The PGA Tour has notified Jon Rahm that he has been suspended for signing with Saudi-funded LIV Golf, a formality that has more to do with benefits for the players Rahm leaves behind. Mackenzie Hughes and Carl Yuan are the immediate beneficiaries of Rahm's decision last week to sign with the rival league.
PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan in a memo to players Monday afternoon said Rahm's suspension "due to his association with a series of unauthorized tournaments" removes his name from the list of eligibility points for the FedEx Cup. That means Hughes moves from No. 51 to No. 50, and is now eligible for the seven $20 million signature events in 2024. It also means Yuan, who signed up for Q-school this week, moves up one spot to No. 125 and has a full PGA Tour card for next year.
Last year, the tour distinguished between the FedEx Cup standings and a separate list related to postseason eligibility and status. The distinction was so that players who defected to LIV would not have a negative impact on those who stayed. Among those who benefited last year were Rickie Fowler, who made the postseason thanks to all the players who left for LIV; and Jimmy Walker and Rory Sabbatini, who moved up the career money list and were able to use one-time exemptions to maintain full status.
This year, Hughes narrowly missed the top 50. He maintained his 51st position throughout the fall. Which would have only guaranteed him spots in the first two $20 million events. Now the Canadian can count on players like the Wells Fargo Championship at his residence in Charlotte, North Carolina. Alex Smalley moves up to No. 60 and now has two $20 million events secured.
The changes also affect Paul Haley, who moves to No. 150 and now has at least conditional status. And it could affect Sahith Theegala. He finished in 31st place and narrowly missed the Tour Championship. He moves up to 30th place, which could exempt him from the US Open.
This year, the US Open recognized the top 30 eligibles. The moves were allowed because the new season has not started. If more PGA Tour players leave for LIV before the end of the year, that could lead to more changes. Social media had been talking about the possibility of Tony Finau (he and Rahm are close friends) also leaving for LIV.
Finau took to Instagram on Monday night to recap his year, saying he was “looking forward to playing my 10th season on the PGA Tour.” “See you in Maui!” she concluded, adding the hash tag, "I'm not leaving." Monahan also said in the memo that the board and management recently met with a group of players upset that the signature events will offer disproportionately more FedEx Cup points than the other events, raising concerns that it will be difficult for players. outside the top 50 win fairly. Monahan said the board will review how the new system is working in June and evaluate whether changes need to be made by 2025.
