User:Phinumu/PGA Tour players/2015

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* – Denotes a player who finished in the top 125 of the FedEx Cup points list.

Bold text – Denotes a player who won in 2015.

1. Winners of PGA Championship or U.S. Open prior to 1970 or in the last 10 calendar years (Beginning in 1998, this is a five-year exemption.)

Jordan Spieth and Jason Day were promoted to this category after their wins and earned exemptions through 2020 (Spieth was in cat 3 from April to June). Rose and McIlroy extended their exemptions to 2020, in which season McIlroy would fall to cat 10.

2. Winners of the THE PLAYERS Championship in the last 10 calendar years. (Beginning In 1998, this is a five-year exemption.)

Rickie Fowler was promoted to this category after his win and earned an exemption through 2020.

3. Winners of the Masters Tournament in the last 10 calendar years. (Beginning in 1998, this is a five-year exemption.)

Watson extended his exemption to 2020, in which season he would fall to cat 10.

4. Winners of the British Open in the last 10 calendar years (1990-present). (Beginning In 1998, this is a five-year exemption.)

Darren Clarke declined membership. Zach Johnson was promoted to this category after his win and earned an exemption through 2020.

5. THE TOUR Championship winners in the last three years, beginning with the 1998 winner
6. Winners of World Golf Championship events, beginning in 1999 (a three-year exemption)

Shane Lowry accepted membership in this category after his win and earned an exemption through 2018. Reed extended his exemption to 2018, in which season he would fall to cat 10. Johnson extended his to 2018.

7. Winners of the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Memorial Tournament in the last three seasons and the current season, beginning with the 2015 winners

Matt Every and David Lingmerth were promoted to this category and earned exemptions through 2018.

8. The winner of the FedEx Cup in each of the last five calendar years
Wins by players with expiring exemptions
Date Player Tournament
Apr 19 Jim Furyk RBC Heritage

Haas extended his exemption to 2017, in which season he would fall to cat 10.

9. The leader in PGA TOUR official earnings in each of the last five calendar years
10. Winners of PGA TOUR cosponsored or approved events (except team events) within the last two calendar years, or during the current year; winners receive an additional year of exemption for each additional win, up to five years.
Wins by players with expiring exemptions

Fourteen players moved into this category during the season. Walker extended his exemption to 2020; Kirk extended his to 2018.

Gay received a medical extension. Thompson and Glover finished in the 126–150 range; both made it through the Finals. Merrick, Ernst, Points, and Austin finished outside the top 150; Ernst made it through the Finals, while the rest fell to past champion status in 2016 (for good, in Merrick and Austin's cases).

11a. Career money exemptions – top 50

Verplank finished outside the top 150 and fell to past champion status for good in 2016.

11b. Career money exemptions – top 25

Perry finished outside the top 150 and fell to past champion status for 2016.

18. Life members

Watson focused on the senior tour.

19. Top 125 on the previous year’s FedExCup points list

MacKenzie and Toms finished in the top 125 of the money list. Langley, Stuard, Hurley, Putnam, Garnett, Davis, and Guthrie finished in the 126–150 range. Davis made it through the Finals; the rest settled for conditional status in 2016.

Vegas, Barnes, Flores, Baddeley, Van Pelt, Romero, Fernández-Castaño, Jacobson, Svoboda, Garrigus, Leonard, Wilkinson, Allenby, Appleby, and Hicks finished outside the top 150. Jacobson, Appleby, and Hicks received major medical extensions, and Romero a minor. Van Pelt, Leonard, and Allenby used top 50 career money exemptions for 2016. Barnes, Garrigus, and Wilkinson made it through the Finals. Vegas and Baddeley fell to past champion status in 2016. Flores, Fernández-Castaño, and Svoboda became non-members; Svoboda has not reached the PGA Tour since.

20. Top 125 from money list

Beljan finished in the top 125 of the money list. Weir received a medical extension. Thompson finished in the 126–150 range and fell to conditional status in 2016. Renner finished outside the top 150, became a non-member in 2016, and has not reached the PGA Tour since.

21. Non-member top 125
Wins
Date Player Tournament
Feb 1 Brooks Koepka Waste Management Phoenix Open

Donaldson finished in the top 125 of the money list. Dubuisson finished outside the top 150, became a non-member in 2016, and has not reached the PGA Tour since.

