Matt Kuchar and the Future on the PGA Tour: A New Landscape
Matt Kuchar, after completing his nineteenth consecutive season on the PGA Tour, finds himself at a crossroads. He finished in 118th place in the FedEx Cup, a position that, in previous years, would have secured his full card. However, recent changes in the circuit, which now limit the cut to the top 100 instead of 125, complicate his situation. The following option for Kuchar, 47, seems to be to use one of his career earnings exemptions. But the reality is more complex. The PGA Tour has evolved since Kuchar joined in 2002. Now, the schedule includes eight signature events, four majors, The Players Championship, and three FedEx Cup playoff events. Kuchar is not qualified for any of these in 2026.The uncertainty lies in whether his conditional status, being in 118th place in the FedEx Cup, will allow him to participate in a similar number of tournaments compared to using a career earnings exemption. PGA Tour officials estimate that players ranked between 101st and 110th in the FedEx Cup, maintaining that ranking throughout the year, will be able to participate in approximately 16 of the 19 tournaments, in addition to all the fall FedEx Cup events, except the one in Japan. Kuchar, located eight places below that group, runs the risk of descending if he doesn’t show a good initial performance. Despite this, Kuchar has time to consider his two exemptions. Thanks to his outstanding career, he is in 15th place in career earnings, with $61,538,738. This gives him a significant advantage, so postponing the use of the exemption for the top 25 will not negatively affect him. Kuchar will have to make a decision in the next month, before the Sony Open in Hawaii. This year, Kuchar had only one top-ten finish, a tie for fifth at the John Deere Classic, although he only missed two cuts in 18 starts.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 performed well in putts.
Matt Kuchar
