Matt Kuchar faces an uncertain future on the PGA Tour after finishing outside the top 100 in the FedEx Cup rankings in 2025.
The 47-year-old veteran discusses his limited eligibility for signature events and the tricky decision of whether to use a career money exemption.
We analyze Kuchar’s options, potential playing schedule, and what this means for his career moving forward. Can Kuchar bounce back in 2026?
After a disappointing 2025, Matt Kutchar faces an uncertain path toward a full PGA Tour season in 2026. But here’s where it gets complicated. The tour’s new rules have changed the game. Quite literally. Estie Simon’s Island Gar Matt Kachar has officially wrapped up his 19th straight year on the PGA Tour, finishing the season ranked number 118 in the FedEx Cup standings. In nearly any other season, that position would have comfortably secured his full card. But this isn’t any other year. The PGA Tour tightened its standards, cutting the full status threshold to the top 100 players instead of the usual 125. At 47 years old, Kachar now faces a pivotal decision, whether to use one of his career many exemptions to secure playing privileges. On paper that sounds straightforward. In practice, not so much. The tour kachar joined back in 2002 has evolved dramatically. The modern structure features eight signature events, four majors, the players championship, and three FedEx Cup playoff tournaments. And as of now, Kachchar isn’t eligible for any of them. I don’t know how many starts I’ll get. He admitted after finishing tied for 67th at the RSM Classic, even if I use an exemption, “I’m not sure it gets me into any different events. It’s tricky. The elevated tournaments are still out of reach.” Here’s the big question. Will his conditional status at number 118 actually offer more opportunities than taking an exemption based on career earnings? We’re in somewhat uncharted territory, Ikachar acknowledged. I assume the PGA Tour has modeled out the numbers, but I’m not sure how that all plays out in real life. According to tour officials, players ranked between number 101 and number 110 are projected to gain entry into roughly 16 of the 19 standard events, plus nearly every FedEx Cup fall tournament, except for the one in Japan. Kachchar sitting eight spots below that benchmark risks falling further if he doesn’t start strong next season. Fortunately, he still has time and options. With more than $61.5 million in career earnings, Kachar ranks 15th all time, about $15 million ahead of the number 25 player on that list. That cushion means he can afford to wait before tapping into his two career exemptions, including the one available to players in the top 25 of all-time earnings. For now, all decisions will need to be made before January’s Sony Open in Hawaii. Looking back, Kachar’s 2025 season had flashes of steady play, but few highlights. His best finish was a tie for fifth at the John Deere Classic. Though he missed just two cuts in 18 starts, the consistency never quite translated into contention. It wasn’t the season I had hoped for, Kachar reflected. It was frustrating. I played solid golf, but never managed to put everything together in the same week. And this is the part most golf fans might find debatable. Is the PGA Tours tightened cutoff fair to seasoned veterans like Kachchar, whose longevity and consistency have long been pillars of the sport? Or is it time for new blood to take over as the tour modernizes? What do you think? Should the PGA make more room for legends who’ve kept the game steady for decades? Or are these new limits the right step toward a more competitive future?
