User:Phinumu/PGA Tour players/2008

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* – Denotes a player who finished in the top 125 of the money list.

Bold text – Denotes a player who won in 2008.

1. Winners of PGA Championship or U.S. Open prior to 1970 or in the last 10 calendar years (Beginning in 1998, this is a five-year exemption.)

Michael Campbell declined membership. Pádraig Harrington was promoted to this category after his PGA Championship win and earned an exemption through 2013.

Woods extended his exemption to 2013. Mickelson did the same; he would fall to cat 9 in 2013. Ogilvy extended his to 2012, in which year he would fall to cat 9. Singh extended his to 2013; he would fall to cat 6 in 2010 and cat 7 in 2012.

Micheel received a medical extension.

2. Winners of the THE PLAYERS Championship in the last 10 calendar years. (Beginning In 1998, this is a five-year exemption.)

Sergio García was promoted to this category after his win and earned an exemption through 2013. Scott extended his exemption to 2012. Love extended his to 2010.

3. Winners of the Masters Tournament in the last 10 calendar years. (Beginning in 1998, this is a five-year exemption.)

Trevor Immelman was promoted to this category after his win and earned an exemption through 2013. Johnson extended his exemption to 2013, in which year he would move to cat 9.

4. Winners of the British Open in the last 10 calendar years (1990-present). (Beginning In 1998, this is a five-year exemption.)
5. THE TOUR Championship winners in the last three years, beginning with the 1998 winner

Camilo Villegas was promoted to this category after his win and earned an exemption through 2011.

6. Winners of World Golf Championship events, beginning in 1999 (a three-year exemption)

Henrik Stenson declined membership.

7. The winner of the FedEx Cup in each of the last five calendar years
8. The leader in PGA TOUR official earnings in each of the last five calendar years
9. Winners of PGA TOUR cosponsored or approved events (except team events) within the last two calendar years, or during the current year; winners receive an additional year of exemption for each additional win, up to five years.

Not including Camilo Villegas, who was in this category for three weeks between his two wins, sixteen players moved into this category during the season. Kenny Perry earned an exemption through 2012 with three wins. Anthony Kim earned an exemption through 2011 with two wins. Choi extended his exemption to 2011; Leonard extended his to 2012.

Couch, Oberholser, Triplett, and Wetterich received medical extensions. Maggert used a top 50 career money exemption. Durant finished in the 126–150 range, fell short at Q School, and settled for conditional status in 2008.

10a. Career money exemptions – top 50

Norman qualified for the life member category in 2009. Haas focused on the senior tour and fell to past champion status for good in 2009.

10b. Career money exemptions – top 25

Faxon played in only three events and was granted a re-use for 2009. Sluman and Hoch focused on the senior tour; Sluman used his top 50 exemption for 2009, while Hoch fell to past champion status.

17. Life members

Watson focused on the senior tour.

18. Top 30 on the previous year’s FedExCup points list
19. Top 125 from money list

Estes, Warren, Gore, Garrigus, Beem, Lehman, Parnevik, Stadler, and DiMarco finished in the 126–150 range. Estes, Lehman, and DiMarco used career money exemptions for 2009 (top 50 for Estes, top 25 for Lehman and DiMarco). Garrigus made it through Q School. Warren, Gore, Beem, Parnevik, and Stadler fell to the conditional category for 2009.

Hensby, Ryan Armour, Hayes, Grönberg, Cóceres, Maruyama, Leaney, Langer, and Olazábal finished outside the top 150. Cóceres, Leaney, and Olazábal received major medical extensions; Grönberg made it through Q School. Hensby, Hayes, Maruyama, and Langer fell to past champion status; only Hayes would ever regain better status. Ryan Armour became a non-member for 2009.

20. Non-member top 125
Wins
Date Player Tournament
Mar 30 Andrés Romero Zurich Classic

Niclas Fasth declined membership.

Williamson finished in the 126–50 range and made it through Q School.

21. Major Medical Extension

Five players met their terms: Quigley and Hart in March, Crane and Bohn in April, and Bertsch in October. Bertsch finished in the 126–150 range and fell to conditional status for 2009.

McCarron's extension expired in July and he fell to past champion status, but finished in the top 125. Lewis's expired in May and he fell to past champion status (for good). Barlow's expired in June; he became a non-member until August 2009 when he achieved veteran membership, but would never rise above the past champion category. Browne's expired in June and he fell to past champion status (for good). Duval's expired in October and he fell to past champion status; he used a top 50 career money exemption for 2009. Perry, Snyder, Jobe, Berganio, Kuehne, Azinger, and Short received carry-overs; Berganio also made it through Q School.

22. Nationwide Tour leading money-winner

Both finished outside the top 150, fell short at Q School, became non-members, and have not reached the PGA Tour again.

Medical extension

Moore received a carry-over.

24. Q School top 25, Nationwide Tour 2-25

Those who finished in the 126–150 range were Sheehan, Matt Jones, Day, Driscoll, Sterling, Ridings, Gainey, and Lickliter. None were successful at Q School; all settled for conditional status.

Mills, Stroud, Yang, Bolli, Thatcher, Rumford, Pappas, Franco, Uresti, Collins, Kent Jones, Riegger, Ferrie, Scherrer, Walker, Elder, Sowards, Park, Demsey, Cañizares, Thompson, McGovern, Lutterus, Claxton, Allred, Freeman, Whittaker, Perkins, and Waldorf finished outside the top 150. Thatcher and Waldorf received medical extensions. Stroud, Yang, Kent Jones, and Walker were successful in Q School. Franco, Uresti, Scherrer, and McGovern settled for past champion status (only Uresti would earn better status in the future). The other 19 became non-members; Mills, Rumford, Riegger, Ferrie, Elder, Sowards, Demsey, Cañizares, Claxton, Allred, Freeman, Whittaker, and Perkins have not reached the PGA Tour again.

Reshuffle medical

Sim's extension expired in April and he became a non-member. Bradley used his last start at the final event of the season; he finished outside the top 150 and fell to past champion status for 2009. Kaye and Paulson received carry-overs.

25. Three-time Nationwide Tour winners in the current year
26. Minor Medical Extension
Wins
Date Player Tournament
Feb 10 Steve Lowery AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am

Lowery won in his second start. May's extension expired in June and he became a non-member (and would not reach the PGA Tour again). Stankowski's expired in June and he fell to past champion status. Allan and Buckle fell to the conditional category after their extensions expired in April and February, respectively; Allan finished in the 126–150 range and maintained conditional status for 2009, while Buckle finished outside the top 150 and became a non-member, never to regain status.

27. 126–150 from money list
Wins
Date Player Tournament
Nov 2 Ryan Palmer Ginn sur Mer Classic

One player won. The remaining players all finished outside the top 150. Frazar, Heintz, Dufner, and Purdy made it through Q School. Dawson, Andrade, and Gamez fell to past champion status in 2009 (for good, in Andrade and Gamez's cases). Coles, Kanada, LaBelle, Gove, and Maruyama became non-members; Kanada and Maruyama never regained status.

Stephen Allan and Andrew Buckle fell to this category after their medical extensions expired in April and February, respectively; Allan finished in the 126–150 range and maintained conditional status for 2009, while Buckle finished outside the top 150 and became a non-member, never to regain status.

28. Non-exempt medical extension

Magee's extension expired in February and he fell to past champion status (for good). Cox's expired in September and he became a non-member, never to regain status.

Notable past champions

The following past champions finished in the top 200 of the money list:

Wins
Date Player Tournament
Mar 23 Greg Kraft Puerto Rico Open

One player won. Westwood finished in the top 125 but declined membership. Tway finished in the 126–150 range and earned conditional status for 2009. Huston, Day, Riley, and Notah Begay III made it through Q School. Mize would never regain better status.

Notable non-members

The following non-members finished the equivalent of top 200 on the money list, including earnings in WGCs (^ denotes those eligible for full PGA Tour membership in 2009):

Stenson and Karlsson declined membership for 2009. No players accepted STM during the 2008 season, and none of those listed competed in Q School.

Other notes

Twenty-seven players not listed made it from the Nationwide Tour to the PGA Tour for 2009 (25 via the money list, 2 via Q School). Nine players with no PGA Tour or Nationwide Tour status in 2008 made it through Q School.