Amateur golfer David Ford of North Carolina will make a start at the Arnold Palmer Invitational this week. His path there didn’t involve a Monday qualifier. Nor did it come to him because he won a major amateur tournament, which is the case with several longstanding PGA Tour event exemptions.

Nor was it a sponsor exemption that is allowing Ford to play the famed Bay Hill Club and Lodge alongside a stacked field that includes Scottie Scheffler.

Rather, Ford has his peers to thank for this opportunity - those who competed alongside him for USA at last year’s Palmer Cup.

Each year, a man and woman are voted upon by their peers to receive exemptions into the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard (and the Amundi Evian Championship) for the women. Ford gained the men’s exemption, while Rachel Kuehn of Wake Forest was awarded the women’s honor.

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While the No. 3-ranked amateur Ford never had the chance to meet Arnold Palmer, the significance of receiving the exemption to a high-profile PGA Tour event via playing the Arnold Palmer Cup has been on his mind for a while.

“I was thinking back to when I caddied in the Palmer Cup a few years ago, remembering so vividly that there was one player designated to get an exemption into that event,” said Ford. “To have my name called is really cool and comes full circle.”

Ford’s humility and interest in making long-lasting friendships are Arnold Palmer qualities to be sure. Palmer had the ability to make eye contact with everyone in the gallery, and everyone who met him during a visit to Latrobe Country Club in Pennsylvania would attest to his interest in going the extra mile to make their trip special.

Ford, by way of his peer selection, was the man for the exemption this year, and he clearly has the game to be competitive. His career scoring average of 70.22 is not only the best in UNC history, it also includes several rounds of 62, including a big one at Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach during the 2022 Jackson T. Stephens Cup.