For Michael Brennan, very few expected the 23-year-old Wake Forest graduate to rewrite the script this early in his career. But his win at the Bank of Utah Championship made him golf’s latest breakout story. Why, you ask? Because he was a sponsor’s exemption. It’s a feat achieved by only one other player, Nick Dunlap, since 2024. As Brennan basks in his life-changing win, he can’t help but reflect on the current state of opportunity for young players on the PGA Tour.
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Following his Utah win, Brennan has secured himself a full PGA Tour status through 2027,. Still, in a recent conversation with Golf Channel, he acknowledged the increasingly narrow path to golf’s ‘elite stage.’
“I know some guys may get a little frustrated by it. Now that I’ve won and I’m on tour for a couple of years, I’m super glad that I was able to crack into that. I have a tour membership, but I’m not in all the events.”
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Brennan’s rise, impressive as it is, came through the long way around. He missed a Korn Ferry Tour card via PGA Tour University. That meant he had to grind through 16 events on the newly formed PGA Tour Americas. As you would know, it’s a hybrid circuit combining the old PGA Tour Canada and PGA Tour Latinoamerica. But in all its glory, Michael survived. He had three wins in a four-event stretch, a Fortinet Cup title, and eight top-1o finishes in 10 starts.
Interestingly, he had a few cents to give on the sponsor’s exemption, not good ones, though. And in the same breath, he also exposed the uncomfortable truth. The odds are stacked against most players trying to follow that path.
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“It’s a weird, maybe a little kind of a two-tier system…I played with Pearson Cootie on Thursday and Friday this past week in Utah. He played amazing on the Korn Ferry Tour, but he had conditional PGA Tour status. I think he said he was playing in his 32nd or 33rd event in Utah, which is a lot. I mean, good for him for grinding it out like that, but it’s definitely kind of a tough spot to be at.”
That “two-tier” reality has become a recurring theme among many in the PGA Tour ecosystem. The PGA Tour recently reduced its fully exempt membership from 125 players to 100 for the upcoming 2026 season. This new rule leaves out those who finish at 101st to 125th, in a state of what Brennan calls “limbo.” Conditional members like Pearson Cootie will have to scramble for a start, or rely on fall events or Monday Qs, for that matter.
But this does not stop here. The Korn Ferry Tour has also slashed its promotional spot by 10. Even Q-school now awards PGA Tour cards only to the top five finishers. In other words, your elevation depends on the luck you hold that day. If you end up being inconsistent, you will find yourself stuck without a place to play. Brennan shared that what he is currently doing is not a piece of cake. But at the same time, he is happy to work and trying to figure things out on his own.
For Brennan, though, this new rule makes his victory all the more extraordinary. But you can’t expect the same from other rookies who are trying to find their footing. That’s why he is not the only one speaking against this new system.
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Lanto Griffin speaks out on the shrinking Tour opportunities
Lanto Griffin, in recent days, has become one of the loud voices on this new ‘shrink.’ He has even criticized the inflated FedEx Cup points at the elevated events. Ironic because he found sudden headlines after his solo 3rd on the Procore Championship. A fall event. But here he is, speaking out.
“With everything going smaller, it feels like the walls are a lot tighter, but everybody has to do it,” said Griffin. “There will be guys who had a pretty good year and finish 105, 110 [on the points list].”
If you look at the data, you’ll back Griffin up. This divide is very evident in the 2025 rookie class. Only five of the 35 rookies are projected to keep their cards heading into the final stretch of the FedExCup Fall. This is after the Tour promised the fall series to act as a proving ground. But the newcomers have only faced limited starts and scarce opportunities.
“I don’t think anybody really knows what 110, 120 will get you. They [the Tour] say it will give you starts, and they’ve been pretty accurate. The top 100 is the goal, but 110 will get you a decent amount of starts next year,” Griffin said.
The PGA Tour might have its reasons for shrinking the field, but golf is a traditional sport. And with the evolving nature of competition, as well as the emergence of leagues like LIV, the Tour just risks losing out on potential players to the other side. Analysts like Brandle Chamblee point to this issue. Should the PGA Tour management listen to the analysts?
