Matt Kuchar Reflects on His Future on the PGA Tour
Golfer Matt Kuchar finished his nineteenth consecutive season on the PGA Tour, ranking 118th in the FedEx Cup. This position, which in previous years would have secured his full card, now raises questions due to the circuit’s new policy that reduces the cut to the top 100, instead of the top 125. The situation for Kuchar, 47, is complicated when considering the exemptions available based on career earnings. However, the current landscape of the PGA Tour is different from when he started in 2002. With eight signature events, four majors, the Players Championship, and three FedEx Cup playoff events, Kuchar does not meet the requirements to participate in any of them in 2026.The uncertainty lies in whether his conditional status, being in 118th place in the FedEx Cup, will allow him to compete in a similar number of tournaments compared to using a career earnings exemption. According to PGA Tour estimates, players ranked between 101st and 110th in the FedEx Cup, staying in that range throughout the year, would have access to approximately 16 of the 19 tournaments, in addition to all FedEx Cup Fall events, except the one in Japan. Kuchar is eight positions below that group, which makes him vulnerable to dropping if he doesn’t show good performance at the beginning of the season. Despite this, Kuchar has time to decide on his two exemptions. His outstanding career, with earnings of over $61.5 million, places him 15th on the career earnings list. This allows him to consider the option of delaying the use of his exemption for the top 25, without this representing a significant loss. Kuchar will have to make a decision in the next month, before the Sony Open in Hawaii. In the current season, Kuchar achieved a single top-10, a tie for fifth place at the John Deere Classic, although he only missed two cuts in 18 participations.I don’t know how many starts I’ll have. I don’t know if using an exemption will give me different opportunities. It’s complicated. It doesn’t guarantee you entry into any elite event.
Matt Kuchar
It’s not the 2025 I was expecting. It was a frustrating year. I think I only missed two cuts, but I couldn’t string together weeks where I played well and also putted well.
Matt Kuchar
