As a condition to participating in the 2019 PGA Championship (the "Championship"), which is scheduled to be held at Bethpage State Park (the "Venue") from May 16-19, 2019, you ("Player") agree to the following:
1. CONDITIONS OF ENTRY
Entry forms must be received by The PGA of America by the entry deadline which is established and set forth on the entry form for the Championship. Except where otherwise noted, time of an entry deadline shall mean Eastern Standard Time.
No entries by telephone will be accepted.
There shall be no waivers of entry deadlines unless approved by The PGA of America in its sole discretion.
The entry form is subject to acceptance by PGA Tournament Corporation, Inc., and Player agrees that, in the event of its acceptance, it may be rejected or revoked at any time thereafter.
Player’s participation in the Championship is subject to the terms herein, all Rules, Regulations, provisions of the Constitution and By-Laws of The PGA of America and other conditions applicable to the Championship, as well as to the terms and conditions of the agreement between PGA Tournament Corporation, Inc. and Bethpage State Park.
Player unconditionally and irrevocably grants and assigns to the PGA of America, without limitation, the right to use his/her name, image, voice, and likeness in television, radio, motion picture, photographic, Internet, social media, electronic, and all other media, whether now in existence or hereafter created, in connection with his/her participation in the Championship and/or any other event conducted in conjunction/connection with the Championship (including Media Day). For the avoidance of doubt, this grant of rights shall authorize The PGA of America, any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, and assigns, to make any and all use of Player’s name, image, voice, and likeness in connection with: (1) advertising, promoting or publicizing the Championship, any television or electronic broadcasts or radio broadcasts of the Championship, any subsequent Championships, The PGA of America, the PGA TOUR, PGA Tour Champions, or any events sponsored or cosponsored by The PGA of America and the game of golf in general and/or the players; (2) live or recorded telecasts, television programs, radio broadcasts, Internet broadcasts, or other electronic transmissions or programming during golf tournaments; (3) broadcasts or exhibitions on a recorded basis as part of a program, motion picture, electronic transmission programming or video recording of the Championship, or year-end summaries of sports award programs or any news or sports news programs; (4) live or taped non-exclusive updates in any form of media; and (5) commemorative coins, official lithographs, commemorative yearbooks, portraits, paintings, posters, or other materials commemorating Player’s participation in the Championship. Player agrees to refrain from any action which will interfere with the orderly recording, production, reproduction, publication and dissemination of such recordings, transmissions, films, tapes, pictures, photographs, or images. Player acknowledges and agrees it is his/her intent to provide the rights outlined herein and to intentionally forgo any rights to review and/or approve any recording or transmission.
In the event, Player or any person or entity affiliated with Player record and/or otherwise capture, via any device and/or manually, whether at the site of the Championship or remotely, any data, content, images, video or statistics, in any form, related to and/or resulting from Player’s participation in the Championship ("Player Data"), Player hereby agrees to not use such Player Data for any commercial purpose, as such is defined by The PGA of America, without first obtaining the approval of The PGA of America, such approval at The PGA of America’s sole discretion.
Player will not share any part of the prize money he/she may win in the Championship with any other contestant.
Player may not bet or wager on any aspect of the Championship, nor may he/she provide any information concerning any player and/or the Championship to a party that Player knows, or has reason to believe, will use or is likely to use the information in connection with gambling on the Championship. In the event of a failure to comply with the foregoing, the PGA shall have the authority to fix such penalty as in the PGA’s judgment shall be in the best interest of the PGA.
If Player wins the 2019 Championship, Player agrees to participate (if invited) in the Media Day for the 2020 PGA Championship at a time and place to be determined by the PGA of America.
Player assumes all risk and danger incidental to participation in the event (both to Player and to third parties as a consequence of Player’s actions), and releases The PGA of America, PGA Tournament Corporation, Inc., their affiliates, subsidiaries and the host site from any and all liabilities from any such cause.
