'I hate it': Erik van Rooyen is not a fan of PGA Tour signature events. He explains why
Erik van Rooyen planned to go home this week. Instead, he's heading to Philadelphia Cricket Club to compete in the Truist Championship, the sixth signature event on the PGA Tour's 2025 schedule.
He got in the field thanks to the Aon Swing 5, a category created to help those not in the signature events have a way to play their way in, which van Rooyen did Sunday with his runner-up finish to Scottie Scheffler at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in Texas. He earned more than $1 million for his efforts at TPC Craig Ranch, but now he's in the field at Truist, formerly the Wells Fargo, where there's a $20 million purse.
What does van Rooyen think of the signature events and the Aon Swing 5?
"How honest do you want me to be? I hate it," he said Sunday.
"I strongly believe that the strongest fields are the ones with the most players in them. The guys on the PGA Tour are so good. It's so deep. I get that you've got the Scotties of the world, the Rorys of the world, and people want to see them, it's entertaining.
"Like the PGA Championship coming up, for example, I think it's the strongest field in the game, similar to The Players. I love competing, so selfishly I want to compete against those guys."
Van Rooyen isn't the only player to share that sentiment of signature events with limited fields aren't the best thing for the Tour. It has become a common theme in the signature event era, and next year with more fields shrinking in an effort to speed up play and fewer cards available, it's bound to be more of a discussion point as the year goes on.
He was asked a follow up whether he thought being able to play your way into event was a good thing, and he agreed 100 percent.
"I think good play needs to be rewarded," van Rooyen said. "That's part of why the PGA Tour is the greatest tour in the world. It's so deep, it's so strong.
"But I think Rory always says it, just play better."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NBC Sports
an hour ago
- NBC Sports
Marco Penge wins Danish Golf Championship as Rasmus Hojgaard misses big Ryder Cup chance
Relive the best moments from Round 3 of the BMW Championship — the second event of the PGA Tour's FedExCup Playoffs — at Owings Mills, Maryland. COPENHAGEN — Englishman Marco Penge birdied the 18th hole to win the Danish Golf Championship on Sunday by a stroke over Rasmus Hojgaard, who missed a chance to climb into the automatic qualifying positions for Europe's Ryder Cup team. Hojgaard looked on course for the title in his home country when he powered into a four-shot lead midway through his front nine, only to drop four strokes in four holes from No. 10 and allow Penge to take the lead. Penge walked down the par-5 18th with a two-shot cushion over Hojgaard in the final pairing, but saw his competitor roll in an eagle putt from 10 feet to the delight of the crowd at Furesø Golf Klub in Copenhagen. The 97th-ranked Penge needed to hole a birdie putt from 4 feet for the win and he held his nerve to shoot 4-under 67, finish on 16 under for the week and seal a second DP World Tour title. Both victories have come this year, with the first at the Hainan Classic in April. Hojgaard (69) was the runner-up and will remain outside the six automatic qualifying spots, just behind projected No. 6 Shane Lowry and No. 7 Sepp Straka, in the race to get into Europe's team for the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black next month. There is one qualifying event left for players next week. Hojgaard will play at the British Masters on the European tour and Straka and Lowry are scheduled to play on the PGA Tour at the Tour Championship, which offers more qualifying points.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
You Won't Believe the Last Time Scottie Scheffler Paid for a Round of Golf
