In golf, one stroke can change a lot of things. For Tommy Fleetwood, that one stroke turned from a possible first PGA Tour win into a last-round blunder. For Keegan Bradley, that same stroke could become his ticket to becoming the first playing captain in the Ryder Cup since Arnold Palmer in 1963. Just a few hours ago, one stroke meant one pro would either be knocked out of the PGA Tour or still keep his card.

In the second round, Will Gordon absolutely needed to make cut. To retain his Tour membership. Teeing off on a 443-yard par-4, he found the fairway with a 344-yard drive. Another 94 yards with his club, and he landed only 5 feet from the cup. He hit the perfect putt and briefly, but aggressively, celebrated the birdie, knowing that he would play the weekend round. He was visibly emotional after that. He entered the tournament with just 0.644 points short of retaining his card. Making it to the weekend ensured he got those points.

With tears flowing down his face, Gordon said, “It’s not in the back of my mind; it’s in the very front. But that’s why you play: to put yourself in moments like this and, hopefully, win golf tournaments. But I’m really proud of myself for executing under that pressure. I was just proud of keeping my head in it, fighting to the end. That’s what I do. It hadn’t been the prettiest kind of last three, four years, but I always fight.”

One of the individuals who dedicated a post to Gordon’s triumph was famed CBS reporter, Amanda Balionis. She shared a heartfelt message for the pro on Instagram, writing, “Unreal fight from Will today. Had to birdie the last and got it done, making the cut on the number and saving his card.” 

It’s worth noting that Will Gordon had received a medical extension on his exemption. His PGA Tour membership would have ended much sooner if not for the same.

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How did Will Gordon get a lifeline to extend his PGA Tour run?

After the 2024 WM Phoenix Open, Will Gordon had three inflamed vertebrae in his cervicothoracic junction. That put him out of commission for more than 5 months. As per regulations of the PGA Tour, any golfer who takes an extended leave from the Tour to recover from an injury can get an extension on their membership for the equivalent period. The 2025 Rocket Classic was Gordon’s last attempt at retaining his PGA Tour membership.

Will has only made 4 cuts in 13 tournaments he has played this year. While the T7 at the Farmers Insurance Open and T5 at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson were great, they weren’t enough for him to secure a place on the Tour. Interestingly, Bud Cauley faced the same dilemma earlier this year, as he only had 6 more events before his medical exemption from the PGA Tour was due. Luckily, a T6 finish in THE Players was enough for him to keep his place. Both Will Gordon and Bud Cauley will continue to feature in PGA Tour events for the remainder of the year.