Major winner not given 5 year exemption

Sophia Popov - winner of the AIG Open, has only been granted a one year exemption to the LPGA tour rather than the normal 5 years. This is because she was a member of the Symetry Tour - the LPGA  feeder tour and not a full LPGA member. Its in their rules apparently. Seems mean to me.

Agree, very mean. I wonder if this situation has ever come up before. A number of top golfers (male and female) are now complaining about it so maybe they'll rethink that rule. She has an interesting story in that she had undiagnosed lymes disease for years so she's only now coming back to full strength.

Plunky wrote: I wonder if this situation has ever come up before. 

Not exactly this situation but Golf magazine reported that Lydia Ko and Lexi Thompson got special exemptions onto the LPGA tour due to their age. So there is precedent of the LPGA bending the rules, but maybe not this one.

It appears that it has happened several times before and none of the previous winners of Majors has had the 5 year exemption, including last years AIG Women's Open winner. LPGA Commissioner said he would look at the rule in the off season.

Its holf being rulesy and committed based. They will make a change to the rules, and Popov will miss out. Golf really doesn't help itself sometimes.