Ten Players Fighting to Keep Tour Cards
2Voice over: Michael Robles
Writer: no byline
Video editor: Lance Keller
As the PGA Tour heads to Napa, California, for this
week’s Fortinet Championship, it will mark the first time in
over a decade that the Tour is not beginning a new
season.
Instead, the Fortinet will kick off a revamped fall that
moving forward will be a continuation of the PGA Tour
season, which will move back to a calendar-year schedule
in 2024.
The top 50 players in FedExCup points following the
Wyndham Championship locked up spots in all the
signature events next year.
The top 70 qualified for the playoffs.
Now this fall, Nos. 71 and beyond will battle for priority –
and in many cases, their full cards.
Players among the top 70 can still tee it up in the seven-
event fall, with Nos. 51-70 having extra incentive in trying
to lock up one of 10 spots into the first two, non-Sentry
signature events of 2024, at Pebble Beach and Riviera
(those will go to Nos. 51-60 in points at the end of the fall).
But for those players closer to No. 125 (fully exempt for
2024 and The Players) or No. 150 (conditional status for
2024), those names, provided they don’t have victory,
career-money or other exemptions at their disposal, are
fighting this fall to remain full members on the PGA Tour.
Here are 10 notables who have the most to play for over
the next few months:
116. Peter Malnati:
A current member of the PGA
Tour’ Player Advisory Council, Malnati has played at least
20 events on the PGA Tour for eight straight seasons. But
this season he’s notched just two top-10s, highlighted by a
T-4 at Pebble Beach. He missed four of his last five cuts
prior to missing the playoffs. He owns one career win
(2015 Sanderson Farms).
124. Jimmy Walker:
The 2016 PGA champ is playing
on his top-50 career-money exemption this season after
ending up No. 202 in points last season (the LIV
defections actually moved him up nine spots on the career
money list). He’s not cracked the top 150 in the past four
seasons, though his PGA win has allowed him to keep his
card while he's struggled with his game and health (he
was diagnosed with Lyme disease shortly after that win at
Baltusrol). This season has been Walker’s best since
2017-18 as he’s compiled six top-25s, though no top-10s.
130. Scott Piercy:
Despite being a full PGA Tour
member since 2009 and four-time winner, Piercy sits No.
69 in career money, so he doesn’t have the career-money
lifelines at his disposal like other veterans. This season
marked the first in which Piercy didn’t log a top-10 since
2013-14, when he played just 12 events because of an
arm injury.
133. Troy Merritt:
The two-time PGA Tour winner is in
his 12
th
consecutive season on Tour. He was T-3 in
Houston last fall, but that was his only top-10, and he’s
also missed a career-worst 18 cuts, including 14 in a 15-
week span at one point this season.
144. Russell Knox:
Since losing his card after his
rookie season in 2012, Knox has logged at least 20 events
on the PGA Tour in 10 straight seasons. This season,
however, he’s only managed three top-25s, the same
amount as 2013, when he only played 11 times as a
conditional member. He does boast two career wins.
150. Ryan Moore:
The five-time PGA Tour winner is
playing this season on his top-50 career-money exemption
after notching just two top-25s last season. He has only
three top-25s this campaign and he's hanging onto No.
150, but if he drops he’ll have to rely solely on his past-
champion status in '24.
159. Doc Redman:
Unlike the aforementioned players,
Redman is not a PGA Tour winner, so should he fail to
crack at least the top 150, the 2017 U.S. Amateur
champion will have no status for next season. He has
spent four seasons now as a PGA Tour member, though
just two top-25s, including one top-10, has him way down
the points list.
160. Dylan Frittelli:
Just two years ago Frittelli was
playing in all four majors and placing fifth at The Open.
Now, he’s in the midst of a season in which he’s missed
22 of 29 cuts. He ended 2021 at No. 111 in the world
rankings; he’s since slipped to No. 324. He has one PGA
Tour win, at the 2019 John Deere
165. James Hahn:
In his 11
th
straight season as a full
PGA Tour member – taking out his elbow-injury-plagued
2018-19 and 2019-20 campaigns – Hahn has one top-25
in 24 starts. He’s a two-time winner.
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