Golfers switching to LIV Golf usually draw criticism. While this used to happen predominantly in 2022, it still persists. But this time, it’s the timing of the shift that’s being criticized rather than the switch itself. Thomas Detry, the first Belgian to win a PGA Tour event, is rumored to join LIV Golf for the 2026 season. Behind the rumors lies a technical deadline that could lead to missed opportunities for Lee Hodges, the golfer who has earned more than $9 million in official money on the PGA Tour.

Rumored to Join LIV Golf, PGA Tour Pro Faces Scrutiny for Jeopardizing $9M Pro’s Career

“The Tour has had a rule since LIV that players move up one spot if a player leaves prior to Dec 31st. After that no one moves up. I have confirmed that is the same for this year,” Monday Q Info wrote in an X post.

“I would assume that Detry knew that. No problem with him leaving, but if the terms were agreed upon prior to the new year and he didnt sign, that really stinks. It would have moved a player into all the signature events, and move Lee Hodges into the top 100.”

The PGA Tour’s policy, in place since LIV Golf’s emergence, allows players to move up one spot if they depart before December 31. After that date, no adjustments occur. Notably, rumors about Thomas Detry moving to LIV emerged on Tuesday, January 6, 2026. He and the DP World Tour’s Elvis Smylie were reported to be LIV’s third and fourth signings this offseason, following Laurie Canter and Victor Perez. Thomas could join countryman Thomas Pieters on Dustin Johnson’s 4Aces GC team to replace Harold Varner III, who shifts to Smash GC.

Carding rounds of 66-64-65-65, the Belgian professional won the WM Phoenix Open with a whopping seven-stroke margin. Thanks to this win, and many other strong finishes, including T5 at The Sentry and T15 at the Farmers Insurance Open, Detry finished 50th on the FedEx Fall standings. This means that if he had switched before December 31, 2025, Lee Hodges, the golfer in the 101st position, would have gotten a full exempt card.

Hodges entered the RSM Classic standing at 122nd in the FedEx Cup rankings. As previously mentioned, only the top-100 would receive a full-exempt card. This had affected many golfers, including Justin Lower, who had a breakdown. He was about to welcome two kids into his family, while being on the verge of losing his 2026 card. However, Hodges didn’t feel sorry for himself or for others. He was clear that if anyone was to blame for the situation, it should be him.

“Like the guys that — I don’t know if I’m going to ruffle some feathers, but the guys that come in here and kind of feel sorry for themselves, I have no pity for because you played it, you know what I mean? You played every shot this year,” Lee Hodges said ahead of the RSM Classic.

“Same way as me. Like I’m where I am because of my golf, nobody else’s golf. Nobody put me there. I put myself there.”

The 2023 3M Open winner posted a score of 19 under par to finish T4. This helped him climb from 122nd to 101st, but he still ended up one position short. If Thomas Detry had left for LIV in 2025, Hodges would have secured his PGA Tour card.

While Hodges still has a conditional status and could play multiple PGA Tour events, the uncertainty could be an issue.

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New PGA Tour card rules bring uncertainty for Lee Hodges and others

Lee Hodges and other golfers ranked from 101st to 125th in the FedEx Fall don’t have any specific starts. The PGA Tour made the card eligibility changes to prevent slow play. Thus, golfers with conditional status would get starts based on field sizes, events, and more. This adds uncertainty among the golfers.

Fellow professional Beau Hossler, who stands at 104 in the rankings, said that since the rule is new, no one has a clue about how many starts they could get.

“And you hear about reducing field sizes. Well, you don’t know if that means like by 10 people or 30. I don’t know. Very big difference. Not big for guys with a full card, but definitely big for guys right on the fringe with conditional status,” Hossler said on Golf’s SubPar podcast.

He said that it would have been nice to know what was to happen. Some players criticize the uncertainty, while others support it. Criticism has come from established figures like Lucas Glover and Padraig Harrington. They argue that the adjustments harm access and tour integrity. On the other hand, supporters like Even Davis and Chris Kirk say that they understand the policy and that it should increase the speed of the game.

Thomas Detry’s rumored exit has shifted the focus from tour politics to timing. It does not affect Thomas alone; it also affects Lee Hodges. As the PGA Tour reshapes its card structure, situations like this continue to fuel debate about fairness.