Two Additional Events into the season, two winners who started it without fully exempt status. That’s the kind of success that goes directly to the soul of the series.

While the Truist Championship reserved space for 72 golfers as the sixth Signature Event of the year, the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic made available an array of possibilities for 123 golfers most at Quail Hollow Club already have captured, not the least of which is long-term job security. But when a familiar face reaches paydirt better than the rest and after an extended drought, it’s immediately a contender for performance of the year.

All of that supports the love for Brandt Snedeker. He won by one shot at Dunes Golf and Beach Club on Sunday. It’s his 10th PGA TOUR title but first since the 2018 Wyndham Championship. That was long before he underwent surgery for manubrium joint stabilization for which he received a medical extension, as well as when he still had a career-earnings exemption in his pocket. So, he opened 2026 in the 126-150 category. When Ricky Castillo prevailed at the first Additional Event of the season – the Puerto Rico Open – he was in the 101-110 category

For winning in Myrtle Beach, Snedeker now is exempt as a winner through his age-47 season of 2028. He’s also the last winner to qualify automatically for this week’s PGA Championship, a major in which he hasn’t played in since 2020. His last start in any major was in 2021 at The Open Championship. He also picks up an exemption into THE PLAYERS Championship in 2027. Meanwhile, Additional Events do not yield automatic entry into the Masters or Signature Events but he can qualify for the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday via the Aon Next 10 or Aon Swing 5, the latter of which he leads as Myrtle Beach was the first stop in the latest phase.

About an hour after Snedeker’s victory, Kristoffer Reitan added one of his own at Quail Hollow. The 28-year-old rookie from Norway finished two clear of the field for his breakthrough title on the PGA TOUR.

Reitan already is exempt in the PGA Championship, and although he gained entry into the last two Signature Events, he wasn’t fully exempt into the series. That changes immediately with the win. He’ll also join Snedeker at TPC Sawgrass next year, but Reitan also has qualified for the 2027 Masters. And by rising to a career-best 25th in the Official World Golf Ranking, he’s now positioned to play in the majors for the foreseeable without the need to lift another trophy.

With a spot in the PGA Championship reserved for the winner of the Truist Championship, Sudarshan Yellamaraju claims it as first alternate because Reitan already was in. With that field of 156 complete, Tom Hoge now is first alternate.

The PGA Championship serves as the final stop in season-long races on the PGA TOUR and DP World Tour for entry into the U.S. Open. Scroll or swipe to REMAINING QUALIYFING CRITERIA at the bottom of the page for those and all details.

SE = All Signature Events
PGA = PGA Championship
US = U.S. Open
OPEN = The Open Championship

Recent additions

SE -- Kristoffer Reitan
PGA -- Brandt Snedeker; Sudarshan Yellamaraju
US -- none
OPEN -- none

NOTE: Golfers are omitted if they haven’t competed recently in majors for which they are eligible (e.g., The Open Championship = David Duval, Paul Lawrie).

REMAINING QUALIFYING CRITERIA

Criteria are listed in chronological order where possible. Best estimates are given but all are subject to change.

Signature Events

• the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday (June 4-7)
• Travelers Championship (June 25-28)

PGA Championship (PGA) at Aronimink Golf Club – May 14-17

• Field is complete

U.S. Open (US) at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club – June 18-21

• Winners of multiple PGA TOUR events that award full FedExCup points allocation since the 2025 U.S. Open.
• Winner of the PGA Championship (May 17).
• Top five, not otherwise exempt, in the FedExCup at the conclusion of the PGA Championship (May 17).
• Top two, not otherwise exempt, in the 2025 Race to Dubai at the conclusion of the PGA Championship (May 17).
• Top player, not otherwise exempt, in the 2026 Race to Dubai (May 17).
• Leader, not otherwise exempt, in the Top 3 of the 2025 LIV Golf Individual Standings (May 18).
• Leader, not otherwise exempt, in the Top 3 of the 2026 LIV Golf Individual Standings (May 18).
• Top 60 of Official World Golf Ranking (May 18).
• Final qualifying at one site in England (May 18).
• Final qualifying at one site in Texas (May 18).
• Final qualifying at one site in Japan (May 25).
• Winner of the NCAA Division 1 individual championship, if still an amateur (June 1).
• Final qualifying at one site in Canada (June 8).
• Final qualifying at nine sites in the United States (June 8).
• Top 60 of Official World Golf Ranking (June 15).
• Special exemptions per the USGA.

The Open Championship (OPEN) at Royal Birkdale Golf Club – July 16-19

• Winner of the PGA Championship (May 17).
• Top player, not otherwise exempt, who makes the cut at the KOLON Korea Open (May 24).
• Top 50 of Official World Golf Ranking (May 25).
• Top 5 in the Federation Ranking (May 25).
• Top 3, not otherwise exempt, who make the cut at the Mizuno Open (May 31).
• Leader, not otherwise exempt, in the LIV Golf Individual Standings at the conclusion of LIV Golf Andalucía (June 7).
• Top player, not otherwise exempt, who makes the cut at the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday (June 7).
• Top 3, not otherwise exempt, who make the cut at the RBC Canadian Open (June 14).
• Winner of the British Amateur, if still an amateur (June 20).
• Winner of the U.S. Open (June 21).
• Winner of the European Amateur Championship, if still an amateur (June 27).
• Leader in World Amateur Golf Ranking points accumulated at the St. Andrews Links Trophy (June 7), British Amateur (June 20) and European Amateur Championship, if still an amateur (June 27).
• Top player, not otherwise exempt, who make the cut at the Italian Open (June 28).
• Top 5, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 20 in the FedExCup at the conclusion of the Travelers Championship (June 28).
• Final Qualifying. Top 4 at each of four sites (June 30).
• Top 5, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 20 in the Race to Dubai at the conclusion of the BMW International Open (July 5).
• Top 3, not otherwise exempt, who make the cut at the Genesis Scottish Open (July 12).
• Winner of the Last-Chance Qualifier (July 13).