From July 2012...

Two-time U.S. Open Champion Lee Janzen is a special man.  I have represented him since 1995.  My respect for him has grown each year.

The USGA did not give an exemption to Lee this year when the U.S. Open returned to The Olympic Club in San Francisco for the first time since Janzen won his 2nd U.S. Open there in 1998.  He defeated his close friend Payne Stewart by 1 shot.  This is the same Payne Stewart he went head-to-head with in 1993 winning his 1st U.S. Open at Baltusrol by 2 strokes.

Lee, in my opinion, deserved the exemption.  He is still in his 40's and is an active golfer on the PGA Tour.  He has played every your on the PGA Tour since 1990.  He represents the TOUR with class.  When he did not receive the exemption to this year's U.S. Open he was hurt and disappointed.  He did not say that to me but I felt those emotions from him.  Lee said all of the right things.  My opinion is Lee made a decision at this time to go full speed on the Web.Com Tour for the remainder of the 2012.  He believed this to be his best chance to get his PGA Tour card back.  He was playing on a past champions catagory which gave him only limited access in his attempt to move into the top 125 on the money list.  He is currently 174 on that money list with one top 10 finish at the John Deere Classic and has made 8 of 11 cuts on the PGA Tour this year.

The Web.com Tour is in Jacksonville this week at Dye's Valley Course.  Janzen has two top tens, an 2nd and 9th, in his 14 events on this tour 1n 2012.  He enters this week 61st on the web.com money list.  The top 60 move on to next weeks