12 notable pros who just lost their PGA Tour cards

Jason Dufner will not be eligible for full PGA Tour status next season

The golf world is celebrating superstar Ludwig Aberg’s breakthrough at Sunday’s RSM Classic, but it’s a different story for many other players on tour.

For the first time in the event’s history, the RSM Classic is not only the final event of the year, as it always has been, but is now back on the calendar year schedule as the RSM PGA Tour season concludes. That means the first cut of the top 125 for pool playing rights on the 2024 PGA Tour was made on Sunday.
The stakes to secure PGA Tour membership this week were higher than at any time this year.

For the past 10 seasons, PGA Tour status has been decided after the Wyndham Championship in August.
This means that even players who did not make the cutoff can participate in the Korn Ferry Tour Finals with 50 cards remaining. However, the Korn Ferry Tour got 30 tickets this year.

Some golfers on this list may be exempt from the career money list or eligible to return to their previous Champion status, but for many, their only opportunity to move up from par status or lower is the PGA Tour Q -School from next month.
But they’re competing against dozens of other pros, past, present and future, for just five PGA Tour cards.

It’s also worth noting that many of these golfers still own the course and will be competing in more events next season.
However, being outside the top 125 means having much less schedule flexibility and competing in fewer events.

This allows 12 golfers who did not finish in the top 125 this season to enter 2024 without fully qualifying for the PGA Tour.

12 players who lost their PGA Tour cards on Sunday 

126.
Carl Yuan – Last year’s Korn Ferry Tour points leader tied for 72nd at Sea Island and climbed to 126th in the FedEx Cup fall standings.
I made a birdie, but the rating remained unchanged.

128.
Maverick McNeely – McNeely had a chance to move back into the top 125 with a strong run this week, but fell short in round 3 on a ridiculously poor day, finishing 71st. However, he has missed six months with a shoulder injury and could require treatment.

139.
Jimmy Walker – Walker burned his career strikeout record just once in the top 50 last season. He did no better than T13 at Torrey Pines in January, missing the last four cuts. Walker also introduced a major change to the PGA Tour’s recent structural changes last September.

141.
Charlie Hoffman -Hoffman had a chance, but did not choose from his career until 2023. So he can still be used until 2024.

145. Harry Higgs – Higgs ranked in the top 150 for the second consecutive season, meaning he will be eligible again in 2024.

158. Doc Redman – Redman capped a poor season with his 20th ball at RSM.
If he finishes in the top 150, it means he will go to Q-School next year if he wants to regain PGA Tour eligibility.

165.
Jason Dufner – Dufner had a career high 50 sacks last season.
His only chance is to make over 150 career cuts and face a former champion in the division.

166. Sean O’Hair – The four-time PGA Tour winner played in 20 different 150 championships in 2022-23 and is likely to play again in 2024.

168. Zach Johnson – The US Ryder Cup captain played 21 events using the money exemption for the second time in his career, becoming the 14th-most money winner. He lapped 13 times for Honda and finished in a tie for 12th.

171.
James Hahn – Hahn has competed in 27 races and had just 10 top 14 finishes.
But his most recent Tech World Championship appearance was the 150th cut of his career.
This means he is ahead of all previous champions after 150 starts.

199. Nick Watney – The five-time PGA Tour winner regained full status last year but has made eight cuts in 32 starts in 2022-23.

He could take advantage of the career money exemption in 2022 and compete against former champions outside the 150 class.

213.
Brandt Snedeker – Sneads second career pick, going 23rd on the list.
He made just 11 starts this year, which required experimental surgery and forced him to miss eight months.