After a decent T12 finish at the Genesis Invitational, Jordan Spieth is set to compete at the Arnold Palmer Invitational next week, but he isn't particularly happy about one aspect of his participation in the tournament.

The three-time major champion finished his final round at the Genesis Invitational at 11 under par on February 22. Subsequently, he spoke about the Arnold Palmer Invitational at the post-event press conference, admitting he wasn't satisfied with the way he received the clearance to compete in that tournament through an "exemption".

He said, "I'm glad to be going back to Bay Hill and fortunate they gave me a spot. I don't ever want to use an exemption again, and I was hoping not to have to use that one."

A sponsor exemption is when the main sponsor of a tournament chooses a player to play, even if that player didn’t qualify through rankings or results. It usually goes to a renowned player, who, the sponsors think, can add a considerable number of eyeballs.

While Spieth can boast about his notoriety after getting his Arnold Palmer Invitational authorization via an exemption, the method clearly didn't satisfy his pride.

The 32-year-old has used these exemptions a few times during the untoward phases in his career. But while he isn't pleased about using one of them to enter the Arnold Palmer Invitational, he feels the tournament can be an eventful one for him.

However, he is far from being the only exemptee set to compete in the tournament.

Three Other Golfers Used the Jordan Spieth Way to Compete at the Arnold Palmer Invitational

During the post-Genesis Invitational press conference, Spieth revealed his hopes to perform well in the Arnold Palmer Invitational based on his current momentum. He said, "I have a good history there, and I feel like I got some momentum."

Spieth's T4 finish at the 2023 edition of the tournament and his performance at the 2026 Genesis Invitational say that he isn't wrong in his self-assessment.

However, accomplishing the task might be difficult, considering that he will also have to compete with the three other golfers who also entered the tournament through exemptions.

On February 14, the Arnold Palmer Invitational's official Instagram account revealed that Daniel Bennett, Chris Kirk, and Billy Horschel also received sponsor exemptions to compete in the tournament.

So, besides the Colin Morikawas and Rory McIlroys, Spieth will also have to take care of Bennett, Kirk, and Horschel to accomplish his vision regarding the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Do you think he will finish the tournament in a better position than his Genesis Invitational campaign?

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Written by

Sneha Abraham

Edited by

Souvik Roy