Once Exempted Mickelson Has A Point on Furyk DQ

As we reminded you yesterday, Phil Mickelson has been one of a fortunate few to miss his pro-am tee time in the last four years and not be disqualified for it. Naturally, since that little nugget was resurrected yesterday, Mickelson was asked about his thoughts on the Furyk DQ - particularly in light of him not being DQ'd for missing the pro-am at the '07 Byron Nelson.

In typical Mickelson fashion, he defended himself first.

Referring to his plane being grounded in Arknasas, Mickelson quipped, "[T]he rule was such where if you have an issue like that, you can get an excuse. The airport's closed, what are you going to do? You can't take off. The roads were flooded. I couldn't drive. I didn't have an option."

Sure he did. He could have not participated in the voluntary outing he conducted there for side money. That's neither here nor there, though.

Mickelson then addressed the rule- not only as it favorably applied to him, but to the rest of the field.

"Well, the rule itself applies to only half the field. So if you're going to have a rule that does not apply to everybody, because not everybody played the Pro-Am, you cannot have it affect the competition. It's got to be a different penalty. It can't be disqualification if it only applies to half the field."

Adding later, "I have no idea how the Commissioner let this rule go through. It's ridiculous. I made my viewpoint very clear to him, yes."

Mickelson may want to blame Joe Ogilvie, one of the policy board members that got this rule passed almost a handful of years ago. The four players on the board are outnumbered by five other members, but the suggestion that it was on the Commissioner is a misnomer - at best.

He has a point, though. Usually half the field or less is involved in a pro-am, and it typically falls on better players.

With the pro-am modifications that sponsors can now request - an off-course event in lieu of a round with a pro - Mickelson thought that Furyk could stay in the tournament by doing an alternative activity.

"I thought that that also included if you missed your tee time you were able to make it up by going to the hospitality tent Thursday or Friday, which is why I was so shocked that he ended up being DQed because I thought that was included in that rule change."

Kind of surprising that a guy who is so well aware of the rules would whiff on that one.

The players will have an opportunity in meetings over the next year to push through a policy change, even one specific to the Playoffs. Furyk's DQ likely shed light on a brewing issue that finally had serious impact.