The Final Three Pga Tour Events Will Be Packed With Drama

Adam Scott is 99th in nan PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup standings pinch conscionable 3 autumn events to go, and yet he is not expected to play successful immoderate of them. He has nary worries. He secured a little-known two-year PGA Tour exemption erstwhile he made nan 2024 Tour Championship. So he’s safe for 2026.

In erstwhile years, he would person been clear of interest anyway, but for nan first clip since 1983, nan PGA Tour made a important alteration to its qualification criteria, dropping nan number of afloat exempt players from 125 to 100.

And that is playing retired now arsenic nan last 3 events of nan FedEx Fall schedule, starting pinch this week’s World Wide Technology Championship successful Mexico, followed by nan Bermuda Championship and nan RSM Classic.

David Lipsky is successful nan 100th position. Billy Horschel is 101st but he’s exempt for adjacent twelvemonth based connected a 2024 victory. A decorativeness this twelvemonth wrong nan top100 would supply exempt position for nan Players Championship, which is not yet assured for Horschel, who missed overmuch of this twelvemonth owed to hep surgery.

There is plentifulness to play for higher up nan points database arsenic well. Anyone who finishes successful nan apical 60 successful FedEx points will get starts astatine nan first 2 signature events, nan AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and nan Genesis Invitational. Wyndham Clark, who is 60th and has played conscionable erstwhile antecedently this autumn connected nan PGA Tour, is successful nan World Wide Technology field.

The alteration to a smaller number of exempt players has understandably travel pinch sizeable debate. The Tour has reduced nan size successful galore of them to combat slow play, arsenic good arsenic fortify nan fields. For example, nan WM Phoenix Open will person conscionable 120 players, down from 132. The Players Championship will besides beryllium conscionable 120 aft being astatine 144.

In reducing nan number of afloat exempt spots from 125 to 100 and past cutting nan number of Korn Ferry Tour exemptions from 25 to 20, that’s 30 less spots. Throw successful a number of tournaments cutting backmost aliases eliminating Monday qualifying and location has been a bully spot of justified concern.

But each is not lost. A byproduct of nan section reductions and section sizes intends that players who are coming onto nan PGA Tour via nan KFT and via 5 Qualifying School spots (as good arsenic 10 players who travel from nan DP World Tour) will each get successful astir each regular full-field event, prevention for possibly nan WM Phoenix Open. So, too, for players who travel to nan Tour via PGA Tour University arsenic good arsenic life members.

Wyndham Clark is 60th successful points but is successful this week's section successful Mexico, still pinch overmuch to play for. / Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

If immoderate of those players are near out, nan Tour will adhd players to nan section (except successful Phoenix) to accommodate them.

Even players who decorativeness extracurricular of nan apical 100 and person conditional position will play much than a twelve events during nan regular season, possibly more, and past they will still person nan opportunity to play successful nan autumn arsenic they are doing now.

The afloat exempt categories (aside from Tour winners and awesome winners) see nan apical 100 successful points, nan apical 20 from KFT, nan apical 5 from Q-School and nan apical 10 players (not different exempt) from nan last DP World Tour Race to Dubai standings, which will beryllium wished aft adjacent week’s season-ending DP World Tour Championship.

From there, those players who decorativeness 101–110 are successful a conditional class that will not beryllium taxable to a reshuffle on pinch players who are portion of a aesculapian hold category.

Following that is different conditional class of players who made 300 profession cuts on pinch those who vanished 111th to 125th successful points. That group will reshuffle astatine various points successful nan year, truthful moreover those who autumn extracurricular of nan apical 100 astatine slightest will want to get into nan apical 110 to guarantee a higher priority.

Add it each up, and location is simply a batch of maneuvering still to travel complete nan adjacent 3 weeks.

Sponsor exemptions into master play tournaments typically person a measurement of rankling, sloppy of nan circumstances. A mates of caller examples surely autumn into that category.

Three-time awesome victor Jordan Spieth received 1 for Tiger Woods’s Hero World Challenge successful December. Kai Trump, nan granddaughter of President Donald Trump, got 1 for adjacent week’s Annika LPGA event.

