The 2025 PGA TOUR season concludes at The RSM Classic, where the top 100 players in the FedExCup Fall standings will secure exempt status for 2026. This video breaks down what’s at stake, including the Aon Next 10 eligibility, Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year considerations, and the final push for PGA TOUR cards. We’ll highlight key players on the bubble, analyze the implications of the new eligibility changes, and preview the high-stakes action at St. Simons Island. Whether you’re a golf enthusiast or a PGA TOUR follower, this video is your ultimate guide to understanding the season’s dramatic finale.
Key topics covered:
– FedExCup Fall standings and top 100 implications
– Aon Next 10 eligibility for 2026 Signature Events
– Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year contenders
– Final Stage of PGA TOUR Q-School
– Players to watch at The RSM Classic
Don’t miss this in-depth analysis of the PGA TOUR’s season-ending drama!
Imagine the pressure of knowing your entire golfing future hangs in the balance with just one tournament left. Welcome to the high stakes drama unfolding at the RSM Classic, where dreams of PGA Tour glory for 2026 are either sealed or shattered. Hey there, golf fans. As we wrap up the 2025 PGA Tour season right here in Sunny Street, Simon’s Island, Georgia, the RSM Classic isn’t just another event. It’s the grand finale of the FedEx Cup fall series. For those new to how this all works, the FedEx Cup is like the PGA Tours pointsbased championship system that determines everything from rankings to exemptions. And the fall portion is all about sorting out who gets to play the big events next year. Under the latest eligibility tweaks announced by the tour, only the top 100 players in these FedEx Cup fall standings after this week’s action will snag full exempt status for the 2026 season. That means automatic entry into a ton of tournaments without having to qualify every time. Pretty crucial for building a career, right? But wait, there’s more riding on these fairways. Spots in the AON Next 10 for the opening two signature events of 2026. Think Elite Fields at places like Pebble Beach, plus final tallies that could sway nominations for PGA Tour Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year. It’s a makeorb breakak moment that could redefine careers. This tournament marks the seventh and last official stop in the FedEx Cup fall lineup, and every one of them dangles massive incentives for winners, a full two-year exemption on the PGA Tour, a whopping 500 FedEx Cup points to boost your ranking, and coveted invites to marquee events like the Players Championship, RBC Heritage, and the PGA Championship in 2026. For players, it’s also their shot to climb or solidify their spot in the priority ranking, which basically acts as the cue for getting into tournaments next season. A quick backstory for beginners. Earlier this year, the top 70 who made the FedEx Cup playoffs back in August locked in their 2026 exemption and access to the players plus all the standard full field events. Those who pushed further to the BMW Championship, the top 50, got the golden ticket to all eight signature events next year. Those are the tours premier showdowns with huge purses and top competition. The Elite Top 50 even secured their FedEx Cup positions for the regular season, while everyone from 51 onward kept grinding for points throughout the fall. It’s a layered system designed to reward consistency. But it can feel cutthroat, especially for those on the bubble, securing that top 100 spot, the ultimate safety net. And this is the part most people miss. The real nailbiter is how the RSM Classic serves as the absolute last chance for players to crack the top 100 in the FedEx Cup fall standings. Hitting that mark unlocks entry to every full field event in the players championship in 2026, giving you a stable platform to compete without the constant worry of qualifying. For context, full field events are the breadandbut tournaments that make up most of the schedule. So, this status is like having a VIP pass to the Tours Core calendar. If you finish between 101 and 150 and aren’t exempt through other means, you’ll drop to conditional status, which isn’t the end of the world, but definitely more precarious. These folks get slotted into three priority tiers on the ranking 101 to 110, 111 to 125, and 126 to 150, each with escalating restrictions on full field access. For example, the 101 to 110 group might get first dibs on spots while 126 to 150 could be weight listed more often. On the bright side, all of them earn a safety net with full exemption on the cornfairy tour, the developmental circuit where many stars got their start. As a reminder from earlier tour announcements, anyone who earned their 2025 membership via the Cornferry tour or the PGA Tour Q School and then slips out of exempt status this season will automatically get cornferry exemption for 2026, no matter their FedEx Cup fall finish. It’s a thoughtful buffer to keep talent in the fold and give second chances. Heading into this week, a bunch of players teetering between 95 and 110 are teeing it up, including Rio Hzitsun 95th, Thorjorn Olison 96th, Danny Walker 97th, Michael Brennan 98th, Tumi Canaya 99th, Carl Phillips 