The PGA Tour made history on November 18, 2024. The Policy Board slashed the threshold for exempt status from 125 to 100 players. The rationale was brutal yet straightforward: prioritize the stars of the game. Create a stronger, more competitive product. Make it harder for lower-performing players to maintain status.

Now, as the 2025 FedExCup Fall concludes, the harsh reality has hit home. Several players lost their full exempt status under the new system. They received conditional status instead of full cards. Among them are three players whose stories reveal how differently this rule can destroy careers: Justin Lower , Lee Hodges , and Ricky Castillo.

Justin Lower, Lee Hodges, and Ricky Castillo: different roads to the same destination

Lower entered the RSM Classic ranked 114th i

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