Plan B (and C): The Career Money Exemption

The 2012 - and final - PGA Tour Q-School wrapped up recently. And some of the veterans who failed to finish high enough on the money list also decided to skip going back to Q-School. What gives? Are they giving up on having full status? Are they too high-falutin' to go slumming in Q-School again?

Not necessarily, and not necessarily. The PGA Tour has several other ways for veteran golfers to maintain fully exempt status, even if they fall below the cut-off point on the money list, even if they decline a trip to Q-School.

Plan B is the Top 25 career money exemption, and Plan C is the Top 50 career money exemption. A golfer who is inside the Top 25 in PGA Tour career earnings can invoke an exemption to remain fully exemption. And likewise, a golfer inside the Top 50 in career earnings can do the same. Some golfers even use both, in back-to-back seasons. David Duval did that several years back, gaining two additional years of fully exempt status that he otherwise wouldn't have had.

And for the 2013 PGA Tour season? Five golfers are using career money exemptions:

  • Justin Leonard (Top 25)
  • Mike Weir (Top 25)
  • Jerry Kelly (Top 25)
  • Stuart Appleby (Top 50)
  • Scott Hoch (Top 50)

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