Spieth, who had wrist room precocious successful 2024 and battled nan wounded into nan 2025 season, was awarded six invitations to signature events this year. Invites into nan limited-field events stay a taxable of contention since nan conception was first put into play by nan PGA Tour successful 2023.

For Spieth, nan taxable takes connected much meaning because he’s elected to not play successful immoderate autumn events that could person solidified a spot successful nan first 2 signature events successful 2026—the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and nan Genesis Invitational—which gave him spots this year.

It’s not precisely for illustration Spieth took advantage of each his opportunities. In nan six events he was fixed invites, he missed a trim astatine nan Genesis, withdrew from nan Travelers and had conscionable a azygous top-10 finish, a necktie for seventh astatine nan Memorial. There’s an statement to beryllium made that he’d person vanished successful nan apical 50 and not needed to interest astir it pinch much occurrence successful nan events he played.

Still, it raised nan mobility arsenic to whether nan signature events should person a headdress connected invites—or moreover springiness them astatine all. The signature events person $20 cardinal purses pinch constricted fields, frankincense skewing nan playing section considerably compared to a regular, full-field arena pinch a purse apt little than half. Spieth, clearly, remains a celebrated subordinate whom sponsors judge is worthy having successful nan field. Which remains a logic to let sponsors to connection those invites.

Jordan Spieth received six invitations to signature events this year. / Chris Day/The Commercial Appeal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

And his induce to nan Hero—which he won successful 2014—comes pinch an constituent of bully fortune. The 20-player section is chosen based connected nan Official World Golf Ranking. A subordinate (aside from Woods arsenic tourney host) must beryllium successful nan apical 50 astatine nan adjacent of nan qualification period, which was Aug. 23, nan ranking day aft nan Tour Championship.

The section is wished by inviting nan year’s awesome winners and past down nan OWGR database until 17 players are committed. Then location was nan discretion to induce 3 more, pinch Spieth, Billy Horschel and Akshay Bhatia getting nan past invites.

Spieth, who is 62nd in nan OWGR now, was 48th on Aug. 23 and really moved from 51st to 48th without playing nan Tour Championship. That allowed him to beryllium considered for a spot.

He remains 56th in nan FedEx Cup standings which intends he’s successful statement to beryllium eligible for nan first 2 signature events without an invite. (The apical 60 pursuing nan autumn are considered nan AON Next 10 and get those starts.)  But Spieth knows that if he falls out, he’s each but assured of getting an induce astatine Pebble Beach—he has a sponsorship woody pinch AT&T—and astatine nan Genesis, wherever Woods is besides nan tourney host.

Certainly it would do Spieth immoderate bully to play successful nan autumn to fastener up a spot without taking an invite. And now pinch a spot astatine nan Hero, he’s sewage a chance to amended his OWGR, which could beryllium different introduction constituent into signature events, arsenic nan apical 30 successful OWGR gain a spot if not successful different eligible.

Trump’s Invitation Has Already Paid Off

As for Trump, nan truth that she is moreover being discussed is precisely nan constituent of sponsor invites: It brings attraction to nan tournament. It’s bully for nan title sponsor arsenic good arsenic nan TV web televising nan event. But that doesn’t make it right, particularly successful nan past arena of nan twelvemonth wherever exempt position for 2026 is connected nan statement and wherever players are trying to suffice for nan season-ending event. This is ever among nan talking points erstwhile these invites are given, weighing what is due against nan desire to bring attraction to nan tournament.

Trump brings a hefty societal media following—again, nan logic for nan invite—but her playing credentials propose this is simply a immense reach. Although she’s earned a danasiwa to nan University of Miami, she is classed 461st in nan American Junior Golf Association ratings. At 1 of nan biggest events earlier this twelvemonth astatine Sage Valley—an arena to which she sewage an invite—she vanished last.

Obviously for an 18-year-old aspiring subordinate who has further play aspirations, a spot successful her first LPGA arena wherever she tin swipe elbows pinch immoderate of nan game’s elite and get a sensation of nan title is coveted ... if not earned.

Graeme McDowell would for illustration to beryllium considered for nan 2027 European Ryder Cup captaincy, a desire he knows is analyzable greatly by his LIV Golf League association. His comments astatine nan Hong Kong Open undoubtedly connection plentifulness for proponents and detractors to discuss.

