In any other year, Kuchar’s 118th position would have secured full status, but with the PGA Tour<\/a> lowering the cutoff from the top 125 to the top 100, Kuchar<\/a>\u2019s 19th consecutive fully exempt season came to an abrupt end.<\/p>\n Instead, he enters 2026 with conditional status and a choice.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n Kuchar can spend one of his two career-money exemptions\u2014available to players inside the top 25 on the PGA Tour\u2019s all-time earnings list\u2014or he can rely on his current category and hope his number is called often enough.\u00a0<\/p>\n It\u2019s a decision complicated by the PGA Tour\u2019s increasingly stratified schedule.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a different PGA Tour from when I first joined in 2002,\u201d Kuchar said after finishing well down the board on home Georgia turf at the RSM Classic.\u00a0<\/p>\n With eight signature events, four majors, The Players Championship and three FedEx Cup Playoffs events now making up the top tier, Kuchar is currently ineligible for all of them next season\u2014regardless of whether he uses his exemption.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know how many starts I\u2019ll get,\u201d he admitted.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know if using an exemption will get me any different starts. It\u2019s a tricky one. It\u2019s not going to get you into any elevated events.\u201d<\/p>\n Kuchar has a big decision to make<\/p>\n PGA Tour officials project that players finishing between 101st and 110th in the final standings typically earn around 16 starts in the 19-event regular season, plus nearly all FedEx Cup Fall events.\u00a0<\/p>\n Kuchar, at No. 118, sits just outside that bracket and it raises the possibility that burning one of his exemptions might not yield a meaningful upgrade in playing opportunities.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re in somewhat uncharted territory,\u201d said Kuchar.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m guessing they\u2019ve run the numbers, but I don\u2019t know how well their scenarios work out.\u201d<\/p>\n If there is a silver lining, it\u2019s that Kuchar has time\u2014and financial cushion\u2014on his side.\u00a0<\/p>\n A model of consistency for most of his career, he ranks 15th on the all-time PGA Tour money list with $61,538,738.\u00a0<\/p>\n That places him more than $15 million clear of the player in 25th (Webb Simpson), meaning delaying the use of his top-25 career-money exemption would not jeopardise his eligibility to claim it later.<\/p>\n![\"Kuchar](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/mixcollage-25-nov-2025-07-11-pm-6129.jpg\")
<\/p>\n