The 2025 PGA Tour season ended with a shake-up at the RSM Classic, as several big names failed to keep their PGA Tour cards for 2026. From major champions like Zach Johnson and Francesco Molinari to fan favorites like Joel Dahmen and Matt Kuchar, the battle for FedEx Cup points brought some surprising results.
In this video, we break down the top 12 golfers who lost full PGA Tour status, explain what led to their struggles, and reveal who still has exemptions or career-money lifelines. We also look at how the new top-100 qualification rule reshaped the field and what it means for the 2026 season.
Chapters:
0:00 – Intro: RSM Classic drama and PGA Tour changes
1:45 – Why top 100 is the new cutoff
3:00 – Big names losing cards (Wallace, Hossler, Kuchar, Dahmen, and more)
8:30 – Career exemptions explained
10:00 – What’s next for these players
Keywords: PGA Tour 2025, lost PGA cards, FedEx Cup 2025, golf season wrap-up, Sami Välimäki, RSM Classic, 2026 PGA Tour season, career exemptions, PGA Tour changes, golfers losing status, DP World Tour return.
The 2025 PGA Tour season concluded with a dramatic twist at the RSM Classic, where Sammy Velamaki made history as the first Finnish golfer to win on the circuit. But while Valamaki celebrated his triumph, a shadow loomed over dozens of players fighting for something even more critical, their PGA Tour cards for 2026. This year, the stakes were higher than ever as the PGA Tour tightened its membership criteria, requiring players to finish within the top 100 of the FedEx Cup to retain full status. A significant drop from the traditional top 125. This change left many season players on the brink of losing their coveted spots. And this is the part most people miss. The reshuffleling didn’t just affect the bottom tier. Even players with conditional status, ranks 101 to 125, faced uncertainty thanks to the tours restructuring announced last year. While some, like Max 105 and Billy Horchel, 116 retain their cards due to past exemptions, others weren’t as fortunate. Malitories 153 for instance will rely on a major medical exemption in 2026 following multiple back surgeries. But for 12 notable names, the road ahead looks uncertain. Here’s where it gets controversial. Among those who failed to secure full status are veterans like Matt Wallace, 103, Bo Hustler, 104, and Matt Cooer, 118. Wallace, a five-time DP World Tour winner, may now shift his focus back to Europe, reigniting his RDER Cup dreams. Hustler, despite his talent, struggled to find consistency, while Cooer, a ninetime PGA Tour winner, will likely use a career money exemption before turning his attention to the PGA Tour champions in 2028. Is this the end of their prime years or just a temporary setback? Fan favorite Joel Domenin, 122, missed a staggering 16 cuts, while Brandt Snedeker, 126, next year’s US President’s Cup captain, will juggle captaincy duties without full tur status. Adam Hadwin, 139, and Zack Johnson, 141, both former champions, face similar challenges. Johnson, turning 50 in 2026, could join Tiger Woods on the PGA Tour Champion circuit. But should age define a player’s relevance? Perhaps the biggest surprise is Thristen Lawrence, 163, who dominated the DP World Tour, but couldn’t replicate his success in the US. Does this highlight the gap between European and American golf? Meanwhile, former Masters champion Danny Willlet, 169, and Open Champion Franchesco Molinari, 185, also lost their cards. For Molinari, this could be a blessing in disguise as he’s a frontr runner for the 2027 Rder Cup captaincy. Could this shift actually elevate his career? As the dust settles, one question lingers. Is the PGA Tour’s new structure fair or does it unfairly penalize season players? Share your thoughts in the comments.
