"When you look at changing the major medical category for a nonexempt player, the ramifications it has for field makeup are incredible.”

Larry Dorman tracked down Champions Tour president Mike Stevens for some clarification on the vote against Ken Green. Essentially, Green should have played better.

He added that the tour’s major medical exemption is open only to players in the categories of top 30 money winners from the previous season and winners from the current year.

Because the policy board refused to extend the exemption to Green, his current status on the tour will expire on July 23, his 52nd birthday. “They’re basically, and I don’t mean this as a pun, cutting my foot right out from under me,” Green said. “I’m baffled by it.”

Stevens, whom Green said had lobbied on his behalf with the board, said that the Champions Tour regulations for eligibility and field makeup are “a little confusing.” For example, he said, the term “major medical” is often thought to refer to the severity of the injury or condition of a player, but it actually refers to a player’s eligibility status.

While no one would confuse the devastating nature of Green’s injuries with the usual array of hip- and knee-replacement procedures that generally receive major medical exemptions on the Champions circuit, it was considered in the same vein, Stevens said.

“The injury could be anything that denies him the ability to play golf,” Stevens said, “whether an accident like Ken’s, or a knee problem, a shoulder problem, a back problem, anything the player submits as documentation that he is unable to play. They are submitted for major medical and reviewed and either granted or denied.”

Understandably, this is about setting a precedent so that future limb-losing players who failed to crack the top 30 the previous year don't get any funny ideas:

The tour also must consider potential legal challenges that could accompany any change in a regulation affecting a player’s eligibility, Stevens said, particularly when fields are limited to a maximum of 81 players.

“There are a lot of cases in the past where a player that was, like Ken, not fully exempt and has submitted a major medical request,” Stevens said. “And their request was denied. We looked at this in every which way you can.

“Obviously, it’s tragic what happened to Ken. But when you look at changing the major medical category for a nonexempt player, the ramifications it has for field makeup are incredible.”

I thought this was an "exhibition" tour?