A player must have been active on the PGA Tour for at least 15 years to earn Lifetime Membership. Players like Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player fall under all the required criteria – which is not easy to achieve. That being said, the exception has its advantages and disadvantages, often a notable milestone for a player playing on the tour.
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However, only a handful of players currently play actively with this honor. Some current players are on their way to qualifying for it. According to the rules, it takes 20 co-sponsored victories and 15 active years on the PGA Tour to become a lifelong member.
Let’s take a look at the players who are currently Life Members of the PGA Tour.
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Players who are Lifetime Members of the PGA Tour
While many other players like Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson qualify, only three members are officially listed on the PGA Tour. Woods and Mickelson are otherwise exempt and do not require a lifetime exception to play on the PGA Tour. Unless otherwise exempted, a player can play based on their lifetime membership.
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This season, Davis Love III is exempted due to its lifetime membership status. Vijay Singh, who also qualifies, was included in the PGA Tour’s priority rankings through the 2019-20 list. For the past two seasons, Love has been the only player listed in the Lifetime Member column. Looking back at the 2016-17 season, Tom Watson and Singh were on the list, with Davis Love III excluded from the top of the list of priorities after winning a PGA TOUR co-sponsored or approved tournament.
In the 2021-22 season, Singh will be exempted in the career allowance exemption category, which is 11th on the priority list. A player like Tiger Woods is excluded in the category (third on the list).
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It is also important to note that anyone who qualifies as a lifetime member of the PGA Tour must also maintain a competitive points average.
Against this background, Mickelson, Woods, Singh and Love are the only active players besides Watson who are eligible for an exemption via lifelong membership – provided that the competition average is maintained.
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Which player is about to receive this honor?
As of now, Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson both have 20 or more wins on the PGA Tour. However, none of them have gone 15 years to actually fall under that list. Even then, they might be exempted under other categories for a few years. McIlroy has two more seasons to complete while Johnson has one.