[Mick]

There's been a recent change in the PGA tour's competitive framework. For more than four decades, the Top 125 FedEx Cup ranked players had earned fully exempt Tour status for the subsequent year. This year, it is changing. The Top 100 on the 2025 FedExCup Fall standings will earn fully exempt tour status for 2026 while #'s 101-125 will retain conditional status.

So this fall's competition to earn fully exempt status is going to be dramatic, and tour rookies -- including a pair of Stanford alums -- will factor into the drama. Karl Vilips is ranked #54 in FedExCup points, having won the Puerto Rico Open in just his third tour start as a member...and that was after missing the first 45 days of the season due to injury. As a tournament winner, he's fully exempt through the end of 2027.

Isaiah Salinda is ranked #57 in FedExCup points. He's made six cuts in eight starts, just finished T11 at the Texas Children's Houston Open.

Stanford vets Mav McNealy is #17 in FexExCup points, and Patrick Rodgers is #33. 

Joseph Bramlett is #124...and Michael Thorbjornsen is #164

Rob Bolton on X: "Rookie Ranking → @TCHouOpen 11/32 = $/Starts 0 = Top 5s 0 = Top 10s 1 = Top 25s LOW ROOKIE (T11) Isaiah Salinda (previous: T45=API) https://t.co/TERtNFhSUU" / X

[Mick]

There's been a recent change in the PGA tour's competitive framework. For more than four decades, the Top 125 FedEx Cup ranked players had earned fully exempt Tour status for the subsequent year. This year, it is changing. The Top 100 on the 2025 FedExCup Fall standings will earn fully exempt tour status for 2026 while #'s 101-125 will retain conditional status.

So this fall's competition to earn fully exempt status is going to be dramatic, and tour rookies -- including a pair of Stanford alums -- will factor into the drama. Karl Vilips is ranked #54 in FedExCup points, having won the Puerto Rico Open in just his third tour start as a member...and that was after missing the first 45 days of the season due to injury. As a tournament winner, he's fully exempt through the end of 2027.

Isaiah Salinda is ranked #57 in FedExCup points. He's made six cuts in eight starts, just finished T11 at the Texas Children's Houston Open.

Stanford vets Mav McNealy is #17 in FexExCup points, and Patrick Rodgers is #33. 

Joseph Bramlett is #124...and Michael Thorbjornsen is #164

Rob Bolton on X: "Rookie Ranking → @TCHouOpen 11/32 = $/Starts 0 = Top 5s 0 = Top 10s 1 = Top 25s LOW ROOKIE (T11) Isaiah Salinda (previous: T45=API) https://t.co/TERtNFhSUU" / X