The Round Table: excluding Jon Rahm, Masters invites and winter hot spots

Each week, we ask our panel of writers, PGA members and golf industry experts to weigh in with their views on the hot topics of the day.

On Sunday, the DP World Tour featured veterans Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton and Rory McIlroy duking it out in the Abu Dhabi Championship. Fresh off his rejection of LIV Golf and the subsequent collapse of the breakaway League, Rahm outlasted his veteran opponents to take the title. We’ve asked the question before, but now that he’s actually a free agent and a recent winner, should PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp make an exception to policy and get him on the roster for 2027?

Jim Deeks, Fairways Magazine (@jimdeeks): No.  Never.  Rahm was the biggest turncoat of all… professing his devout loyalty to the PGA Tour, then, like ten minutes later, bolting for LIV because the money was too good to be true.  Rahm, like every other deserter, should be forced to qualify for the Tour to get back.  I don’t care how many outside tournaments he wins, or where.

Michael Schurman, Master Professional / Hall of Fame Member, PGA of Canada: No exception should be allowed for Rahm. However, the top 5 or 6 L1V guys should approach the TOUR en masse and make a deal. The PGA TOUR has always bragged about fielding the best players, but they aren’t right now. I’m not adverse to making them qualify through various standards/tours and allowing them entry to certain events based on major victories. Fines are ridiculous considering the ‘blood money’ objectors since the players would be paying those fines with the same ‘blood money’. For all our sakes do something and stop all this bickering. L1V failed, get on with it but learn from L1V popular parts.

TJ Rule, Golf Away Tours (@GolfAwayTJ): Rahm already turned down the offer that Brooks Koepka accepted, so I think he lost his chance and will have to wait out his one-year suspension.  After all, the PGA Tour doesn’t have to be in a rush to bend a knee to these players now that their competitor has officially folded.  His form in winning last week on the DP World Tour shows that he shouldn’t have much issue with finishing top 10 in the Race to Dubai with a full year under his belt in 2027, so then he can apply to return to the PGA Tour in 2028.  It’s good for the DP World Tour for next year with more star power.

Hal Quinn, Freelance Writer, Vancouver: It’s been spelled out once and doesn’t need a rewrite. The goalposts have been shifting enough over the past few seasons and should stay where the DP and PGA Tours have them now. Rahm, and charmers like Hatton, will be welcomed back when and if they earn a spot.

Peter Mumford, Fairways Magazine: Every sports league in the world always wants the best players it can get, except the PGA Tour. Their odd rules about penalizing players for disloyalty or having obviously qualified players go through some arbitrary qualifying process is odd to say the least. I’d roll out the red carpet for Jon Rahm and if that disturbs some players, too bad. Same goes for other major winners and multiple event winners like Dustin Johnson, Cameron Smith, Bryson DeChambeau and even Phil Mickelson, if he ever gets out of the doghouse. Phil may be old now, but he’d still be a huge draw, either on the regular Tour or the Senior circuit.

Half a world away in Mexico, the PGA Tour showcased its rookie talent as 24-year-old Ben James and 19-year-old Blades Brown went to a playoff at the World Wide Technology Championship. Brown prevailed to become the youngest winner on Tour in 95 years. Currently the Masters offers invitations to winners of regular PGA Tour events but not winners from the Fall Series. While Brown and others may get to Augusta based on other criteria, do you think the Masters ought to amend its policy given how strong these fields are?

Deeks: Yes, I think it should be considered.  But not at the expense of other international victories.  I used to love and respect the Masters because it included amateur champs and professional winners from other countries (like Moe Norman and Gary Cowan in the 50s and 60s.)  That’s been largely diminished in recent decades, unfortunately, but it still makes the Masters unique.  In my view, they could increase the field by three or four events to accommodate Fall Series winners.

Schurman: The Masters Committee doesn’t make a lot of mistakes. In this case, strength of field is the only argument. The quandary is adding to the field at a time of year when daylight is a factor. Since Tiger became a billionaire, every father, coach, teacher etc. thinks his kid is the next Tiger. Tours around the world are getting stronger so, more and more players are capable of contending in events like the Masters but only a few can be considered. The strongest field in the world is the Players or the British Open. I’d love to be a fly on the wall at Augusta.

Rule: I think so, given it’s still very hard to win on Tour and the field at The Masters is the smallest of all majors, so they have some space for a couple more players.  It would be exciting to see Brown play at Augusta next year as a teenager still.  What an incredible accomplishment winning at such a young age after taking the risk of turning pro instead of heading to school.  Good on him.

Quinn: If it ain’t broke…. This used to be the silly season, and it now borders on it with a bunch of over-the-hillers trying to hang on and a bunch of guys trying to get into the Signature events clogging up the courses. The Fall should be only for the young guys trying to get into the Top 100 and guys on the bubble. All the rest have made enough points and money in the regular season. The guys fighting for their cards don’t need any Augusta incentive. Anyway, the fields aren’t strong enough to warrant the winner getting an invite.

Mumford: There are eight Fall Series events, and the fields are much stronger than a few international events that are granted an invitation to Augusta. The Masters has a pretty small field and wouldn’t be hurt in the least to add a few more players.

Now that our own golf season is wrapped up, Canadian golfers are planning their winter escapes. What’s your favourite warm weather resort or destination?

Deeks: I’m there right now.  Naples, Florida.  I’ve played six days in a row.  Not revealing my scores publicly, thank you very much.

Schurman: My wife and I are giving this a great deal of thought. Trump is still the President so that basically eliminates any US visit. Our considerations are length/comfort of flights. I’m 6′ 7″ and just die even with Bulkhead seating. Safety is a big one, of course price and proximity to hospitals. The ‘islands’ are a reasonable choice if we can find a safe place. Europe would be onerous which leaves Canada, Bermuda (expensive) and some islands sound OK but pickpockets and petty thievery is a problem. Parts of Mexico are appealing. I’m thinking of digging a pool in the basement beside an indoor simulator, putting green and pitching area.

Rule: I’ve always been consistent in this answer whenever clients ask me about my favourite winter destination – Casa de Campo.  The resort is so big and diverse and has 3.5 great golf courses along with amazing restaurants.  It’s a place I wish I could visit every year.  That being said, I’m currently living for a year in Mallorca, which has pretty nice golf weather throughout the winter, so check back in with me in the spring and I’ll let you know if my mind has changed.  It’s not as warm as winter in the Dominican Republic but I’ll take it over a Toronto winter!

Quinn: Well, it used to be Los Cabos before mass marketing drove green fees into the stratosphere. El Tamarindo was secluded and idyllic before Four Seasons took it over. Thanks to Drumpf it can’t be Phoenix/Scottsdale anymore. Same for California, Florida, and Texas. Even before the President in Cheat, Hawaii’s Trade winds and ultra grainy Bermuda greens made golfing there tortuous. The other spots are now just too much of a hassle to get to. So, until regime change in D.C., best to just wait for Spring.

Mumford: Jamaica and Dominican Republic top my list. Both have lots of flights from Toronto, terrific accommodations and plenty of great golf.