2. RULES AND REGULATIONS
a) The Championship will be subject to the overall supervision of The PGA of America.
b) The conditions governing play and the purse distribution will be determined by The PGA of America.
c) Player is not permitted to use a golf cart during the week of the event, including practice and competition rounds, unless permitted to ride by The PGA of America Rules Committee. Requests to use motorized golf carts for disabilities must be submitted to The PGA of America in writing on or before the entry deadline. Procedures for review may be requested by the player at any time prior to the entry deadline date. For information on the PGA of America’s ADA Golf Cart Policy click here.
d) Anti-Doping: The PGA of America will follow and support the PGA TOUR’s Anti-Doping Program ("Program"), to which Player agrees to be bound in connection with his participation in the Championship. The PGA of America will make the Championship available as a site for random testing pursuant to the Program. The PGA of America will recognize suspensions or bans from other professional golfing bodies ("Professional Golfing Bodies"). An otherwise eligible player who is suspended from play for a breach of the Program (or by any of the other Professional Golfing Bodies that conducts an anti-doping program) for a period of suspension that would occur during the time of the Championship will be deemed ineligible to play in the Championship. In the event that any player is found to be in violation of the Program (or another anti-doping program applicable to the player) while playing in the Championship but where the violation was not found or proven until after the conclusion of the Championship, the following sanctions and actions will apply following a final and binding determination of an anti-doping violation:
· All prize monies, points, exemptions and trophies that the player may have earned while playing in breach of the Program (or another anti-doping program applicable to the player) will be immediately forfeited by the offending player and redistributed.
· If such player is the winner of the Championship, the player in second place will be awarded the Trophy and pronounced the winner. In the event there are two or more players tied for second place, prior to such disqualification, there will be a play-off for the Championship to be determined by The PGA of America.
· If a situation arises that is not expressly addressed by these Rules and Regulations, The PGA of America Appeals Committee shall have the authority to make such decision, as in his or her judgment shall be in the best interests of The PGA of America and the Championship.
e) Grooves and/or Punch Marks: Player’s clubs must conform to the groove and punch mark specifications in the Rules of Golf that are effective from January 1, 2010. NOTE: The exception to Decision USGA 4-1/1 is NOT in effect; therefore clubs manufactured before March 31, 1990, that meet the criteria of USGA Decision USGA/4-1/100 such as the Ping Eye 2 irons are NOT permitted for play. Penalty for Breach of Condition: See Decision 4-1/1
f) Player must personally register at Bethpage State Park or advise Championship officials there if Player will be late in arriving, together with the time of arrival, by 5:00 p.m. (local time) Tuesday, May 14, 2019.
g) Following the first 36 holes of play the field will be reduced to the 70 players having the lowest scores and those tied for 70th place.
h) Players who have not notified PGA Tournament Corporation’s national office prior to the April 12, 2019 deadline that they wish to bring their own caddie must use a caddie provided by Bethpage State Park.
i) In the event of a tie for first place at the end of 72 holes, there will be a three-hole cumulative score play-off as determined by The PGA of America. If the play-off involves more than two players, those other than the winner will be deemed to have tied for 2nd place regardless of their scores in the play-off.
j) In the event of suspension or cancellation of any round, the Championship may be completed on the Monday following the Championship’s originally scheduled completion date, or at a subsequent date determined by the PGA of America.
k) Player must complete and return an official 36-hole score to be eligible to receive any prize money.
l) Shorts allowed during Practice Rounds: Players shall present a neat appearance, appropriate to a Major professional golf championship. Slacks must be worn during Championship rounds when on club property, although Players are permitted to wear shorts during practices rounds. Shorts worn during a practice round must be hemmed, not more than two inches above the knee, and professional looking in appearance. All attire must be hemmed appropriately for a Major professional golf championship.
3. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR 2019 PGA CHAMPIONSHIP
All contestants in the 2019 PGA Championship must fit into at least one of the categories below and (except international players) be a PGA of America member in good standing:
1. Former winners of the PGA Championship.
2. Winners of the last five Masters (2015 – 2019).
3. Winners of the last five U.S. Opens (2014 – 2018).
4. Winners of the last five Open Championships (2014 – 2018).
5. Winners of the last three Players Championships (2017 - 2019).
6. The top 15 finishers and ties from the 2018 PGA Championship.
7. The top 20 finishers from the 2019 PGA Professional Championship.
8. The top 70 players who have earned the most PGA Championship Points from the 2018 The Players Championship through the 2019 PGA Tour event, Wells Fargo Championship ending May 5, 2019
9. Playing members of the last-named U.S. and European Ryder Cup teams (2018) provided they remain within the top 100 of the Official World Golf Rankings as of May 5, 2019.
10. Winners of PGA TOUR co-sponsored or approved tournaments, whose victories are considered official, from the 2018 Players Championship to the 2019 PGA Championship.
11. The PGA of America reserves the right to invite additional players not included in the categories listed above.
12. If necessary to complete the field, those players beyond the top 70 players who have earned the most PGA Championship Points from the 2018 The Players Championship through the 2019 PGA TOUR event, Wells Fargo Championship ending May 5, 2019 in order of their position on such list.
The total field will be a maximum of 156 players. Eligibility requirements for future Championships subject to change.