Peter Malnati, in his first year on the PGA Tour Policy Board, has proven to be a champion for the common man. He was honest about the reaction of players to the PGA Tour’s framework agreement with Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund.
Malnati was adamant that the players had lost faith in the Tour since the announcement. also added that it will take time for the trust to be restored.
Malnati was questioned on Tuesday about the news of Lexi Thompson, the LPGA’s star, being granted an exemption to the Shriners Children’s Open, which is held in Las Vegas. The event is set to take place Oct. 12-15, at TPC Summerlin. Last year’s course measured 7,255 yards and had a par score of 71. A field of 132 players will compete for an $8.4-million purse.
The 36-year old Indiana native said he believed the exemption was a bit of a stretch.
Malnati replied, “I only got a message this morning. I don’t have much information about it.” “I know that Lexi has at times been among the top LPGA Tour players, and I’m sure she is very athletic. The distance won’t be an issue. She’ll be able to hit the ball far enough.
“My gut feeling when I saw it was that the tournament was reaching out to get — trying to drum up some interest. If that’s the case, I can understand.
Peter Malnati hits his shot on the third tee of the Charles Schwab Challenge Golf Tournament. (Photo: Jim Cowsert-USA TODAY Sports)
Malnati’s next statement landed him in hot water.
“I don’t think that we will need to use gimmicks in order to generate interest.” It was a mistake to say that. “I don’t believe that having Lexi as a player is a gimmick. But I do not think that tournaments will have to go to such lengths to get stories that they can sell, because I think that these events will actually have a great deal of meaning,” said he. “Like i said, change is difficult for everyone, at all levels. So I’m sure that if your organization is hosting a tournament or if it’s the Century Club in Jackson, or if it’s Wayne Sanderson Farms you don’t really know what you have right now because the fall has been completely reimagined.
“I am pretty certain that The Fall will be a blockbuster success. I think that it will be a huge success. “But these tournaments they don’t yet know.”
Thompson, a full-time LPGA player in 2014 has 15 professional victories including one major — The 2014 Kraft Nabisco Championship.
“Having Lexi playing will certainly get a lot more headlines. If that’s what Shriners and their host organization are hoping for, then that’s fantastic. She’s obviously a professional sportswoman. “She’s achieved a lot,” Malnati stated. It’s not as if — I mean, what will happen? She could play well and the impact will be massive. She could play terrible and still finish 132nd.
“She’s a pro golfer, either way.” She is in the field. “The tournament is great if it brings them the attention they desire and works out well for them. I’m all for it.”
Malnati, one of seven former champions at The Country Club Jackson is making his ninth consecutive start. He won the 2015 tournament and then added a second place showing in 2020. This makes him the only player with a win and a runner up showing since the tournament moved to its present location in 2015.
