Sergio Garcia has had a rough 2018 season. Coming off of a 2017 campaign that saw Garcia break through to win his first major championship, the follow-up has been filled with more downs than ups and this week’s start to the FedEx Cup Playoffs will be the first in the 12-year history of golf’s postseason in which Garcia will not be eligible to participate.
Having missed the cut at all four major championships this season, Garcia entered the final regular-season event this week in North Carolina at No. 131 in the standings, needing a high finish to earn the right to play in this week’s The Northern Trust.
The Spaniard put himself into position, projecting a move to No. 122 through three rounds, but a final-round even-par 70 had Garcia tumbling back down the leaderboard into a tie for 24th, which only moved him up three spots in the FEC standings, not enough to make the top-125 who will tee it up this week in New Jersey.
By virtue of Garcia’s Masters win, he will still hold PGA Tour membership in 2019 and beyond, but there were a handful of big names who will have to play in the Web.com Tour Finals beginning this week in Columbus in hopes of earning back their Tour status.
Aside from Garcia, Luke Donald and Bill Haas both failed to make the Playoffs for the first time in the history of the series.
Other big names who will only have conditional status on the PGA Tour next year by virtue of finishing 126-150 and will miss out on the Playoffs include Aaron Baddeley (No. 132), Shane Lowry (No. 140), David Lingmerth (No. 143) and Graeme McDowell (No. 144).
Each can solidify their status in the four-event Finals series that starts this week with the Nationwide Children’s Championship at The Ohio State Golf Club – Scarlet Course.
