Lee Hodges, on the verge of losing his PGA Tour card Saturday afternoon, knew who would take it from him.
Lee Hodges.
And he had an opinion about a few other players, too.
This week on the PGA Tour, the bounces were as frequent as the swings. The county was playing its final event of the year, which meant it was the final event to secure playing status for next year. A victory in RSM Classic would have done it. A move into the top 100 in the season’s points standings would have done so, though a recent change reduced that number to 125.
Coming into the game this week, Hodges was the 122nd. On Saturday, he said he wasn’t sure what he needed to do to move up.
But he knew who to blame for his position.
“I mean, yeah, it is what it is,” Hodges said. “Like the guys that — I don’t know if I’m going to ruffle some feathers, but the guys that come in here and feel sorry for themselves, I’m not sorry because you played, you know what I mean? You played every shot this year.
“Just like me. Like I’m where I am because of my golf, nobody else’s golf. Nobody put me there. I put myself there.
“Yeah, you just are where you are, but we all have paths, so just go do it, you know what I mean? Go take the path that takes you where you want to go.”
A reporter then asked him what it means to be a Tour player.
“Yeah, I was telling my wife the other day, I’m from Ardmore, Alabama, and I’ve been playing on the PGA Tour for four years and I have one win,” Hodges said. “Like no one would have ever given me that when I was 10 years old.
“I definitely want to keep it going, I’d like to add more to my resume, but it’s been a great ride so far and I think — I don’t think it’s over yet, but I’m excited to see where it goes.”
With that, here are 12 surprising players who lost their PGA Tour cards on Sunday. Some may resurface quickly — players ranked 100 to 125 have conditional playing status, and next month’s Q-School Tour will award cards to five players. Some other players may return at some point down the road.
12 players who lost their PGA Tour cards on Sunday
(The number in parentheses is the player’s finish in the standings.)
Lee Hodges (101) – At 101, Hodges will be the guy on the scoring bubble. This season, the 30-year-old from Alabama posted four top 10s and missed nine cuts in 25 starts.
Matt Wallace (103) – Wallace is a five-time winner on the DP World Tour, and he won the 2023 Corales Puntacana Championship. This season, the 35-year-old from England had two top 10s and missed 10 cuts in 26 starts.
Matt Kuchar (118) – Kucar can also use an exemption from career money to play next year; he is 13th on the career money list. This season, the 47-year-old from Florida had one top 10 and two missed cuts in 18 starts.
Joel Dahmen (122) – Dahmen won the 2021 Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship, and he has been one of the stars of the Netflix show Full Swing. This season, the 38-year-old Washington native had three top 10s and missed 16 cuts in 28 starts.
Brandt Snedeker (126) – Snow blanket is a nine-time PGA Tour winner and he will captain the US team in next year’s Presidents Cup. This season, the 44-year-old from Tennessee had three top 10s and missed 12 cuts in 25 starts.
Harry Higgs (132) – One of the most popular players of the tournament, Higgs had one top 10 and missed 13 cuts in 28 starts this season.
Alejandro Tosti (137) – Grilled cheesewho has created several titles during his career, had three top 10s and missed 12 cuts in 20 starts this season.
Adam Hadwin (139) – Hadwin won the 2017 Valspar Championship and is a two-time President’s Cup player. This season, the 38-year-old Canadian had one top-10 finish and 12 missed cuts in 29 starts.
Zach Johnson (141) – Johnson has won 12 PGA Tour tournaments, including two majors (2007 Masters and 2015 Open Championship). This season, the 49-year-old from Iowa had one top 10 and missed nine cuts in 17 starts.
Cameron Champ (147) – sample is a three-time PGA Tour winner. This season, the 30-year-old from California had one top 10 and missed nine cuts in 16 starts.
Camilo Villegas (155) – Villegas is a five-time PGA Tour winner. This season, the 43-year-old from Colombia had two top 10s and missed 11 cuts in 27 starts.
Kevin Kisner (194) – Kisner is a four-time PGA Tour winner and an NBC analyst. This season, the 41-year-old from South Carolina had one top 10 and missed 14 cuts in 17 starts.
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