Patrick Newcomb enjoyed a big career accomplishment on Sunday, winning the APGA Tour's Farmers Insurance Invitational at Torrey Pines. The event aired on Golf Channel and finished the day after the PGA Tour's Farmers Insurance Open wrapped up at the same site.
With the win, Newcomb not only earned $10,000, but he also earned an exemption into the Korn Ferry Tour's Simmons Bank Open in Tennessee in May.
Newcomb, though, already has a spot in the field for the May event, making the exemption superfluous for him. So, he proposed that he pass on the exemption to APGA stalwart Tim O'Neal, who finished second in the Torrey Pines event after a 5-foot birdie putt on the final hole lipped out.
"Tim O'Neal, who missed a short one on the last that was surprising, you can see my face after, he's been a great friend of mine for a long, long time, and I've spoken to the Korn Ferry Tour and I'd like to issue the invite to Tim," Newcomb said Wednesday on Golf Channel. "I spoke with [Tim] earlier and he'd be happy to take it, so I'm excited to have Tim in the field at the Simmons Bank."
The APGA Tour was on board, so it was up to the tournament and the Korn Ferry Tour, which agreed to honor the transfer.
Patrick Newcomb announced today he is passing his exemption into the @KornFerryTour's 2022 @simmons_bank to fellow friend and APGA Tour Player Tim O'Neal pic.twitter.com/TybgstavcN
— APGA TOUR (@APGA_Tour) February 2, 2022
O'Neal, 49, has made eight PGA Tour starts, including the 2015 U.S. Open. He has won three APGA Tour events and been a critical foundation of the tour going back to its start in 2010.
"We are thrilled that Patrick Newcomb's request to pass along his exemption to Tim O'Neal has been approved," said APGA Tour founder Ken Bentley in a statement. "Tim has been a tremendous player on our tour since its inception and has been an incredible role model to the younger generation on our tour today."
Newcomb finished T-11 in the final stage of Korn Ferry Tour Q-School, earning partial status for the season. He is competing this week in the tour's The Panama Championship.
