A look at whose seasons ended with a missed cut at the Wyndham Championship
This year, many seasons on the PGA Tour ended earlier than in the past.
In 2023, the number of FedExCup playoff spots was slashed from 125 to 70. Therefore, if a player entered the Wyndham Championship outside the threshold, they needed to play their way into the top 70 this week. However, for those who sit beyond the top 70 and failed to secure a weekend tee time at Sedgefield Country Club, their offseason will start early.
Here’s a look at 10 players whose seasons ended Friday at the PGA Tour’s regular-season finale:
Full-field scores from Wyndham Championship
Austin Eckroat (FedExCup standing: 72)
Eckroat appears to be one of the first players out right now in the FedExCup standings. In his rookie year, the member of the 2018 national championship team at Oklahoma State had a runner-up at the AT&T Byron Nelson as part of three top-10s and 12 missed cuts in 26 starts.
Ben Taylor (FedExCup standing: 73)
The 31-year-old Englishman came into this week 71st in the FedExCup, but the three-year Tour pro will again fail to make the postseason. Taylor had four top-10s and made half of his cuts in 28 starts, but only gained strokes in putting this season, ranking 28th on Tour.
Garrick Higgo (FedExCup standing: 74)
The 24-year-old South African hasn’t been able to recapture the magic he found in 2021 at Congaree, where he won in his first non-major Tour start. In 50 total starts the past two seasons, the world No. 149 has just two top-10s, and none since the Sanderson Farms last October. He hopes, though, that his struggles come with a silver lining.
“I’ve learned a lot in the last two years, that’s for sure,” Higgo said in July at the John Deere Classic, “but I think I’ll use that to my advantage. I’m not scared of failing.”
K.H. Lee (FedExCup standing: 77)
The 31-year-old Korean emerged victorious at the 2021 and ’22 Byron Nelson, but took a step back in ’23. Lee had three top-10s this season, despite ranking inside the top 100 on Tour in every strokes gained category, with the best being T-31 around the green.
Justin Suh (FedExCup standing: 80)
In 2019, Suh was granted a sponsor’s exemption into the Travelers Championship — known for hitting it on the head with its exemptions to rising stars — alongside Collin Morikawa, Viktor Hovland and Matthew Wolff. However, Suh has struggled to meet those lofty expectations.
He won the Korn Ferry Tour championship last September, earning a spot in The Players, which would end up being one of two top-10s this season. Losing strokes in approach, around the green, off the tee and tee to green this year, Suh must now look toward next season to try to find the success his fellow Travelers exemptions have had.
Danny Willett (FedExCup standing: 85)
The 35-year-old Englishman’s season got off to a precarious start when Max Homa chipped in for a birdie on the 72nd hole at the Fortinet Championship and Willett three-putted from 4 feet to finish one back of Homa. That would be the 2016 Masters champion’s lone top 10 of the season.
Kevin Streelman (FedExCup standing: 87)
Last week, the 44-year-old nearly won the 3M Open, finishing runner-up. Five days later he missed the Wyndham cut on the number (1 under) and will miss the playoffs for the first time in 16 years. But it’s still been one heck of a run.
“If you would have told me I’d be out here 16 straight years and still doing this and having a chance to win things, I’d have said you’re crazy,” he said last week.
Akshay Bhatia (FedExCup standing: 103)
Golf can be quite a turbulent ride. Two weeks ago, the 21-year-old was on top of the world after notching his maiden Tour victory in a playoff at the Barracuda Championship. Now, though, his season is over. He’d likely be headed to the playoff opener in Memphis next week if it wasn’t for a bizarre rule that prevented him from earning non-member points in his win at the co-sanctioned tournament while playing on special temporary status. Nevertheless, it was still a very promising season — with four top-10s in 18 starts — for the former phenom who bypassed a collegiate career to turn pro at 17 years old.
Nico Echavarria (FedExCup standing: 108)
The rookie won the Puerto Rico Open in his 11th Tour start, but finds himself outside the playoff threshold at the end of the regular season with the new playoff format — and partially due to missing 20 cuts in 25 starts. He’s still exempt on Tour for two more years because of his win.
Jimmy Walker (FedExCup standing: 125)
Had this been a year ago, the 2016 PGA Championship winner would currently be the last man in. But instead, he’s projected to miss the postseason by 55 spots. However, after battling Lyme disease the past few years, the 44-year-old showed signs of his old self with six top-25s — the most he’s had since the 2017-18 season.