Valimaki, who has finished second twice in the past two seasons, used a putter from under the green on the 16th and then holed an 18-foot putt. It remained steady over the final gaps even when the wind abruptly changed direction late in the day with slightly more force.
Much more dramatic was everything that happened before him.
The top 100 in the FedExCup standings – fewer than 125 players in previous years – will have full PGA Tour cards for a 2026 season, when the fields will be smaller.
Ricky Castillo shot 28 on the front nine to close with a 62, and when he finished it looked like that would be enough to move from No. 135 into the top 100. But then Max McGreevy holed a 30-foot birdie putt on the final hole for a 63, leaving him alone in second place.
That dropped Castillo to number 102 by less than 10 points.
Immediately after McGreevy holed his putt, Lee Hodges had a 10-foot birdie attempt that narrowly missed and cost him a chance to move into the top 100. The par for a 66 left him at No. 101 in the FedExCup standings by about two points.
When the RSM Classic ended, the players ranked 95 through 100 going into the final event were unchanged.
And there was Valimaki, two-time winner on the European tour and runner-up in Mexico two weeks ago. Now he has a two-year exemption from the PGA Tour and is assured of playing the first two $20 million events of 2026 by finishing No. 51 in the FedExCup.
“Obviously it’s been a long road,” Valimaki said. “I feel like it’s been a really tough year, even if I’ve been playing decent golf, and then to keep pushing and find some good grooves in the last few tournaments, it feels great.”
McGreevy, who already had his card locked up, moved up to No. 60 to also qualify for a pair of signature events starting next year. His finish knocked Jordan Spieth, who did not play this fall, out of 60th, meaning Spieth will need sponsorship exemptions for Pebble Beach and Riviera.
McGreevy played with freedom, knowing he didn’t have to worry about playing for his card.
“I’ve never been so nervous,” he said. “I felt like I was playing to win. Luckily my best golf came at the end of the year.”
Nico Echavarria shot 65 to place fourth and moved up to No. 51-60 for West Coast signature events.
Sam Stevens made a hole-in-one on the third hole with a 9-iron over a bunker to a front pin and finished with a 63, tying for seventh place. He was already ready for all the signature events. In his mind, he was at number 48 in the world rankings to remain in the top 50 at the end of the year to earn a spot in the Masters.
It’s too close to call, as it was for Johnny Keefer, the Korn Ferry Tour Player of the Year who entered the week at No. 50. Both were in that wide tie for seventh and would move up a few spots with tournaments still being held in Australia and South Africa throughout the rest of the year.
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