While many golfers end their season by securing their maiden win like Maverick McNealy to earn a 2-year exemption on the PGA Tour, a bunch of pros lose their cards every year. It is sad, but it is the rule that has been followed for years now. Unlike LIV Golf, where only those ranked outside 48 get relegated from the breakaway circuit, on the PGA Tour that number is quite big.

Since there are more than 200 golfers on the PGA Tour, every year only the top 125 secure full membership for the next season. And those ranked 126th to 150th on the FedEx Cup Standings are given the conditional status, meaning that in case of withdrawals, they would be asked to be on the field. But it essentially is losing the cards, and in the 2024 season, many prominent golfers have lost their playing privileges for 2025.

Golf content creator Kasey Yardley posted seven popular names on Instagram who lost their 2025 cards, including Webb Simpson, Gary Woodland, Francesco Molinari, Cameron Champ, Zac Blair, Wesley Bryan, and Jimmy Walker. Out of these seven, four golfers are major champions: Woodland (2019 US Open), Simpson 2012 (US Open), Molinari (2018 Open), and Jimmy Walker (2018 PGA Championship). Despite these golfers’s successful track record, they faltered in the 2024 season and failed to play dominantly.

Thus, they won’t be seen in 2025 as much as they and the fans would have hoped. This relegation from the PGA Tour pushed the golf world to wonder what could have happened if the ‘other side’ did not exist and if any of these golfers would make a jump.

Netizens take a jab at the PGA Tour’s relegated pros

LIV Golf relegated five golfers this year: Bubba Watson, Kalle Samooja, Scott Vincent, Branden Grace, and Kieran Vincent. So, for 2025, they are already looking for new golfers to join the disruptive league. These seven golfers relegated from the PGA Tour are also past major champions and sometimes play well, so, Greg Norman may call them up. That’s why this user hinted, “Liv hotline now open.”

But will they be accepted? When LIV Golf started, a group of PGA Tour pros joined them for the lucrative deal. But many also critiqued the disruptive circuit for causing chaos in the golf world and blamed it for making a divide. And Webb Simpson is a Player Advisory Council member through 2025. Being against LIV Golf, this fan asked, “Wonder how many turned down LIV money the last couple years.” Another user highlighted that seeing these seven lose the PGA Tour was mind-boggling because the Tour field has been diluted after many golfers left for LIV. They commented, “Even crazier with all the guys who have left to go to LIV.” 

While many fans could empathize with the golfers missing out on the 2025 PGA Tour card, a few were brutal with their comments. They harshly said, “Play better. It’s not a charity.” Now, there were only those outside of the top 125 losing their cards; from 2026, that number would be reduced to only 100. There will be chances of many big names missing the cards then, and it will truly be more astonishing than now. As this fan expressed, “No different than other years, but next year (drop to top 100 vs. 125 for fully exempt) will be a list to see.” 

Other renowned names missing the 2025 PGA Tour cards are Zach Johnson, Camilo Villegas, Matt Wallas, Hayden Springer, and others. These are only a few; hundreds more will not be seen on the PGA Tour in 2025, and going into 2026, that number will only increase.