PGA Tour pro fumes after being shut out of home WM Phoenix Open

Dylan Wu did not hide his anger after learning he would not get into this week’s WM Phoenix Open — a tournament played in the backyard of his Scottsdale, Arizona home.

Wu, a fully exempt PGA Tour member, spent Thursday at TPC Scottsdale waiting for a spot to open in the field, only to be left out when Marcelo Rozo — fourth at Q-School — claimed the final place following J.J. Spaun’s withdrawal.

“Only fully exempt player on Tour not to get in the event. I guess #playbetter,” Wu wrote on X. “Full field PGA Tour events don’t include players with ‘full status.’”

Wu earned his PGA Tour card by winning a playoff at Q-School in December for the fifth and final available spot, a result that typically guarantees entry into full-field PGA Tour events. Instead, the WM Phoenix Open exposed the limitations of that promise.

Wu was not the only exempt player denied entry. 

PGA Tour University graduates Luke Clanton, David Ford and Gordon Sargent also failed to get into the field, despite holding exemption categories intended to provide access. 

The group reshuffles alongside Korn Ferry Tour graduates, though early-season events suggest they are not receiving equal starts.

Lee Hodges was another notable omission. 

Hodges recently fulfilled his major medical exemption at the Sony Open, yet ranked behind Wu and the PGA Tour U players in the priority order. 

While he could not get into the WM Phoenix Open, Hodges is in the field for The Players Championship — an inconsistency that has raised eyebrows among players returning from injury.

The PGA Tour has pointed to increased access for “full members” as a core justification for recent competition changes, including reduced field sizes and the elimination of many Monday qualifiers. 

But the Phoenix Open entry list highlighted lingering gaps in the system. 

When fully exempt players cannot access standard events that are neither majors nor signature tournaments, questions follow.

The WM Phoenix Open expanded its field from 120 to 123 players to accommodate the return of Brooks Koepka, but did not expand further to include additional exempt players, as was done at events such as Valspar, Houston and San Antonio last season. 

Even with the smaller field, play failed to finish before darkness on Thursday, forcing nine players to return Friday morning to complete their opening rounds.

Adding to the frustration, top-10 finishers from the previous week were also excluded. 

Joel Dahmen, who finished inside the top 10 at the Farmers Insurance Open, would not have gained entry under normal criteria. 

He ultimately received a sponsor exemption after writing a letter to the tournament director. Sahith Theegala and Adam Scott also required exemptions, despite holding two-year PGA Tour exemptions from finishing inside the top 30 of the 2024 FedEx Cup standings.

An obvious solution exists: moving the WM Phoenix Open later in the West Coast Swing, when additional daylight could ease scheduling pressure. Instead, indications from the Tour’s Future Competitions Committee suggest Phoenix will anchor the swing, likely held the week after the Super Bowl to maximize exposure.

For Wu and a growing group of fully exempt players left on the outside, the takeaway is uncomfortable but clear. Status alone no longer guarantees access — and in Phoenix, full exemption proved anything but.