12 surprising players who lost their PGA Tour cards on Sunday

Lee Hodges, on the verge of losing his PGA Tour card Saturday afternoon, knew who would take it from him.

Lee Hodges.

And he also had an idea for some other players.

This week on the PGA Tour, the reflections were about as frequent as the swings. The track played its last event of the year, meaning it was the final event to secure playing status for next year. A win at the RSM Classic would have been enough. A rise to the top 100 of the season standings would have been enough, although a recent change has shrunk that number: it would have been 125.

Hodges was in action this week and finished 122nd. On Saturday, he said he wasn’t sure what to do to move up.

But he knew who to blame for his position.

“I mean, yeah, it is what it is,” Hodges said. “Just like the guys that – I don’t know if I’m going to ruffle some feathers, but the guys that come in here and kind of feel sorry for themselves, which I don’t feel sorry for because you played it, you know what I mean? You played every shot this year.

“The same way I am. Like I’m where I am because of my wave, no one else’s wave. Nobody put me there. I put myself there. I put myself there.”

“Yes, you just are where you are, but we all have options, so just go do that, you know what I mean? Go take the road that takes you where you want to go.”

A reporter then asked him what it meant to be a Tour player.

“Yes, I said to my wife the other day, I’m from Ardmore, Alabama, and I’ve been playing on the PGA Tour for four years and winning,” Hodges said. “Like no one would have ever given that to me when I was ten years old.

“Obviously I want to keep it going, I’d like to add more to my resume, but it’s been a great ride so far and I think – I don’t think it’s over yet, but I’m excited to see where it goes.”

With that, here are 12 surprising players who lost their PGA Tour cards on Sunday. Some may reappear quickly: players ranked 100 through 125 will have conditional play status, and next month’s Tour Q-School will award cards to five players. Some other players may come back at some point.

12 players who lost their PGA Tour cards on Sunday

(The number in brackets is the player’s finish in the rankings.)

Lee Hodges (101) – At 101 years old, Hodges will be the bubble boy in the points standings. This season, the 30-year-old from Alabama posted four top 10s and missed nine cuts in 25 starts.

Matt Wallace (103) — Wallace is a five-time DP World Tour winner and won the 2023 Corales Puntacana Championship. This season, the 35-year-old from England had two top 10s and missed 10 cuts in 26 starts.

Matt Kuchar (118) — Kuchar could also use a career waiver to play next year; he is 13th on the career money list. This season, the 47-year-old from Florida had one top 10 and missed two cuts in 18 starts.

Joel Dahmen (122) — Dahmen won the 2021 Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship, and he was one of the stars of the Netflix show “Full Swing.” This season, the 38-year-old from Washington had three top 10s and missed 16 cuts in 28 starts.

Brandt Snedeker (126) — Snedeker is a nine-time PGA Tour winner and will captain the U.S. team at next year’s Presidents Cup. This season, the 44-year-old from Tennessee had three top 10s and missed 12 cuts in 25 starts.

Harry Higgs (132) — Higgs, one of the Tour’s most popular players, had one top 10 and missed 13 times in 28 starts this season.

Alejandro Tosti (137) — Tosti, who has made some headlines during his career, had three top 10s this season and missed 12 times in 20 starts.

Adam Hadwin (139) — Hadwin won the 2017 Valspar Championship and is a two-time President Cup player. This season, the 38-year-old from Canada had one top 10 win and missed 12 times in 29 starts.

Zach Johnson (141) — Johnson has won twelve PGA Tour tournaments, including two majors (2007 Masters and 2015 Open Championship). This season, the 49-year-old from Iowa had one top 10 and missed nine cuts in 17 starts.

Cameron Champion (147) — Champ is a three-time PGA Tour winner. This season, the 30-year-old from California had one top 10 and missed nine cuts in 16 starts.

Camilo Villegas (155) — Villegas is a five-time PGA Tour winner. This season, the 43-year-old from Colombia had two top 10s and missed 11 cuts in 27 starts.

Kevin Kisner (194) — Kisner is a four-time PGA Tour winner and NBC analyst. This season, the 41-year-old from South Carolina had one top 10 and missed 14 cuts in 17 starts.

“>