The 2025 PGA Tour came to an end at the RSM Classic on Sunday, and many players were left disappointed after missing out on the top 100 in the FedEx Cup standings.
The PGA Tour players who managed to finish anywhere from 101st position all the way through to 150th will still be handed varying levels of conditional status.
However, those who finished outside the top 150 have lost their cards for 2026, unless otherwise exempt.
The PGA Tour made a big change this year regarding exempt status, with only the top 100 players in the FedEx Cup standings retaining full playing privileges for the following season.
Some PGA Tour players are unhappy with the changes, with Justin Lower suggesting everything was fine how it was after losing his card.
However, there are others who have supported the move, with Lee Hodges highlighting how players should be responsible for their own destinies.
One thing’s for sure, the PGA Tour are now operating in a more cut-throat manner, and a former world number nine has just found that out the hard way.
Former world number nine with five PGA Tour wins loses card after making just three cuts all season
The RSM Classic provided great entertainment last week for those watching.
Do you think the PGA Tour reducing the amount of cards for 2026 to 100 is a good thing?
Interestingly, not one single player who began the week outside the top 100 managed to force their way inside the fully exempt zone, so to speak.
Nick Watney was one of those players, and he will now be without a PGA Tour card in 2026.
The 44-year-old, who has five PGA Tour wins to his name, finished sixth from last at the RSM Classic, with his performance on Sea Island encapsulating his 2025 season as a whole.
After a truly awful season where he made just three cuts, Watney ended the year in 210th position in the FedEx Cup points list.
The former world number nine has enjoyed a magnificent career with some huge wins along the way, including the WGC Cadillac Championship in 2011 and the Barclays in 2012.
If he still has the determination and drive to rediscover his best form, it will be a case of back to the drawing board for him in 2026.
Nick Watney’s PGA Tour career in numbers
In fairness to Nick Watney, he has enjoyed a career in the game that many professional golfers can only dream about.
Here is Watney’s PGA Tour career in numbers:
| Achievements | Watney’s totals |
| Events played | 503 |
| Wins | 5 |
| Top-5s | 22 |
| Top-10s | 56 |
| Cuts made | 302 |
The question now for Watney after losing his PGA Tour card is: does he still have the hunger to work hard on his game throughout the winter?
If the answer to that question is yes, then who knows, Watney may well be back on the PGA Tour with fully exempt status one day.
However, at 44, it will be incredibly hard for him to climb that mountain once again.
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