The PGA Tour announced today it will extend its exempt player membership into next season, meaning there will be no relegation or loss of status to those falling outside the FedEx Cup Top 125 at the end of the 2019-’20 campaign.
The decision comes after the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled or postponed 13 events on the tour calendar. In a statement, the tour said the move was made following talks with the tour’s Policy Board and the Player Advisory Council. Players in the tournament winners, career money and life member categories will retain their status for the 2020-’21 season as well.
The upshot means the elimination of Korn Ferry graduates for 2020-’21. In its statement, the tour says it is established performance benefits to those that finish in the top 10 of the Korn Ferry points list at the end of the year, which includes eligibility for opposite-field events. The battlefield promotion, for those that win three times in a year on the Korn Ferry circuit, will remain.
Other news items include the reduction of field spots available from Monday qualifying for the rest of 2020. Under the current system, four players can gain entry to a tournament via Monday qualifying. That number will be cut to two. Additionally, the tour said there will be some tournaments where Monday qualifying may be eliminated all together if a safe location cannot be found.
The tour has also elevated the 2020 Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship. An alternate event the past two seasons, the event has been moved to the northern autumn, and as it shares no date with a WGC tournament, the Corales Puntacana will award a full 500 FedEx Cup points to its champion.
