January 4, 2010
2010 PGA TOUR ROOKIE OF THE YEAR CANDIDATE RICKIE FOWLER, ARNOLD PALMER'S GRANDSON, SAM SAUNDERS, RECEIVE SPONSOR'S EXEMPTIONS FOR 51st BOB HOPE CLASSIC, JAN. 18-24
Past champion David Duval, Rocco Mediate, USC product Jamie Lovemark also among exemptions
LA QUINTA, Calif. Jan. 4, 2010 - Youth will be served at the 51st Bob Hope Classic, Jan. 18-24. Rickie Fowler, one of the leading candidates for 2010 PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year honors, and Arnold Palmer's grandson, Sam Saunders, have been awarded sponsor's exemptions. Fowler received an exemption via his finish at the 2009 Q-school and Saunders was awarded an unrestricted exemption.
The Classic also announced other recipients of sponsor's exemptions. Earning a berth via the 2009 Q-school was Joe Ogilvie. Restricted exemptions went to Steve Elkington and Billy Mayfair, and unrestricted exemptions were awarded to 2008 U.S. Open runner-up Rocco Mediate, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., native and USC product Jamie Lovemark, and 1999 champion and author of closing-round 59 David Duval.
Fowler, 20, a Murietta, Calif., native who now resides in Las Vegas, was the No. 1 ranked amateur in the world for 36 weeks in 2007 and '08. He was a two-time first-team All-American at Oklahoma State and won the Ben Hogan and Phil Mickelson awards. He turned professional in 2009 after winning all four of his matches to help the United States to a Walker cup victory. Fowler came close to winning twice early in his professional career, losing a playoff at the Nationwide Tour's Children's Hospital Invitational, and at the PGA TOUR's Frys.com Open. He tied for seventh in his first PGA TOUR event, the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. He earned nearly $600,000 in just eight PGA TOUR starts in 2009, and then claimed his PGA TOUR card for 2010 by tying for 15th at the 2009 Q-school.
Saunders, 22, had an excellent amateur career at Clemson University and was medalist at the 2005 U.S. Junior Amateur. He turned pro in 2009. Arnold Palmer is a five-time champion of the Bob Hope Classic.
« back
