Pro’s birdie causes 2 to lose PGA Tour cards: ‘I hate to hear that’

On Sunday at the RSM Classic at the end of the PGA Tour season, several players achieved their PGA Tour card dreams, while others turned out disastrously. Max McGreevy is happily among the former group, but his stellar play on Sunday was also responsible for two fellow pros losing their PGA Tour cards.

With a clean putt on the final hole, McGreevy secured extension status for 2026 and sent the pros Ricky Castillo AND Lee Hodges on a more treacherous career path. After his round, McGreevy spoke about the harsh reality that his success led to the failure of his friends.

Here’s what you need to know.

Max McGreevy’s birdie finish comes with big PGA Tour payoff

The start of the tour in 89 in FedEx Fall SortingMcGreevy first had to avoid falling out of the top 100 and thus losing his full PGA Tour status for 2026. He accomplished that with rounds of 64-67-66 over the first three days at Sea Island.

But there was still something big to play for on Sunday. If McGreevy could crack the top 60 in the FedEx Fall rankings, he would earn invitations to the first two Signature Events of 2026, the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the Genesis Invitational.

When McGreevy arrived at the par-4 18th hole on Sunday, he was six under for the day and had an unblemished scorecard. He needed a bird to achieve his goal and he got it.

The 30-year-old pro’s approach shot left him with a long 29-footer for birdie, but he drained it to shoot a 63 and finish in sole second place. The finish, McGreevy’s best of the season, moved him to 60th in the FedEx Fall Rankings, earning him time at the big events at Pebble Beach and Riviera next year.

After his round, McGreevy admitted that his clutch putt on 18 will “rank pretty high” in terms of the best shots of his career. He compared it to an 18-footer he made last season to win a Korn Ferry Tour event.

“The same kind of emotions. It’s nervousness, but it’s giddy nervousness, it’s what you want,” McGreevy explained. “Thankfully I was able to make a good list and the cards fell in my favor.”

McGreevy laments the elimination of fellow pros from the PGA Tour Top 100

While McGreevy needed his shot on 18 to fall to get into the top 60, Castillo and Hodges needed to miss.

Castillo, a 24-year-old rookie, entered the week ranked No. 135 in the FedEx fall rankings. He then waded into contention for Sunday. With one round to go, he needed to finish T2 or better to move into the top 100 and secure his full PGA Tour card for 2026.

The night before, he decided he was going to ask for a Sunday 62 shot. Incredibly, he did. Castillo birdied seven on the front nine and added two more on the back to finish with an eight-under 62. At the time, that put him where he needed to be, T2 with McGreevy.

But McGreevy’s subsequent birdie on 18 moved him to 22 under and sole second, dropping Castillo to a solitary third finish and leaving him 102nd in the FedEx Fall Rankings, just shy of the top 100 and a full PGA Tour card.

Hodges started the tournament ranked 122nd. Playing the final round alongside McGreevy, he had his crucial birdie putt on 18 from just under 10 yards. If McGreevy missed his long birdie and Hodges made it, Hodges likely would have finished in the top 100.

But the opposite happened, giving Lee a T4 and dropping him to 101st in the FedEx fall rankings, making him the official bubble boy.

In addition to the relief and pride McGreevy expressed in his post-round press conference at RSM, he also expressed regret at losing Castillo and Hodges’ cards.

“I hate to hear that I was the one who did it,” McGreevy revealed Sunday night.

He then went on to praise Castillo.

“Great for Ricky (Castillo) … he’s got to go out and shoot 62 today to give himself a chance and he’s doing that. I don’t know if I’ve played Ricky once this year, but I know how much talent he has. No matter where he ends up, he’s going to come back here and have more chances on the PGA Tour,” McGreevy said.

As for Hodges, McGreevy called him a friend and revealed that he was asking Hodges to make his birdie putt on 18 despite competing against him.

“I’m playing alongside Lee (Hodges), who’s one of my good friends. We went out on the PGA Tour together in ’21 and I’m trying to get him to make that putt as much as I’m trying to make that putt for myself.”

He continued: “It’s small successes and small defeats. Whether it’s a loss to Ricky or Lee or something like that, they both still played great rounds, gave themselves that chance and that’s all they can count on is to give themselves an opportunity and they did. Hopefully, both of those guys, Ricky and Lee, can take care of their business, for sure, next year. golf.”

As McGreevy noted, all is not lost for Castillo and Hodges. By finishing in the top 150, they automatically earn spots in the next PGA Tour Q-School Final Stage, through which they can earn their PGA Tour cards.

Additionally, they will both receive conditional Tour status for 2026 which should see them play over 20 tournaments.

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