[cschroe]

And part of their rights in this regard is the right to decide by what criteria someone would earn an invitation from them.

Only partly true. The PGA sets some very exacting standards for those exemptions. No way in hell BofA could have given me and my 14 handicap an exemption, even if I was a favorite former local club pro and current CFO of BofA.

[William McKinley]

You are right- there are some criteria that still have to be met. I believe it is a 2 handicap or better? But those criteria were met.

My point is, that for these tournaments, there are those who do not have to qualify (due to past PGA success), those who do have to qualify, and those who get sponsor exemptions. All three are legitimate ways of earning the way into the tournament. Her spot today was legitimate, as long as there are going to be sponsor exemptions.

[TomB]

Only partly true. The PGA sets some very exacting standards for those exemptions. No way in hell BofA could have given me and my 14 handicap an exemption, even if I was a favorite former local club pro and current CFO of BofA.

That isn't quite true, along with Babe Zaharius, other's have gotten exemptions that didn't quite fit the bill. From an article on CNN/SI.com:

" Past sponsor exemptions have backfired. In 1992, Kemper Open officials wanted to spice up their event, so they gave one to Washington Redskin quarterback Mark Rypien. Rypien shot 80-91, not only embarrassing himself but the tournament as well. Another "great" sponsor exemption that didn't work happened 13 years ago. Remember Mason Wolf? Probably not. I'm sure there's one tournament he'd like to forget as well. In 1990, Wolf was an assistant pro at the C.C. of South Sapphire Valley. Thanks to one of its members, Jack Mosely, who also happened to be Chairman and CEO of USF&G, Wolf received an exemption into the USF&G Classic in New Orleans. Wolf shot 90-93 to set the highest 36-hole score recorded in the last 30 years on the PGA Tour."

[Ready4Freddy]

They set very exacting standards for 50% of the exemptions. BofA (or the National Bank of Dumb Shiite, for that matter :) could give you an exemption, but would they? Of course not.