Presidents Cup-bound Min Woo Lee has held his ground in a bid to earn a spot in two prestigious PGA Tour events early next season after struggling to get “cooking” to challenge in an event in California over the weekend.
The Western Australian, who finished in a tie for 32nd in the Procore Championships at the Silverado Resort in the Napa Valley, retains 60th position in the FedEx Cup Fall race after an even performance on the final two days of the event.
While Presidents Cup teammates Adam Scott and Jason Day, along with compatriot Cam Davis, are exempt for all Signature PGA Tour events next year, Lee remains in limbo when it comes to the biggest events outside the majors.
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Players ranked between 51st and 60th at the completion of the FedEx Fall (autumn) phase of the tour receive entry into the Pebble Beach Pro-Am and The Genesis Invitational in 2025.
A captain’s pick to make his Presidents Cup debut at Royal Montreal against the United States in Quebec next week, Lee has a 28-point buffer on 61st positioned Ben Griffin.
Golfers who were ranked between 51st to 70th entering the fall are exempt for all full-field events and The Players Championship in 2025.
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There are seven tournaments remaining in the Fall schedule which will determine whether the 26-year-old is able to compete in two of the biggest Tour events next year.
Each of the events, beginning with the Sanderson Farms Championship in Jackson, Mississippi in the week after the Presidents Cup, carry 500 ranking points.
But the world No.40 has much to consider as he considers next season.
Lee is committed to his defence of the Macau Open, a tournament he won in dazzling fashion last year when shooting 30-under, in early October. That event clashes with the Black Desert Classic in Utah which runs from October 10 to 13.
The star is also committed to a defence of his Australian PGA Championship to be held at the Royal Queensland Golf Club from November 21 to 24.
It runs concurrently with the final FedEx Fall event in Georgia, an A$12 million tournament at the Sea Island Golf Club on St. Simons Island.
Meanwhile, Aaron Baddeley’s hopes of retaining his tour card took a blow when he was unable to capitalise on a promising start in Napa in a tournament won by Patton Kizzire, who won by five shots when recording 20-under.
After a 4-under 68 positioned the 43-year-old in the top 10 after the opening round, the Australian ultimately finished in a tie for 50th at 3-under.
A four-time PGA Tour winner, Baddeley sits in 152nd in the FedEx Tour rac, with his place for 2025 in peril.
The top 125-ranked golfers earn PGA Tour cards for next season, while the next 25 golfers earn conditional status on the tour.
Baddeley is eight points behind Webb Simpson and Ben Martin, who sit equal at 149th on the list, when it comes to conditional tour status.
To obtain a full tour card for next season, Baddeley will need to fire over the next two months as he sits 107 points behind the 125th ranked Sam Ryder.
Lee’s Presidents Cup teammates Mackenzie Hughes and Corey Conners will arrive in Canada with confidence after finishing in ties for 4th and 7th respectively in California.
Sahith Theegala failed to defend his title in Napa when finishing in a tie for 7th at 12-under but he fared best of the American representatives who will feature in Montreal next week. American’s Max Homa and Wyndham Clark missed the cut at the event.