PGA Tour, FedEx Cup standings, golf news, Matt Wallace, Beau Hossler, Joel Dahmen, Brandt Snedeker, Adam Hadwin, Cameron Champ, Zach Johnson, Matt Kuchar, Camilo Villegas, Thriston Lawrence, Danny Willett, Francesco Molinari.
Dive into the dramatic end of the 2024 PGA Tour season where Sami Valimaki made history as the first Finnish winner.
But the real story is the survival battle for dozens of players at the RSM Classic.
With the FedEx Cup cut tightening to top 100 for full tour cards, some major names fell short.
Explore the 12 big stars who lost their full status, from Matt Wallace at 103 to Ryder Cup heroes like Francesco Molinari.
Learn about exemptions, comebacks, and what this means for golf’s future.
Who do you think will bounce back? Share your thoughts in the comments!
While the 2025 PGA Tour season wrapped up with Sami Valimkkey making history as the first Finnish winner, the real drama was happening further down the leaderboard for dozens of players. The RSM Classic wasn’t about winning a trophy. It was about zone. This year, the PGA Tour got even tougher. to keep your full tour card. You needed to finish in the top 100 of the FedEx Cup standing, not the old top 125. That seemingly small change create a huge shakeup and some big names found themselves on the wrong side of the cutline. Now, some guys like Max Homa and Billy Horchel are safe because of past wins. Will Zelatorus get the major medical exemption after his back surgeries? But for many others, 2026 is looking very uncertain. Let’s look at 12 big names who’ve just lost their full PGA Tour status. First up, Matt Wallace. He finished just outside the bubble at 103 after winning in 2023. His two-year exemption is up, leaving him with only conditional status. We might see him head back to the DP World Tour where he’s had a ton of success. Then there’s Bo Hustler at 104, a talented player who just couldn’t find his form this season. Even fam favorite Joel Diamond at 122 is out. He missed a staggering 16 coup. That plus a caddy split means he’ll be unconditional status and has a lot to think about this winter. And how about this one? Next year’s US President’s Cup captain, Bren Sneder, finished 126th and lost his full card. His focus will definitely be shifting to his captaincy duties. Now, some names on this list are truly surprising. Adam Hedwin, a former President’s Cup player, ended up weigh down at 139. and Cameron Champ once Golf’s next big thing continued to struggle finishing 147th. Even major champions weren’t to me. Two-time major winner Zack Johnson had a tough year landing at 141. Mad Cooer, a ninetime winner, slipped to 118. Both are expected to use a career money exemption to play next season, which is a lifeline for longtime successful pros. Then you have guys who had recent fairy tale win. Camilo Baggas, who ended a 9-year drought in 2023, couldn’t keep the momentum going. And Thristen Lawrence, who almost won the Open in 2024 and earned his card from Europe, really struggled on American soil. finishing at 163. He’ll be heading back to the DP World Tour where I bet he’ll dominate again. Finally, we have two RDER Cup heroes. Former Masters champ Danny Willlet and former Open Champ Francesco Molinari. Both lost their cards after difficult seasons. for Molinari. Though this might be good timing as he’s a top candidate to be the next Rider Cup captain. It’s a brutal reminder of how competitive the PGA Tour is. One tough season can change everything. What do you think about these chains? Let me know in the comments. And don’t forget to like and subscribe for more golf news. Thanks for watching.
