With the FedEx Fall series concluding, the PGA roster for 2026 is shaping up. The usual star players are in the lineup, as well as some new players, like Laurie Canter. However, 2026 is also the year when the PGA is limiting its field size, much to many players’ dismay. That means the bar for entry has been raised higher than in previous years. Unfortunately for Justin Lower, he couldn’t quite clear the bar and has lost his Tour Card.
Justin Lower In The FedEx Fall Series
For Lower, completing the FedEx Fall Series was incredibly important for his career. He already fully acknowledged that 2025 was a terrible year for him. In order to keep his card, he needed to finish under 100. However, during the RSM Classic, he realized that he would finish between 101 and 125. That would have cleared the bar for entry last year, but not anymore. It was all part of an effort to reduce the play time during tournaments. The move has its critics, including Lower. The criticism is that yes, it can reduce the time, but at the cost of removing opportunities for new players.
Lower Loses His Card
With the position Justin Lower finished in, his Tour Card status was revoked. He was already a critic of the reduction, and now he is feeling it firsthand. During an interview, Lower shared his thoughts on the matter, and he was not happy about it.
“I’m just pretty pissed off, to be honest,” Lower began. “I don’t really have anything else to say. Anything I seem to say or anytime I speak my mind, people tend to not like it, so I’m just not going to say a whole lot. My life is about to change dramatically in about like three, four months. I have twins on the way. I have no idea what to expect. So that’s really all I’m thinking about right now, along with how I can improve in the game of golf and how I can prolong my career.”
Lower will still be able to play on the Tour, but his status is conditional. He is not guaranteed a place in any PGA Tournament. It is entirely possible for him to walk right up to a tournament and not be able to play. Similar to Wesley Bryan earlier this year, before he was put on suspension.
2026
For Lower, 2026 is going to be rough for him. As he stated, he is about to be the father of twins, as well as needing to improve his game. If he wants to improve his game during this coming season, he needs to commit to a lot of training. At the moment, he is dreading the upcoming season and all that it brings. With the reduced field size throughout the season, things are going to get tight. The way things have shaped up for Lower is just the start of that. Hopefully, he can pull through throughout 2026 and is able to earn his Tour Card back.
Main Photo Credit: © Allison Lawhon-Imagn Images
