PGA Priority Ranking for the upcoming season:
PGA Priority Ranking
Illini on the list:
Category 27 (KFT Graduates):
Nick Hardy, Thomas Detry
Category 35 (Beyond 150 on FedEx Rankings):
D.A. Points
Category 36 (Past Champions):
Steve Stricker
An interesting note I picked up on Hardy: he enters the season in the "minor medical" category due to his wrist injury. If he can pick up 0.5 FedEx cup points (in other words, make a cut) in his next four starts, then he will move up to Category 22, which should lock him into all events except for majors and invitationals. I'm not sure if that's for the whole season or a certain time frame, but either way he should have the opportunity to make a strong move this year.
PGA Tour Medical Exemptions
I'm curious how Detry will balance the DP World and PGA Tour, but he looks like he's planning on being busy - his last three weekends were Indiana/England/California! As well as he's playing, I can see him being in the conversation a few times this year.
Pieters is not on the list (I don't think the DP World Tour automatic cards start until 2024), but he can probably get into any event he wants as long as he keeps his Top 50 world ranking. I'd expect him to play some big-money events leading up to the Masters (i.e. Genesis, Arnold Palmer, Match Play).
D.A. will probably play a few events, but he hasn't been too competitive lately. But he has a history of pulling out random wins when he appears to be in a slump, so who knows... Hopefully he's healthy, he's fun to watch.
Strick appears to be enjoying life on the Champions Tour, though he'll probably play a couple Tour events like Deere.