Drama unfolds as Cognizant Classic grants exemptions to Chris Gotterup and Parker Coody over top ranked KFT/Q-School players

The Cognizant Classic is embroiled in a bit of drama. The tour event is giving out its exemptions now for the field, and those who were given passes into the tournament have been a bit controversial. Per reports, the players who were supposed to get them did not.

Monday Q Info reported on X (formerly Twitter):

"According to multiple sources, the tour told players in the KFT, Q-school category, that exemptions from the KFT category would go to the first two players on alternate list if all the players didn't get in."

They continued:

"That happened at Sony and Farmers. This week it didn't. Chris Gotterup and Parker Coody got the exemptions skipping over players in front of them. The event has the right to choose who they want, but why tell the players one thing would happen and then not do that."

Chris Gotterup and Parker Coody were the golfers added to the field via exemption. When it comes to these, the PGA Tour and its events can grant them to whomever they please. However, it was stated beforehand that the top golfers were from the KFT category, and those were not Coody or Gotterup.

As mentioned, the event doesn't have explicitly stated rules on who will get the next exemption. It's not a cut and dry list to pick the next players to be added. They can and do choose whoever based on whatever criteria.

The controversy arises from golfers reportedly being told that exemptions would be handed out in one fashion and then seeing them given out in a completely different manner.

The Cognizant Classic was the tournament that Tiger Woods' son Charlie was attempting to get into recently, and it's a fairly important event on the schedule. Being able to play in it is a big thing, and they evidently said one thing and did the other.

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Who is in the Cognizant Classic field?

As mentioned, both Parker Coody and Chris Gotterup have been given exemptions to play at the Cognizant Classic. They'll be among the players turning up at the PGA National Members Club on February 29.

Chris Gotterup joins the Cognizant Classic field

Who will be alongside them at the Cognizant Classic? Here's the full field as well as their betting odds via CBS Sports:

• Rory McIlroy +600
• Cameron Young +2200
• Russell Henley +2500
• Matt Fitzpatrick +2800
• Min Woo Lee +3000
• J.T. Poston +3000
• Tom Kim +3000
• Shane Lowry +3300
• Sungjae Im +3500
• Byeong Hun An +3500
• Eric Cole +3500
• Rasmus Højgaard +4000
• Keith Mitchell +4000
• Matthieu Pavon +4500
• Corey Conners +4500
• Sepp Straka +4500
• Chris Kirk +4500
• Daniel Berger +4500
• Stephan Jaeger +4500
• Beau Hossler +5000
• Thorbjørn Olesen +5000
• Alex Noren +5000
• Justin Rose +5000
• Denny McCarthy +5500
• Jake Knapp +5500
• Adam Svensson +6000
• Rickie Fowler +6000
• Luke List+6000
• Tom Hoge +6000
• Akshay Bhatia +7000
• Doug Ghim +7500
• Thomas Detry +7500
• Taylor Pendrith +7500
• Billy Horschel +7500
• Erik van Rooyen +7500
• Christiaan Bezuidenhout +8000
• Brendon Todd +8000
• Lucas Glover +9000
• Ryo Hisatsune +9000
• Ryan Fox +9000
• Taylor Montgomery +9000
• Davis Thompson +10000
• Matt Wallace +10000
• Mark Hubbard +10000
• Maverick McNealy +11000
• Justin Suh +11000
• Austin Eckroat +11000
• Ben Griffin +11000
• Adam Schenk +11000
• Chesson Hadley +11000
• Sami Valimaki +11000
• Gary Woodland +12000
• Jhonattan Vegas +12000
• Chris Gotterup +12000
• Matt Kuchar +15000
• Kevin Yu +15000
• Robert MacIntyre +15000

Chris Gotterup comes in with +12000 odds, far below the betting favorite Rory McIlroy.