For many players on the PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour, they're paying attention to their tours' points lists, not only throughout the course of the season but also at several checkpoints during the season. That's because many players on both tours are subject to what's known as the PGA Tour reshuffle (or Korn Ferry Tour reshuffle).
What is the PGA Tour reshuffle
The reshuffle, as the name implies, updates several times in a season and indicates the priority order by which players in this category get into certain events for a portion of the season. This means that players who are subject to the reshuffle can't necessarily rest on their laurels if they have a good run of a few weeks during a season. They could get passed quickly on the reshuffle by players who surge later in the year. However, it makes getting out to a good start during the beginning of the season absolutely crucial to mapping out a schedule that is somewhat reliable and gives consistent playing opportunities.
How the PGA Tour reshuffle works
On the PGA Tour, each player has status in a particular category. The higher number the category, the more likely you'll get into every regular PGA Tour event. (The majors, World Golf Championships and some invitationals have their own exemption criteria which are separate.) You're subject to a reshuffle in your category if you:
- Graduated in the top 25 of the Korn Ferry Tour money list or in the top 25 of the Korn Ferry Tour Final money list
- Finished 126th-150th on the PGA Tour FedEx Cup points list the prior season
- Have past champion, past champion member, veteran member, special temporary member status
The reshuffle is conducted five times per year, and it ranks the players separately in these three categories based on their season-to-date FedEx Cup points. The reshuffles happen after The RSM Classic, The Genesis Invitational, Valero Texas Open, Rocket Mortgage Classic and John Deere Classic.
If a player wins an event or falls out of the category subjecting them to the reshuffle (such as not completing a major medical extension), then they're not on the reshuffle list for the remainder of the season.
On the Korn Ferry Tour, the reshuffle is conducted after every four regular season events, and it's based on Korn Ferry Tour season-to-date earnings. Players in different categories are either fully exempt or exempt through a specific number of reshuffles. Fully exempt players, or those finishing in the top 75 on prior season money or Nos. 26-50 in the Korn Ferry Tour Finals money list are fully exempt. Beyond that, the 2nd-10th place finishers in Q-School are exempt through the third reshuffle, with 11th-45th exempt through two reshuffles. Players who finished 126th-150th in FedEx Cup points and have no other PGA Tour status are in a Korn Ferry Tour category subject to the first reshuffle.
