The PGA Tour made history on November 18, 2024. The Policy Board slashed the threshold for exempt status from 125 to 100 players. The rationale was brutal yet straightforward: prioritize the stars of the game. Create a stronger, more competitive product. Make it harder for lower-performing players to maintain status.

Now, as the 2025 FedExCup Fall concludes, the harsh reality has hit home. Several players lost their full exempt status under the new system. They received conditional status instead of full cards. Among them are three players whose stories reveal how differently this rule can destroy careers: Justin Lower, Lee Hodges, and Ricky Castillo.

Top Stories

Tour Pro Hit With Brutal 5-Month Punishment Only 11 Days After Celebrating Career Feat

Jack Nicklaus’ Former Company Announces Bankruptcy After $50M Lawsuit Defeat

Nelly Korda Makes Personal Request to LeBron James After He Showed Support for LPGA Pro

Support Pours in as PGA Tour Pro Bursts Into Tears Over Strict New Policy

Another U.S. University Cuts Golf Program Over Budget Concerns

Justin Lower, Lee Hodges, and Ricky Castillo: different roads to the same destination

Lower entered the RSM Classic ranked 114th in the FedExCup standings. He needed a strong finish to crack the top 100. Instead, he missed the cut with rounds of 69-68, finishing at 5-under par. The cut line settled at 7-under, just one stroke shy of tying the lowest in PGA Tour history.

His emotional press conference revealed the devastation. Lower’s voice trembled as he confronted his future.

“God, I am just so mad right now. I don’t know what to do, I don’t know what to say. I need to figure out how to get better.”

The 30-year-old from an NAIA school had beaten astronomical odds. He lost his father and brother in a car crash on March 26, 2005, when he was just 15 years old. They died on their way to pick him up from a golf course. He didn’t earn his first fully exempt card until 2021. Now, conditional status awaits him in 2026. His best finish of the season remains a T3 at the 2025 American Express and the T3 at the Bank of Utah Championship. He has no professional wins. Yet he also shared a sobering personal update.

“My life is about to change dramatically in about three to four months. I have twins on the way. I have no idea what to expect.”

Meanwhile, Lee Hodges experienced perhaps the cruelest fate of all. The Alabama native finished tied for fourth at the RSM Classic. He did everything right. He posted solid rounds and climbed the leaderboard. He fought until the final putt dropped. Then came the brutal math: he finished 101st in the FedExCup standings. Just two points separated him from the top 100. Two points stood between full exempt status and conditional limbo.

Hodges earned his card through the Korn Ferry Tour with one win there. His 2025 season featured four top-10 finishes. He currently sits around 170th in the world rankings. His career-best ranking hovers near 130th. He has one PGA Tour victory at the 2023 3M Open. Now, despite his strong T4 finish at the season’s final event, a conditional status awaits. The margin between success and failure has never been thinner.

Ricky Castillo, on the other hand, needed a three-way T2 finish to get inside the bubble. He finished solo third (21-under par). With his brother as caddie, Castillo was gunning for the silverware. But back-nine mistakes, including missing a 3-foot par putt on 12th, ended his hopes of a full-time membership. Now, he will battle for his card on the PGA Tour Q-School in December.

The new 100-card threshold reshapes professional golf

The policy’s impact extends far beyond these three players. Players ranked 101-125 receive conditional status for 2026. They won’t have guaranteed entry into all full-field events. They’ll sit lower on the priority list. They’ll rely on weekly reshuffles and hope spots open up. The exact number of events remains uncertain. However, it’s significantly fewer than a full card allows.

Other casualties include Doug Ghim (No. 113th), Matt Kuchar (No. 118), and Beau Hossler (No.104). Each faces a conditional status. Each must navigate an uncertain schedule. Losing full status means drastic financial consequences. The ripple effects touch families, coaches, caddies, and entire support systems.

These three stories prove the new rule doesn’t discriminate. It claimed a grinder from an NAIA school, a fighter who missed by two points despite a T4 finish, and pros who once showed promise of a future star. The 100-card era has officially begun. The casualties extend far beyond rankings.