You Won't Believe the Last Time Scottie Scheffler Paid for a Round of Golf originally appeared on Athlon Sports. As the PGA Tour heads toward the FedExCup playoffs, Scottie Scheffler stands atop the leaderboard of professional golf. The 29-year-old American has claimed four major championships (two this year) and secured his grip on the World No. 1 ranking for 151 weeks, an era of dominance that few in the sport can rival. But away from the tournament fairways and leaderboards, Scheffler revealed on Wednesday a slice of life that many fans wouldn't expect from the world's top player. Asked when he last paid for a round, Scheffler joked, "It's been a while. I remember the last time I didn't get to pay for a round…one of my buddies in the pro shop had to pay for a round. That was pretty funny." He recounted walking into a local public course about five years ago, asking his friend at the pro shop to ring him up for tee times. The pro said, "Oh no no, you're good," only to turn to Scheffler's friend and say, "Actually, you gotta pay." Scheffler laughed at the memory, noting that they still tease his friend about footing the bill. Scottie Scheffler's Early PGA Career: From Junior Star to Tour Rookie Scheffler's rise began long before he turned pro in 2018. As a youth, he won 90 of 136 junior events on the Northern Texas PGA circuit and captured the 2013 U.S. Junior Amateur title. At the University of Texas, he helped the Longhorns to Big 12 championships and earned Phil Mickelson Freshman of the Year honors in 2015. On the Korn Ferry Tour in 2019, Scheffler's play propelled him to Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year and Finals points list winner, granting him full PGA Tour status for 2020. He wasted little time making waves as a rookie, finishing fourth on the money list and earning PGA Tour Rookie of the Year. The Scottie Scheffler Breakthrough Year: 2022 and Beyond The 2022 season marked Scheffler's true arrival on golf's biggest stage. In the span of three months, he notched his first PGA Tour victory, ascended to world No. 1, hoisted his first green jacket at the Masters Tournament and won PGA Tour Player of the Year. That breakthrough season included four wins, an astonishing run that made him the first golfer since Arnold Palmer in 1960 (and only the second ever) to win that many events, including the Masters, in that span of time to begin the season. He backed that up by winning The Players Championship in both 2023 and 2024, becoming the first player to secure back-to-back titles at the sport's "fifth major." At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Scheffler added an individual gold medal to his resume and capped the year by clinching the inaugural FedExCup title at East Lake Golf Club. This season, he's won four events: The CJ Cup Byron Nelson, PGA Championship, Memorial Tournament and Open Championship, joining Tiger Woods as the only two players to win the Open Championship while ranked No. 1 in the world. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Bryson DeChambeau Has Strong Words for Scottie Scheffler on Tuesday
Bryson DeChambeau Has Strong Words for Scottie Scheffler on Tuesday originally appeared on Athlon Sports. On the eve of the BMW Championship, Scottie Scheffler arrives off another top‑three finish, more prize money milestones and even a caddie shuffle that hasn't slowed him down. He tied for third at the FedEx St. Jude Championship on Sunday, pushing his official PGA Tour earnings over $20 million this season and will open the BMW having already clinched first in the FedEx Cup point standings over Rory McIlroy. On "The Pat McAfee Show" on Tuesday, Bryson DeChambeau framed Scheffler's dominant form in two simple traits: spin and distance control. "He's got the best spin and distance control I've ever seen,' DeChambeau said, adding that 175 yards into a 10‑mph wind is a stock situation where Scheffler can land it "right next to the hole every time," likening Scheffler's precision to the best he's seen since Tiger Woods. Scottie Scheffler 2025 Form: Wins, Majors and Money Scheffler has four PGA Tour wins this season, including two majors: the 2025 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow and The Open at Royal Portrush. He also won the CJ CUP Byron Nelson and the Memorial Tournament. He shot 65 on Saturday and finished T‑3 at TPC Southwind in Memphis, continuing a run of mistake‑light golf that's kept him in contention nearly every week. His tie for third on Sunday lifted him to $20,362,883 in official money for 2025, the most on Tour to date. He also secured an $8 million Comcast Business Tour Top 10 bonus and a $10 million FedEx Cup regular‑season No. 1 bonus under this season's playoff format changes. In his career, Scheffler owns four majors (2022 Masters; 2024 Masters; 2025 PGA; 2025 Open) and two PLAYERS Championships (2023, 2024), plus an Olympic gold medal last summer. Scheffler's 17 PGA Tour wins at just 29 years old demand attention as is, but the recent Woods comps are the best read on just how dominant he's been over the last year. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 12, 2025, where it first appeared.
