The RSM Classic is no longer just a quiet coastal stop to wrap up the year. With full exemption now tied to finishing inside the top 100, the fall season has turned brutally unforgiving. A single missed cut can erase a year’s worth of work, and this time, several notable players saw their PGA Tour cards slip away.
Below is a look at notable players who lost their full PGA Tour cards for next season.
Justin Lower (No. 120)
Lower arrived at Sea Island carrying more weight than most. The 36-year-old from Ohio needed to leap up the standings to retain full Tour status, but despite opening with a strong 69 followed by an equally solid 68, the scoring conditions were so low that he still found himself outside the cutline. It was a gut-punch finish to a season where Lower had fought through every inch of adversity, and the emotional blow was obvious the moment he walked off the course.
Lower’s situation is especially difficult given the long, winding road he took just to get to the PGA Tour in the first place. Known for grinding through Monday qualifiers and developmental tours for years, earning his full card wasn’t something he took lightly, which is why losing it hurts even more.
Moving forward, he’ll rely on conditional status and limited starts, and he may need to look toward Q-School, sponsor exemptions, or selective Korn Ferry Tour appearances to rebuild his ranking. Given his work ethic and history, nobody should count him out, but the climb will be steep.
Joel Dahmen (No. 122)
Dahmen may be one of the most popular personalities on Tour, but charisma doesn’t protect anyone from the cold math of the standings. The 38-year-old from Washington had been hovering around the bubble heading into the RSM Classic and knew exactly what he needed: make the weekend, then make a move. Instead, he struggled early, never found the rhythm required, and missed the cut. Dahmen, also, had a 69 in Round 1 and 68 in Round 2.
The upside is that his status as a past winner and his fan-favorite profile will help him secure sponsor exemptions and alternate-field opportunities. But to regain a full card, he’ll need strong finishes early next year and far more consistency than he showed down the stretch this season. He’s proven he can bounce back before, including saving his card in dramatic fashion last year, but the pressure is back on.
Matt Wallace (No. 103)
Wallace came into the week knowing the truth: he was already outside the safe zone and needed a memorable week to survive. Instead, the Englishman found himself struggling to keep up with the low-scoring field that defined Sea Island.
He opened with steady rounds of 67 and 66, then followed with a 71 on Saturday. The field was going so low, that even under-par golf wasn’t enough to climb. He closed with a Sunday 67, finishing T51.
Wallace, now 35, has a strong track record on the DP World Tour, and that history could shape his next move. With no full PGA Tour card secured, he may split time between tours in 2025, leaning on his overseas success to maintain competitive sharpness and world ranking. That dual-tour approach may be the blueprint to rebuild his PGA standing while still competing in meaningful events.
Matt Kuchar (No. 118)
Perhaps the most surprising name to lose full status is 47-year-old Kuchar. A nine-time PGA Tour winner and long-time fixture on leaderboards, Kuchar entered the RSM Classic needing at least a decent week to cling to his 19-year-old card. But on a course overflowing with low scores, he simply couldn’t generate enough momentum and fell out of contention.
Kuchar ended the weekend with a 67-68-70-69 scorecard, tying for 67th.
“It’s been a long time since I lost my job. I would like to keep it …,” Kuchar said on Saturday. “But I think everybody’s kind of anxious to know just to see how next year plays out.”
Thanks to past-champion status and his long resume, he’ll still have access to certain events and sponsor exemptions. The challenge now becomes strategic: picking the right events, maximizing rest and preparation, and capitalizing on courses where he has a history of success.
Vince Covello (No. 213)
Covello is no stranger to the razor-thin margins of professional golf, and the RSM Classic served as another harsh reminder. The almost 43-year-old from Philadelphia needed a weekend surge to give himself any shot at landing safely inside the exemption line. However, early mistakes and a scoring pace he couldn’t match left him sitting at even through two rounds, and that, unfortunately, wasn’t enough to make the cut.
Covello is a fighter, and his experience on the Korn Ferry Tour could prove invaluable now. With full status gone (received his PGA Tour card in 2019 after wining the Chitimacha Louisiana Open), he’ll likely operate on conditional starts and Monday qualifiers, leaning heavily on his ability to stay patient and capitalize on limited opportunities.
Regaining a full card will require sustained momentum, not just flashes of strong play. The good news? His late-season form showed glimpses of competitive sharpness, and one good stretch could swing his trajectory right back upward.
Who Else Lost Their PGA Tour Cards?
More than 12 players slipped outside the top-100 mark and lost their full PGA Tour cards on Sunday. A few have already been mentioned (Dahmen, Wallace, and Kuchar), but the remaining names still paint a striking picture of how punishing the new system is.
Lee Hodges (101), finished one spot short, becoming the bubble boy despite four top-10 finishes this season.
Brandt Snedeker (126), a nine-time PGA Tour winner and future Presidents Cup captain, couldn’t reverse a season marked by inconsistency.
Harry Higgs (132), one of the Tour’s most popular personalities, couldn’t overcome a year with 13 missed cuts.
Alejandro Tosti (137), a volatile and talented player, fell well outside the safety line.
Adam Hadwin (139), a Presidents Cup veteran and Tour winner, had only one top 10 all season and faded late.
Zach Johnson (141), a two-time major champion, saw limited starts and nine missed cuts sink his chances.
Cameron Champ (147), a three-time winner with elite driving ability, struggled with consistency and fell out of the top 100.
Camilo Villegas (155), beloved worldwide for his resilience, posted two top 10s but couldn’t offset 11 missed cuts.
Kevin Kisner (194), a four-time winner and NBC analyst, had one top 10 in 17 starts and never came close to the threshold.
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