Tim Finchem Will Do Just About Anything For A Former PLAYERS Champion

There's so much fun stuff in the bizarro Tim Finchem Nov. 23, 2009 memo exposed by Doug Ferguson urging tournament directors explaining why they should give exemptions to Steve Elkington. Why is it fun?

A) You have players criticizing the Commissioner, just one more chink in armor that's already taken several hits this year

B) You have one more example of a peculiar lack of foresight, just one more chink in armor that's already taken several hits this year

C) Did I mention that you have players openly criticizing the Commissioner?

Anyway, Ferguson writes:

"I think it's out of line," said David Duval, a former major champion who also has only conditional status this year. "It never crossed my mind to ask Tim to do that for me."

Tim Herron, who has been writing tournaments for exemptions this year, said it smacked of favoritism.

"That's terrible of the tour," Herron said from Bay Hill, where he is playing as a past champion. "The tour needs to be unbiased and treat everyone the same. That's like a slap in the face. Nothing against Steve Elkington. But the tour is supposed to represent the players as a whole, and not just one player."

Try not to laugh:

In the memo, Finchem extols Elkington's career as a 10-time winner on the PGA Tour, and points out that "he has also been a tournament favorite for his work with the sponsors."

The unique circumstances? He received a 10-year exemption for his Players Championship victory in 1997, then finished 85th on the money list after the exemption ran out. When he finally lost his card, Elkington could not use his one-time exemption for being top 50 in career money because he had fallen to No. 57.
Elkington fell out of the top 50 in career money in 2006 and climbed back in over four years of being fully exempt.

"Because Steve will be in the conditionally exempt Past Champions category in 2010 after so many years as an exempt member, we felt it was prudent to inform you of his situation as he will be writing many of you requesting a sponsor exemption," Finchem said in the memo.

"Please do not construe this communication as an endorsement for him to receive a sponsor exemption. Rather, it is merely intended to present you the facts of his 2010 eligibility status."

And this may speak to an interesting fraternity of tournament directors also possibly losing faith in the Commish:

One tournament director said he had received 10 e-mails from other tournament executives who felt pressure to give Elkington an exemption. The director spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press because he has not awarded his exemptions.