22. Major Medical Extension
Wins
Date Player Tournament
Jul 19 Scott Piercy Barbasol Championship

Levin met his terms in November and Piercy in January. Hoch used his up in October with senior tour starts. Hart used his last start in the final regular-season event; he finished outside the top 150 and fell to past champion status for good in 2016. Adams, Estes, Potter, Kelly, Baird, Reavie, Frazar, and Couch received carry-overs, while Kim and Oberholser did not (and fell to past champion status in 2016); Reavie also made it through the Finals.

23. Web.com Tour and Finals leading money-winners

Fathauer finished outside the top 150 but made it through the Finals.

24. Medical extension
26. Web.com Tour 2-25 and Finals 2-25

Barber and Kim finished in the top 125 of the money list. Those who finished in the 126–150 range were Hoge, Prugh, Park, Saunders, Gillis, and Percy. Hoge and Saunders made it through the Finals. Gillis received a minor medical extension. Prugh, Park, and Percy settled for conditional status.

Homa, Hubbard, Alker, Randolph, Putnam, Fraustro, Axley, van Aswegen, Armour, Lunde, Sloan, Smith, Sucher, Slocum, Sainz, Sterne, and Cauley finished outside the top 150. Cauley received a major medical extension and Sterne a minor. Hubbard and van Aswegen made it through the Finals. Axley, Lunde, and Slocum fell to past champion status in 2016 (for good). The other 10 became non-members; Fraustro, Smith, and Sainz have not reached the PGA Tour again.

27. Reshuffle medical

Anderson's extension expired in July and he became a non-member. Alvarado fell to the minor medical category after his first extension expired in June; after his second extension expired in July he became a non-member, and has not reached the PGA Tour since. Blanks, Lancaster, Claxton, Lyle, Berganio, Affrunti, Gates, Williams, and Cantlay received carry-overs.

28. Three-time Web.com Tour winners in the current year
29. Minor Medical Extension

Fritsch and Lee became non-members after their extensions expired in October and June, respectively; Lee finished in the top 25 of the Web.com Tour regular-season money list. Gardiner used his last start at the final regular-season event; he finished outside the top 150, became a non-member in 2016, and has not reached the PGA Tour since. Wi fell to the conditional category after his extension expired in October; he finished outside the top 150 and fell to past champion status for good in 2016.

Benjamín Alvarado fell to this category after his first extension expired in June; after his second extension expired in July he became a non-member, and has not reached the PGA Tour since.

30. 126–150 from money list

Note that this was the first season in which this category was reshuffled.

Two players finished in the top 125. The remaining players all finished outside the top 150. Lee received a medical extension; Castro and Loupe made it through the Finals. Curtis, Chalmers, Byrd, and Immelman fell to past champion status in 2016 (for good in Curtis and Immelman's cases). Teater became a non-member for 2016.

Charlie Wi fell to this category after his medical extension expired in October; he finished outside the top 150 and fell to past champion status for good in 2016.

31. Non-exempt medical extension

Ridings became a non-member after his extension expired in June. Jobe did not receive a carry-over; he fell to past champion status for good in 2016.

Notable past champions

The following past champions finished in the top 200 of the FedEx Cup points list:

Wins
Date Player Tournament
Mar 2 Pádraig Harrington Honda Classic

One player won. Pampling and Dicky Pride finished in the top 25 of the Web.com Tour regular-season money list. Stanley made it through the Finals. Smith, Petrovic, and Rollins have never regained better status.

Notable non-members

One non-member won and accepted membership:

Wins
Date Player Tournament
Aug 9 Shane Lowry WGC-Bridgestone Invitational

The following non-members finished the equivalent of top 200 on the FedEx Cup points list (^ denotes those eligible for full PGA Tour membership in 2016):

Grace, Rodgers, and Smith accepted membership for 2016; Willett did not, but later accepted after winning. Willett accepted STM in May, Rodgers, Grace, and Smith in June, and Lowry in July.

Lahiri, Iwata, Grillo, and Aiken were successful in the Finals; Cook and Siem were not.

Other notes

Twenty-eight players not mentioned above made it from the Web.com Tour to the PGA Tour for 2016 (including European Tour winner Dawie van der Walt; 23 via the regular-season money list, 5 via the Finals).