Few golfers know the treacherous, often devastating path to the PGA Tour better than Spencer Levin. of The 41-year-old cult hero of golf has been playing on the pro golf tour for more than 20 years, loving a legion of fans along the way.
On Sunday, Levin suffered another cruel twist of fate in a career full of them, when he failed to regain his PGA Tour card for the first time in nearly a decade. at Q-School.
After his heartbreaking loss on Sunday, Levin didn’t run home in a daze. Instead, he faced the cameras and gave an emotional interview to the Korn Ferry Tour media crew, where the raw emotion of the moment poured out.
Spencer Levin nearly regains PGA Tour card at Q-School
Heading into the final round at last week’s PGA Tour Q-School Finals, Levin was on the verge of an improbable comeback.
Levin made his first Korn Ferry Tour start in 2003, debuting in his first PGA Tour-sanctioned event the following year at the 2004 US Open. He eventually earned his PGA Tour card, making 244 starts over the next 20 years.
Although Levin has two third-place finishes and one runner-up finish, he has never won a PGA Tour event. During his time on Tour, he was best known for his humor and humor on the course.
ACTIvE an episode of GOLF’s Subpar in 2023co-host Colt Knost had this to say about playing with Levin on Tour.
“He was one of my favorites to be paired with,” Knost said. “Not only because he would lose his s, but he just knew how to play golf. It wasn’t the prettiest thing, it wasn’t the prettiest golf swing, he didn’t hit it nine miles, but he put a score on a scorecard that was better than a lot of people.”
;)
‘He’d lose his s…’: Spencer Levin’s legend grows with these hilarious new tales
Josh Berhow
You can read more anecdotes about Levin’s legend from PGA Tour pros here.
Levin eventually lost his PGA Tour card after the 2016-2017 season, and he has made only sporadic starts since then. His final PGA Tour appearance came at the 2023 Farmers Insurance Open, for which he qualified on Monday and missed the cut.
That year he played in the final stage of Q-School, but finished T10 to narrowly miss out on getting his Tour card back for 2024.
In 2025, Levin entered him in 22 Korn Ferry Tour events. He missed 15 cuts and finished 98th in the KFT rankings, which earned him only conditional KFT status for 2026.
So it was back to Q-School for one last attempt to improve his outlook for the upcoming season. At the second stage Q-School event in Dothan, Ala., Levin rallied in the final round to finish T6 and advance to the Final Stage in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
Levin started this week’s event steady with back-to-back 69s, then climbed the leaderboard with a 63 in Round 3. With the top 5 finishers earning PGA Tour cardsLevin entered Sunday’s final T6 and two shots out of the lead. He was suddenly, tantalizingly close to earning a PGA Tour card for 2026
“I’ve been doing this for a long time,” Levin said Saturday. “I’ve seen every scenario there is. The thing you learn is there are no secrets. You just have to go out tomorrow and execute and play well. And that’s it.”
But with a return to the PGA Tour within reach, Levin battled to a one-over 71 in the final round, finishing T13, three shots short of a playoff for the fifth and final PGA Tour card.
Levin on lost PGA Tour card: ‘Something you want so bad’
With all that he had been through, not just in Sunday’s final round, but throughout his entire career, it would have been understandable if Levin had left the course quickly without speaking to anyone on Sunday night.
But instead he chose to do an interview after the round and may have gained even more fans in the process.
;)
Josh Sens
At first, the interviewer asked Levin what was “going through his head” after his near absence.
“I was hoping today would be the day, but it wasn’t…” Levin replied, his voice trailing off as he choked back tears. “That’s all, I don’t have much to say.”
Just when it looked like the interview was going to end as quickly as it started, the interviewer reminded Levin of his successful Q-School Stage Two rally, which earned a smile from the visibly devastated pro.
“Yeah, thanks for bringing it up,” Levin said. “That was definitely positive. Yes. I did. Thanks for saying it. I did.”
Levin then opened up and revealed more details about his experience in the final round.
“Today you wake up thinking this could be the day. I felt good, everything felt good. I slept well last night, I don’t usually sleep well before days like this, and I did,” Levin explained. “There were just some shots I needed to make that I didn’t make. And I told my caddy that I knew if we made the last three holes we had a chance. And I mean I hit them right there on all three holes to make it, and I didn’t make the putts. But it’s unfortunate because I played really well from tee-to-green all week.”
But Levin also played down his disappointment, explaining that his strong desire to return to the PGA Tour makes his near loss that much more difficult.
“It’s just disgusting because it’s something you want so badly,” Levin admitted.
However, it is not all bad news. Levin’s strong performance at Q-School earned him full status on the Korn Ferry Tour the following year. So he’ll have another chance to put it on a PGA Tour card. It also wouldn’t be surprising if his inspiring play this week earns him some sponsor exemptions at PGA Tour events next season. If it does, there will be plenty of fans eager to see him play.
