But he has pulled off a remarkable comeback from where he was in 2024. Last year was probably his worst run ever since he joined the PGA Tour. For a man who nearly won all 4 majors in 2014, he was only a shell of himself 10 years later. To achieve what he has done in 2025, given his background, requires true grit and strength. And the PGA Tour didn’t hold back at commending Fowler for it.

In their latest tweet, the official page of the Tour posted a montage of Rickie’s season. It included some of his most remarkable shots throughout the year. The caption read, “After finishing outside the top 100 on the FedExCup in 2024, @RickieFowler finished No. 32 in 2025. Fowler ascended 85 spots in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green, from 151st to 66th. And he jumped 102 spots in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee, from No. 139 to No. 37, the *most* on TOUR.”

Their only intent was to show how far Fowler had come from his downfall in 2024. And with all the numbers they had pulled, it showed that he had truly climbed a mountain to reach his current position this year. 76 places on the FedEx Cup leaderboard, 85 spots on strokes gained from tee to green, and 102 spots off the tee. The numbers are remarkable, and they have helped him secure his place in all of the Signature events for 2026. That means he won’t require exemptions next season.

Despite his amazing feat, fans couldn’t help but continue to criticize Rickie Fowler. And they all had only one complaint from the 6-time PGA Tour champion.

Netizens are still distraught over the PGA Tour’s preferential treatment for Rickie Fowler

There is no question that Rickie Fowler is one of the most beloved figures in the golf community. However, fans still couldn’t accept how often the sponsors gave him a free ticket to events just because of his status. As someone pointed out, “That’s great, but he was afforded a lot of luxurious sponsor invites that others weren’t so lucky to receive this season. Those events were worth a lot of points.”

Interestingly, without the Signature events to help him, Fowler would have barely been able to make it into the top 50. The exemptions certainly helped him scrape through to the 32nd spot. His T7 finish in The Memorial Tournament and the T15 in the Truist Championship played a huge role in boosting him up the FedEx Cup standings. That justified one of the user’s comments about calling him “PGAT’s charity case.”

Speaking of exemptions, someone also reflected on how Fowler is only able to afford such success because of his fame. They said, “Don’t know the answer to my question. How many invites to non-cut events allowing him to pass those not invited and earn “free” FedEx points? Popularity, not always success, has its perks.” Being one of the most popular golfers on the PGA Tour, he does attract a lot of sponsor exemptions. That makes it easy for him to get a free pass to big events than someone more deserving, like Luke Clanton.

The same question was raised by another fan as they asked, “How many Sponsor Exemptions in big events did Ricki get in 2025 to make that climb to #32.” As per GOLF.com, Fowler has received 6 sponsor exemptions in the regular season of the PGA Tour. All of them were Signature events, of course.

Lastly, someone wrote, “Thank god for sponsor invites. People talk about meritocracy on the tour?” Well, Jay Monahan & the PGA Tour have often been known to protect and promote their top player. And in Rickie Fowler’s case, his status is based on his popularity, not performance.