blank
comment 3 Comments
Posted on Last updated

5 golfers who just lost their PGA Tour cards

While most of the top ranked golfers skipped last week’s Wyndham Championship to rest up for the FedEx Cup Playoffs, plenty of drama was still going down in Greensboro. As the regular season comes to a close, players on the margin were battling to secure spots in the playoff field — or risk losing their PGA Tour cards.

There’s a healthy turnover and infusion of new talent on Tour every year, which inevitably means that some top players from years past will battle to keep their cards. Every player from No. 103 to 137 in the FedEx Cup rankings showed up to Sedgefield Country Club, making the 2019 season no exception. Here are a handful of surprising players who just officially lost their full Tour status.

1. MARTIN KAYMER

Former World No. 1. Ryder Cup star. Two-time major champion. And now, a pro with no PGA Tour status. Kaymer was No. 146 entering the week and shot 66-75 in Greensboro to miss the cut. Golf Channel’s Will Gray pointed out that even if Kaymer’s number stays inside the top 150, he may not be able to take advantage of any conditional status because he played just 14 PGA Tour events this year, one under the mandatory minimum of 15.

Kaymer still would have some potential entry into tournaments as a past winner on Tour and would be able to accept sponsor’s exemptions, though only up to 12 starts as a non-member.

2. BEAU HOSSLER

Hossler has been on the radar of golf fans since he briefly led the 2012 U.S. Open as a 17-year-old amateur and seemed destined for a lucrative PGA Tour career. His best chance to win and secure a long-term exemption came at the 2018 Houston Open, when Hossler lost to Ian Poulter in a playoff. Instead, he entered this week at No. 143 and missed the cut.

Credit to Hossler, though: he quickly kept perspective in a tweet about his loss of status. Assuming he stays in the top 150, Hossler will keep conditional status for next season.

3. HUNTER MAHAN

For years, Mahan was a mainstay near the top of the World Rankings. Even after struggling with his game the past few years, he rallied with a T2 at the Korn Ferry Tour finals last year to keep PGA Tour status. But now Mahan will head back to Finals after entering the week at No. 184 and missing the Wyndham cut.

4. LUKE DONALD (sort of)

Luke Donald entered the week at No. 191 in the FedEx Cup standings, which meant he was a super-longshot to advance to the playoffs. But the former World No. 1 isn’t truly out of status — he has three starts remaining on a medical extension, which gives him another chance. More likely, Donald can lean on his career earnings, which affords successful players extra exemptions into events

5. OLLIE SCHNIEDERJANS

A year ago, Schniederjans finished T3 at the Waste Management, jumped to No. 77 in the world and felt ascendant. Now he’s coming off seven missed cuts in his last eight starts and a trip to Korn Ferry Finals. I don’t want to pick on Schniederjans here; he just serves to remind how hard it is to retain Tour cards.

A number of other players including Bill Haas, Daniel Berger and Alex Noren had to battle through the weekend in a hope to crack that top 125. The Wyndham may not have the star power — but it didn’t lack for drama.

3 thoughts on “5 golfers who just lost their PGA Tour cards

  1. blank

    Who cares, and why should we? Anew generation is coming of superior young golfers. These guys can get real jobs like the rest of us. It’s time to move on.

    1. blank

      What an asshole

  2. blank

    It’s happened since the behaving of time some have it some dont

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *