2026 PGA Tour Sponsor Exemption All-Stars

Last week, the PGA Tour unveiled the bones of its new competitive structure for 2028 and beyond. Noted among the descriptions of the first-track Championship Series and the feeder Challenger Series was the closing of one of the biggest loopholes in the current model: sponsor exemptions.

For years, A-list players in C-level form have been granted access to the Tour’s most lucrative events, hoovering up valuable FedEx Cup points in events with larger purses and limited fields. And for years, beating up the practice has been a treasured pastime of this newsletter. Fortunately for golf fans, and unfortunately for some players who have been more sizzle than substance, that time will come to an end following next season. So you’ll forgive us for taking a few more swings at the bag.

The final impacts these handouts have on the FedEx Cup Playoffs are still TBD, but in the wake of the Travelers Championship, the final signature event of the season, we thought it’d be fun to take a look at who made the most of their golden tickets and who fell into the chocolate river.

Eighteen different players were granted sponsor exemptions across the season’s eight signature events. Twelve players made just one start* while six made multiple: Tony Finau (five), Max Homa (four), Billy Horschel (four), Keith Mitchell (three), Max Greyserman (two), and Jordan Spieth (two). (*Sahith Theegala was given a sponsor exemption to the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, but also got into the Genesis Invitational field via the Charlie Sifford Award).

Reminder: This exercise is intended to highlight “free” FedEx Cup points by looking at results in signature events, often without cuts, when playing via a sponsor exemption. Some golfers on this list played their way into other signature events. Stats as of the Travelers Championship.

It’s unsurprising that Finau leads the way with 169 points from his six starts, more than a quarter of his total tally (404). Finau is currently 77th in the FedEx Cup standings, 40 points outside of top 70 qualification for the first leg of the playoffs. Spieth has earned the second most points (132) from just his two signature event sponsor exemption starts and sits 52nd in the standings, inside the playoff cutline.

Someone who has needed the extra starts is Homa, who like Augustus Gloop, found himself in a sticky situation following a dip in form that saw him finish the 2025 season 105th in the FedEx Cup standings. The six-time winner on Tour has made an improvement this season, but left loads of points on the board. Across four sponsor starts in signature events, Homa’s finishes are T-37, T-69, T-38, and T-52. He currently sits outside the playoff cutline.

Of the dozen who were given just one free swipe at the money tree, nobody maximized their chance more than Adam Scott, who cashed in his sponsor exemption at the Genesis Invitational for a fourth-place finish, worth 325 points, a little less than a third of his season total to this point (1,058). Scott is 32nd in the standings, just outside Tour Championship qualification.

I’m not naive to the desires of tournament sponsors who want a little say in who plays in the events they’re spending tens of millions of dollars on. I’d be lying if I said a little part of me didn’t agree. But the PGA Tour is supposed to be a meritocracy, and these free handouts have been in direct opposition to that very notion. Sure, I’m going to miss these quarterly drive-bys at the expense of sponsor exemptions come 2028, but I’m equally excited for the Tour to clean it up.