100th, Matt Wallace 102nd, Bo Hustler 103rd, Isaiah Celinda 104th, David Lipsky 105th, Victor Perez 108th, Patrick Fishburn 109th, and Pier Suncudi 110th. Note that Brennan and Villips are already safe thanks to their tournament wins elsewhere. Just last week at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship, we saw some thrilling surges. Winner Adam Shank rocketed from 134th to 67th. Runnerup Chandler Phillips jumped from 139th to 92nd and Takumi Kaya climbed from 120th to 99th after a T3 finish. Even Max McGrevy, who entered at exactly 100th, grabbed a T3 to vault to 89th. These kinds of moves show how one strong week can rewrite your future. Talk about momentum. The AON Next 10 gateway to golf’s biggest stages. But here’s where it gets controversial. Does the AON Next 10 really level the playing field, or does it just highlight the gaps between the tours halves and have nots? This program spotlights the top 10 non-exempt players from the final FedEx Cup standings, handing them entry to signature events and stirring up debates about merit versus opportunity. Specifically, the 51st through 60th in the FedEx Cup fall after the RSM Classic will form the AON Next 10 for 2020 XS Kickoff Signature Duo, the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro AAM and the Genesis Invitational. These are iconic venues where legends are made, so snagging a spot here can launch a breakout year. Currently, three AON Next 10 contenders are in the field. Chris Kirk 54th, Rico Hoey 57th, and Jake Knap 59th. Plus, seven from the 61 to 70 range who are chasing those spots are playing two. Nicovaria 62nd, Patrick Rogers 63rd, Joe Heismith 65th, Stephan Jagger 66th, Adam Shank 67th, Mackenzie Hughes 69th, and Steven Fisk 70th. Looking back for inspiration, last year Maverick McNeely claimed his maiden PGA Tour win right here at the RSM Classic and ended up 51st in the fall standings, earning a Next 10 Access. He nearly won the Genesis Invitational with a runner-up finish, which kept him in the group all season. That momentum fueled four top 10s in signature events, capping a stellar year at 23rd in the FedEx Cup and a peak of 10th in the official World Golf Ranking. Stories like his remind us how these pathways can turn good players into great ones, but is it fair that only 10 get this boost? What do you think? PGA Tour Q School Final Stage, the last resort for redemption. For those who missed the top 100, all isn’t lost. The final stage of PGA Tour Q School presented by Cornferry offers a gritty path to reclaim or upgrade status for 2026. The top five finishers, ties excluded, earn full PGA Tour cards, a high-pressure format that tests every skill under the sun. Exempt into this stage are the top 40 available players outside the top 100 in FedEx Cup fall, plus non-members with points matching or beating the 150th spot. Top 50 world ranked players as of November 17th also get a free pass. It’s set for December 11th to 14th in Ponte Vidra Beach, Florida. splitting time between DY Valley course at TPC Sawrass and Srass Country Club tough tracks that demand precision. This is a golden opportunity for the statusless to break in or for conditional players to climb higher, embodying the tour’s commitment to fresh talent, wrapping the season with awards in sight. Finally, the RSM Classic closes the book on eligibility for two prestigious honors. the Jack Nicholas Award for Player of the Year and the Arnold Palmer Award for Rookie of the Year. In a banner year for newcomers, five rookies claimed victories, the most since 2019. Four of them are competing this week. Michael Brennan, Bank of Utah Championship winner, Steven Fisk, Sanderson Farms champ, William Mao, Esio Victor, and Carl Phillips, Puerto Rico open triumph. The fifth Aldrich poter took the Rocket Classic. This 21-year-old South African sensation notched three top 10s, including his win in a playoff loss at the Mexico Open at Vanta to Brian Campbell. He was the lone rookie to reach the FedEx Cup playoffs and peaked at 49th in the World Rankings. Impressive stuff that could spark debates on whether youth is overtaking experience too quickly. Nominees drop after the season ends with awards handed out later. It’s a fitting cap to a year of surprises. DP World Tour top 10 global talent joins the fry. Over on the other side of the pond, the DP World Tour Championship wrapped the 2025 race to Dubai. And the top 10 non-exempt finishers in those rankings just earned PGA Tour cards through the DP World Tour top 10 pathway. Here’s the list. Marco Penge, England. Lorie Caner, England. Christopher Wrightton, Norway. Adrien Sadier, France. Alex Norin, Sweden. John Perry, England. Hatami, China. Kada Nakajima, Japan. Raasmus Negard Peterson, Denmark. Jordan Smith, England. Denmark’s Raasmus Negard Peterson surged to ninth with a T3 at the championship, securing his card. He made five PGA Tour starts in 2025, highlighted by a runnerup at the Puerto Rico Open. Cross tour alliances like this bring diverse styles to the PGA Tour, but some argue it dilutes the American focus. What’s your take on blending international talent more deeply? So, golf enthusiasts, as the sun sets on 2025, who’s your pick to shine at the RSM Classic and lock in their future? Do you think the FedEx cups
