Francesco Molinari, Zac Blair and Wesley Bryan were among the standouts who failed to finish in the FedEx Cup fall top 125.
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Forty-eight tournaments over 47 weeks brought the 2024 PGA Tour calendar to its official conclusion on Sunday, the RSM Classic as the last attempt for pros to qualify for the top 125 in the fall of the FedEx Cup and retain full privileges of the game in the tournament in 2025.
The sweat was on early in the week, with all but one player in the 122nd to 140th area in the FedEx Cup rankings competing at RSM. A number of hearts were broken right around the cut line, and a number of others were kept intact. Take Joel Dahmen, for example. who drowned after 36 holes knowing he was halfway to his goal of qualifying for full status next year.
Those two extra rounds he won himself on Friday afternoon came in handy as Dahmen shot an incredible clutch 64 on Sunday to stamp his ticket to fully exempt status next year. Other players were not so lucky.
Below are six standouts — including multiple major winners — who missed out on making the top 125, and while they’ll still be able to work their way into tour events next year, it won’t be as easy or straightforward, planning- wise. This comes at a time when planning is more important than ever. of The 2025 PGA Tour will offer only 100 fully exempt seats for the 2026 season, limiting access by 20 percent.
Francesco Molinari
The 2018 Open champion has struggled in a big way since the final round of the championship Masters 2019. He has apparently never been the same since dropping numerous balls into the water hazard on the back nine of Augusta National. Molinari played 15 times but never recorded a top 10 finish on Tour, finishing outside the top 190.
Jimmy Walker
The 2017 PGA Champion hasn’t exactly been in hot pursuit of a PGA Tour card through the fall of the FedEx Cup. He has spent more time playing in Europe, competing in the Irish Open and Spanish Open, where he finished in the top 15 both times. It’s possible we could see him pick up that form again in America next year, but he’ll have to luck his way into a few tournaments first.
Zac Blair
Blair’s entered the final week ranked 123rd, knowing that a made cut and a solid showing should be enough to take him into next year with full status. He was grouped with fellow bubbler Dahmen for the first two rounds and finished one shot behind him. One major issue: Dahmen made the number cut. Blair missed the cut, one short of the number. This made him strictly a leaderboard watcher for the rest of the weekend, with plenty of players threatening him.
Wesley Bryan
Like Blair, the PGA Tour’s top YouTuber entered the week completely on the bubble. He was grouped with Dahmen, too, and similarly missed a shot short of the number. He then took to Twitter to thank his fans for their support and encouragement.
Parker and Pierceson Coody
Both Coody Brothers enjoyed their moments early in their respective rookie seasons, but both struggled to make enough cuts to really hold steady in the FedEx Cup position. Parker took a top 10 finish at the Corales Punta Cana event and Pierceson nearly won the ISCO Championship in Kentucky in July. Pierceson will retain conditional status for next season and will earn his way into multiple Tour events. Parker, on the other hand, will have to try to earn his way back through Q-School or find himself on the Korn Ferry Tour next season.
