BREAKING: 9 PGA Tour Golfers receives brutal suspension including Jack Nicklaus, Xander Schauffele, Justin Thomas reasons
BREAKING: 9 PGA Tour Golfers receives brutal suspension including Jack Nicklaus, Xander Schauffele, Justin Thomas reasons
The PGA Tour has notified Jon Rahm he has been suspended for signing with Saudi-funded LIV Golf, a formality that is more about the benefits to the players he leaves behind.
Mackenzie Hughes and Carl Yuan are the immediate beneficiaries of Rahm’s decision last week to sign with the rival league. PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said in a memo to players Monday afternoon that Rahm’s suspension “for his involvement in a series of unauthorized tournaments” has removed him from the FedExCup.
That means Hughes has moved up from 51st to 50th in the rankings and is now eligible to play in all seven of the $20 million flagship tournaments in 2024. It also means Ewan, who entered Qualifying School this week, has risen to 125th and earned himself a full PGA Tour card next year.
Last year’s tour was the gap between the FedEx Cup standings and a separate list tied to qualification and playoff status. This distinction was made to ensure that players who moved to LIV would not negatively impact the remaining players.
Among the players who won last year was Rickie Fowler, who made it to the playoffs thanks to the fact that all of his players moved to LIV. And Jimmy Walker and Rory Sabbatini both moved up the list in terms of career money and were able to take advantage of the one-time perk to maintain their full status. Hughes just missed cracking the top 50 this year. He was ranked 51st in the fall and was guaranteed spots in the first two tournaments for just $20 million. The Canadian can now look forward to tournaments such as the Wells Fargo Championship at his home in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Alex Smalley finds himself in 60th place and is guaranteed a place in two $20 million events. The change also impacts Paul Haley, who has risen to 150th and enjoys at least conditional status.
And this could impact Sakit Tigara. He finished 31st, narrowly missing out on the Tour Championship, and will move up to 30th, meaning he may miss the U.S. Open. This year’s U.S. Open awarded the top 30 qualified players.
Travel was permitted because the new season had not yet started. More changes could come if more PGA Tour players move to LIV by the end of the year.
Monahan said in the memo that the board and management recently met with a group of players who are unhappy that marquee events award a disproportionate number of points toward the FedExCup compared to other events, raising concerns that it will make it harder for players outside the top 50 to compete for the FedExCup under the equal footing clause. Monahan said the board will review the new system in June and evaluate whether changes are needed in 2025.