How do you qualify for a PGA Tour card?
Noah Mitchell
Published Jan 08, 2026
The top 25 money winners over the regular season (i.e., before the Tour Finals) receive PGA Tour cards, as do the top 25 money winners in the Finals.
How do you qualify to play on the PGA Tour?
Playing Professional
Players have several ways to qualify to play on Tour. They can finish in the top 25 at the annual qualifying tournament, win a PGA Tour event, finish in the top 150 players on the annual money list or finish in the top 25 on the Nationwide Tour, the PGA's official mini-tour.
What does it mean to get a PGA Tour card?
At the end of the Finals, the Top 25 players in total money earnings for the series are awarded a card. ( each tournament in the series also has a $1,000,000 purse) Korn Ferry Tour players must finish in the Top 25 for the regular season or the Finals to receive a PGA card.
How do players get their tour card?
PGA Tour card holders gain their status via tournament wins, finishing in the top 125 in the previous season's Fed Ex Cup, or through promotion from the previous season's Korn Ferry Tour.
How many players get a PGA Tour card?
Out of an approximate 80 million golfers globally only the elite 175 plus exemptions qualify for the PGA Tour. This begs the question of how many golfers are on the PGA Tour. Do Professional Players Pay Fees to Play on the PGA Tour?
31 related questions foundDoes Rickie Fowler have a tour card?
This is significant for a number of reasons. Theoretically, if you finish outside the top 125 in a given season, you lose your PGA Tour card for the following season. However, there are alternative ways to keep a card, and most of the stars have already done so. For example, Rickie Fowler is currently ranked No.
What does a PGA Tour win get you?
Winning a PGA Tour event provides a tour card for a minimum of two years, with an extra year added for each additional win with a maximum of five years. Winning a World Golf Championships event, The Tour Championship, the Arnold Palmer Invitational, or the Memorial Tournament provides a three-year exemption.
How hard is it to get on the PGA tour?
Professional golf is one of the toughest careers you could ever consider pursuing. The mind-set for professional golf is relatively easy to understand - achieve a low golf score average in tournaments, but the application of this is extremely difficult to achieve.
How much does a PGA Tour card cost?
PGA Tour. A PGA Tour player who's exempt from qualifying doesn't have to pay entry fees for tour events. He does pay a $100 initiation fee, then $100 in annual dues.
How do you get an amateur golf tour?
U.S Amateur
You must have an established handicap of 2.4 or lower to enter. The top 64 scores after stroke play will be eligible for the match-play competition, and the winner will receive an exemption into the U.S Open and The Masters in Augusta.
Can you become a golf pro at 40?
The good news from the research is that players can still turn professional even in their early 30s. It was also found that the best years for a golf professional are between 30 and 35, although plenty of tour players have shown they can still win tournaments in their 40s.
Can anyone play in a Monday qualifier?
Not just anyone can sign up for a Tour Monday Qualifier. Here are the players who can sign up directly. The rest have to go through a pre-qualifier (explained below). All others must play in a pre-qualifier just to get into the Monday Qualifier.
Do golfers get paid if they don't make the cut?
In 2017, every professional who missed the cut was paid $10,000. At the US Open, the players who miss the 36-hole cut each earn $10,000. At the PGA Championship, the players who miss the 36-hole cut are also paid, earning $3,200 each.
Can anyone play at Augusta?
Only the 30 players and ties who made the cut will get to play a tournament round at Augusta National, but as a consolation, everyone in the field, including those going home after 36 holes, will play a practice round at the Masters home the Friday before the final round.
What does a PGA caddy make?
As Collins explained, caddies also get a weekly salary negotiated with their player. Caddies can range from $1,500-$3,000 a week. However, some caddies opt for a higher weekly paycheck in exchange for a lower percentage of winnings. "No caddie and player has the same deal," Collins said.
What handicap do you need to be a pro golfer?
The majority of top golf professionals played to handicaps of +4 to +6 before entering the professional ranks. Some current pros still hold active handicaps, and these serve to highlight how much better than “scratch” they really are.
How do you get invited to play in the Masters?
First, here's how players qualify for the Masters, according to the official site at Masters.com.
- Masters Tournament champions (Lifetime)
- U.S. Open champions 2017-2021 (Honorary, non-competing after five years)
- British Open champions 2017-2021 (Honorary, non-competing after five years)
How good do you have to be to be a pro golfer?
It has been reported that athletes need 10,000 hours of practice to master a skill, but practice quality also counts in becoming a professional golfer. So, playing the most high-quality rounds or training sessions can help you become a better player.
What is 5 year exemption in golf?
The Arnold Palmer Invitational, Memorial Tournament and World Golf Championships provide a three-year exemption. Winning a major championship or The Players provides a five-year exemption. Winning multiple times in a year adds an extra year for each additional win with a maximum of five years.
Who is exempt on PGA?
All-Exempt PGA TOUR Priority Rankings
- Winner of PGA Championship or U.S. Open prior to 1970 or in the last five seasons and the current season: ...
- Winner of THE PLAYERS Championship in the last five seasons and the current season: ...
- Winners of the Masters Tournament in the last five seasons and the current season:
Has tommy Fleetwood lost his PGA Tour card?
ABU DHABI — Midway through the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai last November, Tommy Fleetwood was feeling encouraged. A dismal year in which he lost his PGA Tour card was ending on something of a positive note.
What is a sponsor exemption?
An exemption issued not on merit - rather on the whim of a major sponsor of the sport or an event. For instance, if Brand X Automobiles are sponsoring such-and-such a tournament, they may issue a sponsor's exemption to Player A such that Player A automatically qualifies for the event.
Did Fowler lose his tour card?
Fowler is not at risk of losing his PGA Tour card because his victory at the 2015 Players Championship earned him a five-year exemption, with additional years added on for every subsequent win. However, he hasn't won a tournament since February 2019.
Can PGA Tour players smoke?
Here is the PGA Tour's stance on smoking and the chewing of tobacco: 'Currently, the PGA TOUR does not have a policy against chewing tobacco or cigarettes.
Can you wear jeans to the Masters?
The official Masters dress code states that appropriate clothing and shoes should be worn at all times. Jeans are not allowed. Golf shoes with spikes are also not allowed. Only the players behind the ropes can wear them.