What is eligibility and status in Golf?

Section 4: Players/Officials

The field for a PGA TOUR event is built from a published priority ranking. Players gain access through a number of eligibility categories, including:

Fully exempt members: Tournament winners, leading FedExCup finishers, and players who earned status through the prior season or the developmental tour.
FedExCup eligibility points list: Current-season performance reorders access to events through the year.
Sponsor exemptions: A limited number of places each tournament may grant at the sponsor's discretion, subject to TOUR limits.
Open and Monday qualifiers: A small number of places filled through pre-tournament qualifying.
Past champions and major champions: Defined categories carry their own access.

Full-field events typically have a field of 120 to 156 players, with the exact number set by the time of year and available daylight.
Players are sent off the first tee (and, when needed, the tenth tee) in groups of two or three, with a published draw and starting times.
Limited-field and invitational events use smaller fields and may not have a 36-hole cut.

Players must commit to or withdraw from an event by the published deadline. Late withdrawal or failure to appear without an acceptable reason is a regulated matter and can carry penalties.
Once a player has started, a withdrawal must be reported to a tournament official; the reason for withdrawal is recorded.

Each player is entitled to one caddie at a time. The caddie may carry the bag, give advice, and assist within the limits of the Rules of Golf.
Caddie conduct, registration, apparel (the tournament bib), and the "behind the line" restriction on standing behind a player at the start of a stroke are all governed by tournament regulations and the Rules of Golf.

PGA TOUR Rules Officials: Trained officials stationed around the course rule on Rules of Golf questions, administer relief, monitor pace, and time groups.
Competition Committee / Tournament Director: Responsible for course set-up, the Notice to Competitors, starting times, the cut, suspension and resumption of play, and overall conduct of the event.
Scoring officials: Operate the scoring system, walking scorers, and the scoring area where players return and certify their cards.
Standard bearers and walking scorers: Travel with each group to record and relay scores.

The field for a PGA TOUR event is built from a published priority ranking. Players gain access through a number of eligibility categories, including:

Fully exempt members: Tournament winners, leading FedExCup finishers, and players who earned status through the prior season or the developmental tour.
FedExCup eligibility points list: Current-season performance reorders access to events through the year.
Sponsor exemptions: A limited number of places each tournament may grant at the sponsor's discretion, subject to TOUR limits.
Open and Monday qualifiers: A small number of places filled through pre-tournament qualifying.
Past champions and major champions: Defined categories carry their own access.

Full-field events typically have a field of 120 to 156 players, with the exact number set by the time of year and available daylight.
Players are sent off the first tee (and, when needed, the tenth tee) in groups of two or three, with a published draw and starting times.
Limited-field and invitational events use smaller fields and may not have a 36-hole cut.

Players must commit to or withdraw from an event by the published deadline. Late withdrawal or failure to appear without an acceptable reason is a regulated matter and can carry penalties.
Once a player has started, a withdrawal must be reported to a tournament official; the reason for withdrawal is recorded.

Each player is entitled to one caddie at a time. The caddie may carry the bag, give advice, and assist within the limits of the Rules of Golf.
Caddie conduct, registration, apparel (the tournament bib), and the "behind the line" restriction on standing behind a player at the start of a stroke are all governed by tournament regulations and the Rules of Golf.

PGA TOUR Rules Officials: Trained officials stationed around the course rule on Rules of Golf questions, administer relief, monitor pace, and time groups.
Competition Committee / Tournament Director: Responsible for course set-up, the Notice to Competitors, starting times, the cut, suspension and resumption of play, and overall conduct of the event.
Scoring officials: Operate the scoring system, walking scorers, and the scoring area where players return and certify their cards.
Standard bearers and walking scorers: Travel with each group to record and relay scores.