Pro’s birdie causes 2 losses on PGA Tour cards: ‘Hate to hear that’

On Sunday at the PGA Tour’s Seas-ending RSM Classic, some players got their dream PGA Tour card, while others came up short. Max McGreevy was happy among the former group, but Stellar Play Sunday also featured two Pros who lost their PGA Tour cards.

With one man eliminated on the final hole, McGreevy secured an additional 2026 status and sent pros Rick Castillo and Lee Hodges to additional trick routes. After his cycle, McGreevy opened with the harsh reality that his success led to the failure of his friends.

Here’s what you need to know.

Max McGreevy’s birdie ended the PGA Tour’s biggest prize

Beginning this tournament in 89 years at the FedEx Fall Simengs, McGreevy needs to avoid falling out of the top 100 and thus losing his full PGA status in 2026.

But there was still something big to play for on Sunday. If McGreevy can advance to the top 60 in the FedEx Fall Sitengs, he gets an invite to the first two signature events of 2026, the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-AM-AM and the Gebsen Invitational.

When McGreevy hit the par-4 18th hole on Sunday, he was six under a day and playing a flawless credit card. He needed a birdie to achieve his goal, and he got it.

The 30-year-old’s approach shot left him with a 29-footer for birdie, but he fired a 63 and finished second in Solo. The finish, the best of the season, has moved him directly to the age number 60 in the Feex Fall standings, giving him Tee times in the major events of Pebble and Riviera the following year.

After his round, McGreevy admitted that the clutch putt on 18 will “climb to the top” in terms of the best spots of his career. He compared it to the 18-footer he did last season to win the Korn Ferry tour event.

“It’s the same kind of emotion. You get asked but it’s giddy fear, that’s what you want,” McGreevy explained. “Fortunately he managed to land a good roll on it and the cards fell to my mercy.”

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While McGreevy needed his putt on 18 to drop to get into 60, Castillo and Hodges needed to miss him.

Castillo, a 24-year-old rookie, enters the week at 135 in the FedEx Fall standings. After that, he found himself in a story going into Sunday. With one round to go, he needed to finish T2 or better to move into the top 100 and secure his full PGA tour card in 2026.

The night before, he decided that would require shooting a Sunday 62. Amazingly, he did. Castillo made seven birdies on the front nine and added two more on the back to finish with an eight-under 62. At that point, that, that put him where he deserved to be, T2 with McGreevy.

But McGreevy’s birdie on the following 18 moved him to 22 under and second down, disappointing Castillo in the third solo group and leaving him with 102 on the PATE 100 and PGA Tour Card.

Hodges started the tournament 122nd in the standings. Playing the final round alongside McGreevy, he had his crucial birdie 18 from just under 10 feet. If McGreevy misses his long birdie putt and Hodges does, Hodges is likely to finish in the top 100.

But what happened, which gave T4 and dropped him to 101 in the FedEx standings this fall, made him an official bubble guy.

In addition to the relief and pride McGreevy expressed in his post-traditional conference at RSM, he also expressed regret for causing Castillo and Hodges to lose their cards.

“I hate to hear that I did it,” McGreevy said after revealing the night on Sunday evening.

He then proceeded to read a eulogy to Castillo.

“That’s great for Rick [Castillo]… he has to go out and shoot 62 today to give himself even a chance and he did. I don’t know if I’ve played with Ricky once this year, but I know how talented he is. “It doesn’t matter where you finish, you’re going to come back here and have more opportunities on the PGA tour,” McGreevy said.

As for Hodges, McGreevy called him a friend and revealed that he was focused on making his biodies 18, despite competing against him.

“I’m just playing on the side [Hodges]who is one of my good friends. We went out on the PGA tour together in ’21 and I’m rooting for him to make that putt just like I was going to. “

He went on to say: “It’s a bit of a win and a win. Whether it’s rick or lee or something like that, they’re always going to rely on q-school or the next year.”

As mcgreevy sees it, all is not lost with Castillo and the decorative houses. By finishing within the top 150, they automatically earn spots in the upcoming final stage of the PGA Tour Q-School, where they can earn their PGA Tour cards.

In addition, both will receive conditional tour status in 2026 which should see them play in the top 20 competitions.

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