In an question and reply with bunkered.co.uk, McDowell acknowledged nan trouble of nan business but besides said he believed nan LIV dilemma is not of his doing.

“It’s connected my mind, but being honorable pinch you, I don’t cognize what to do astir it,” McDowell told nan website erstwhile asked pursuing nan 2nd information of nan International Series event, wherever he missed nan cut.

“I don’t cognize whether it should beryllium connected my mind astatine all, arsenic successful if it’s thing that’s not imaginable politically. If that’s nan case, intelligibly I’ll beryllium disappointed, but I’ll evidently understand why. The world is wherever it is. People will opportunity I’ll get what I deserve, which, you know, I’m not really judge I wholly work together pinch that, right?

“People will opportunity I don’t merit it and I’m responsible for a batch of what’s happened. But I’m a very, very mini cog successful this large wheel.”

McDowell, nan 2010 U.S. Open champion who played connected 4 European Ryder Cup teams, would person been considered among nan favorites to get nan captaincy successful 2027 astatine Adare Manor successful Ireland anterior to going to LIV Golf. McDowell, 46, who is from Portrush, Northern Ireland, will beryllium successful nan desired property model for nan position.

But players who person gone to LIV Golf person seen this avenue fundamentally unopen down. The two-time winning skipper Luke Donald only sewage nan occupation successful 2022 erstwhile Henrik Stenson, nan named captain, joined LIV. Now Donald could beryllium asked to do it again. Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter, locks to beryllium captains earlier going to LIV, are besides seemingly retired of nan running.

Then location is nan rumor of giving up his DP World Tour membership. In 2018, nan circuit enacted a norm that said immoderate subordinate who gave up their rank astatine immoderate clip would forfeit nan correct to beryllium a early skipper aliases adjunct captain. That is an rumor that is simply a subplot of his LIV Golf decision.

“The divisiveness has travel from nan champion players successful nan world,” McDowell said. “It hasn’t came from nan 40-somethings for illustration myself that are conscionable trying to eke retired a surviving and staying competitory connected an opportunity that was presented to us, which would person been crazy to opportunity nary to from a business constituent of view.

Luke Donald and Graeme McDowell were vice captains for Europe astatine nan 2021 Ryder Cup astatine Whistling Straits. / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

“I don’t cognize if it’s thing that’s going to beryllium unachievable. I’m not judge if it’s thing that’s perchance connected nan radar.  I only saw a mates of comments wherever Luke said possibly he doesn’t want to do it a 3rd time.

“Justin Rose doesn’t want it because he wants to play. Rory [McIlroy] is evidently not moreover close, right? He doesn’t want to beryllium playing captain. So it’s benignant of like, ‘who’s it going to be?’ And why couldn’t it beryllium me? I would emotion to beryllium nan oliva branch that perchance puts immoderate of this backmost together again.”

One Comment by McDowell Has Struck a Nerve

The “eke retired a living” remark is causing McDowell immoderate angst since nan publication of nan story. His intent has been overshadowed by nan mediocre prime of words. Clearly anyone who went to LIV and has played location for 4 years should beryllium group connected nan money front. But his constituent was that his determination to spell was not nan breaking constituent successful immoderate divisiveness.

Still, McDowell faces respective hurdles. He has fixed up his DP World Tour rank aft paying his fines, saying he didn’t want to incur immoderate much while playing a constricted schedule. He plans to play for LIV Golf successful 2026 and would surely request to beryllium much of a beingness connected nan DP World Tour if he takes connected nan role.

There is besides nan matter of a DP World Tour norm that stipulates immoderate subordinate giving up rank astatine immoderate clip would forfeit nan correct to beryllium a early skipper aliases assistant. That is thing that Jon Rahm will person to look arsenic good if he elects to springiness up rank successful a non-Ryder Cup year.

“I don’t want to beryllium presumptuous by putting my chapeau into nan ring. Because it whitethorn beryllium thing that nan powers that beryllium wrong Ryder Cup Europe are saying, well, that’s conscionable not possible,” McDowell said. “If it is possible, I will surely do everything that I tin to beryllium nan champion Ryder Cup skipper I tin be. And obviously, I’d emotion to beryllium down pinch Ryder Cup Europe and, if it’s a possibility, find retired what they would request maine to do.”