Active Golfers With a Lifetime Exemption on the PGA Tour

It takes a player at least 15 active years on the PGA Tour to earn the lifetime membership honor. Players like Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player fall under all required criteria – which is not easy to achieve. That being said, the exemption comes with its pros and cons, often a notable milestone for a player playing on the tour.

However, only a handful of players are currently actively playing with this honor. A few current players are on their way to qualify for the same. As per the rules, one needs 20 co-sponsored wins and 15 active years on the PGA Tour to be a lifetime member.

Let’s take a look at the players who are currently ‘Life Members’ of the PGA Tour.

Players who are lifetime members on the PGA Tour

While many other players like Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson qualify, only three members are listed officially by the PGA Tour. Woods and Mickelson are exempt otherwise and do not need the lifetime exemption to play on the PGA Tour. If a player is not exempt otherwise, he can play on the basis of his lifetime membership.

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This season, Davis Love III will be exempt as a result of his lifetime member status. Vijay Singh, who also qualifies for the same, was included on the PGA Tour’s priority ranking list up until the 2019-20 list. For the past two seasons, Love is the only player listed under the Life Member column. Looking back at the 2016-17 season, Tom Watson and Singh were a part of the list, Davis Love III exempt after winning a PGA TOUR co-sponsored or approved tournament higher up on the priority list.

The 2021-22 season will have Singh exempt under the Career Money Exemption category, 11th on the priority list. A player like Tiger Woods is exempt under the category (third on the list).

It is also important to note that anyone who qualifies as a life member on the PGA Tour also needs to maintain a competitive scoring average.

Taking this into consideration, Mickelson, Woods, Singh, and Love along with Watson are the only active players who are eligible for an exemption via the life membership – provided the competitive average is maintained.

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Which player is close to obtaining this honor?

As of now, Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson both have 20 or more wins on the PGA Tour. However, neither of them have yet completed 15 years to actually fall under this list. Even then, they might be exempt under other categories for a few years to come. McIlroy has two more seasons to complete, while Johnson has one.