LPGA's Once Every Four Clarified

I posted earlier in the week about my response to a reader about the modification by the LPGA Tour to their Once Every Four rule requiring all active players to play in each active event once per four years. The LPGA has modified that rule and Robert Thompson up in Canada explained it in his blog. Still, Thompson's explanation via the tournament director at the CN Canadian Women's Open was not clear as to the application of the exemption. So I turned to the good folks at the LPGA Tour to get some clarity.

Pam Warner helped me out and explained to me the exact implication of the exemption. First, a player may only use the exemption once in her entire career. Also, by taking that exemption, the player is simply given a 5th year to fulfill the Once Every Four requirement. As a result, the exemption does not completely ruin the spirit of the rule. I just wanted to be very clear for fans who may be feeling gipped that they will not be for longer than a year at a time.