ORLANDO, Fla. – Justin Lower’s path to this week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational is the blueprint for the majority of the PGA Tour.
Lower didn’t finish last year among the top 50 on the FedExCup points list — he was 103rd after the fall season — which means he’ll spend 2024 clawing his way into this season’s signature events. Thanks to a third-place finish a couple of weeks ago at the Mexico Open, he landed a spot in the field at Bay Hill.
“I didn’t think I could get in until after Mexico,” said Lower, who moved into the Aon Swing 5 list — and into the API, his first signature start of the year — thanks to his play in Mexico.
Lower should be a paradigm of hope for those vying for spots in the Tour’s biggest events and, following an opening 67 on Day 1 at Bay Hill for a share of the early lead, a testament to the Tour’s signature-event model. On Thursday, however, he didn’t sound like the perfect pitchman.
“I’ll definitely say it makes it more interesting. I will say, for the majority of the Tour, I don’t think it’s more fun, if I’m being honest, just with the points structure and everything from these events,” he said of the Tour’s signature-event structure. “I do know a lot of guys are unhappy with that. I will admit I am. There’s a lot of points available this week compared to ... in Mexico, [where] you’re still playing for a lot and you’re playing against double the field, really. So that’s all I’ll really say.”
Lower went on to add that earning a spot in this week’s limited field is “awesome,” but his take on the divide between signature events and full-field stops is shared by many.
The 34-year-old earned 145 FedExCup points for his share of third against a full field with a cut in Mexico. To earn roughly the same number of points this week at Bay Hill, he’d only need a solo 13th-place finish in an event with just 69 players.
Lower’s thoughts also speak to how relentless life will be for players who aren’t locked into the signature events via their finish on last year’s points list. Following next week’s Players Championship, for which Lower is qualified to play, the quest will start anew to earn a spot in the next signature event (RBC Heritage) through either the Aon Swing 5 or Next 10 categories.
“If you’re not in [the signature events], the schedule kind of chooses itself for you,” he said, “like what tournaments to play in and whatnot.”
