Ludvig Åberg poses with the trophy after winning the 2023 RSM Classic. | Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images
Those golfers ranked between 51st and 60th in the FedEx Cup Fall receive invitations into two Signature Events in 2024.
With the RSM Classic now in the rearview mirror, 10 more golfers have earned their way into the fields at the 2024 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the 2024 Genesis Invitational at Riviera.
Those players ranked between 51st and 60th in the final FedEx Cup standings—known as the ‘Next 10’—will receive entry into these two tournaments. That includes Ludvig Åberg, who won his first PGA Tour event in record style at the RSM Classic.
The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the Genesis Invitational are the first two Signature Events of the 2024 PGA Tour season following The Sentry, informally referred to as the Tournament of Champions. The Sentry begins the 2024 season at Kapalua in Maui during the first week of January.
The PGA Tour will head to Pebble Beach and Riviera in February as part of its annual West Coast Swing.
Photo by Ryan Young/PGA TOUR
The 7th hole at Pebble Beach.
The ‘Next 10’ Final Standings:
51. Mackenzie Hughes — Canada
The 32-year-old Hughes, who hails from Hamilton, Canada, finished in a tie for seventh at the World Wide Technologies Championship and in solo second at the RSM Classic to sit atop the ‘Next 10.’
Before that, his last top-10 finish came in March at the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play in Austin, Texas. Hughes lost in the quarterfinals to Sam Burns, a Ryder Cup rookie in 2023. Burns went on to win the event over Cameron Young.
As for Hughes, he did not qualify for the BMW Championship, so he played throughout the fall series. After the FedEx St. Jude Championship, the first FedEx Cup playoff event, only the top 50 in the FedEx Cup standings earned a spot in the BMW. Those same players received invitations to all eight Signature Events in 2024.
Hughes tied for 58th in Memphis, but thankfully for him, he rallied in the fall and will have better playing opportunities in 2024.
52. Beau Hossler — United States
Hossler played in 34 events during the 2022-23 season and recorded five top-10 finishes, two of which came during the FedEx Cup Fall.
At the ZOZO Championship in Japan, Hossler tied for second, which secured him a place in the ‘Next 10.’ He also tied for seventh at the Shriners Children’s Open.
Entering the fall, Hossler sat in 66th place in the FedEx Cup standings. But he did not miss a single cut in the five events he played since mid-September, accumulating enough points to earn his way to Pebble Beach and Riviera.
53. Ludvig Åberg — Sweden
Åberg’s incredible rise continues to take over the golf world. His 2023 season draws parallels to what Tiger Woods did in 1996, as the young Swede has two worldwide victories to his name over the last three months.
Before winning the RSM Classic this past weekend, Åberg won the Omega European Masters in Switzerland in September. He rallied past Matthew Fitzpatrick to capture the title.
Since then, he helped Europe win the Ryder Cup, lost in a five-way playoff at the Sanderson Farms Championship in Mississippi, then finished 13th, 10th, and first to vault up the FedEx Cup Fall standings.
He began the fall ranked 183rd.
Now, he is making plans for his Pebble Beach and Riviera debuts.
Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images
Ludvig Åberg reacts to a putt on the 17th green at the 2023 RSM Classic.
54. Ben Griffin — United States
Griffin most recently finished in a tie for eighth at the RSM Classic, thus solidifying his spot within the ‘Next 10.’
He has had an up-and-down season, which includes 12 missed cuts and three top-10 finishes. He made the FedEx St. Jude Championship on the number, finishing the regular season ranked 70th in the FedEx Cup standings.
The former North Carolina Tar Heel did not qualify for the BMW Championship, meaning he needed to string together good performances in the fall to make the ‘Next 10.’
Griffin did just that, making the five-way playoff at the Sanderson Farms Championship, thus earning 184 FedEx Cup points. That all but secured a place for him at Pebble Beach and Riviera.
55. Taylor Montgomery — United States
Montgomery had a great start to the 2022-23 season—the final wraparound season for the PGA Tour. Of the seven events he played in the fall of 2022, Montgomery finished in the top 20 in six of those, thus accumulating plenty of FedEx Cup points before heading into 2023.
But, the Las Vegas native began to struggle throughout the spring.
Those difficulties extended into the summer months, as Montgomery missed the cut at the U.S. Open and his three subsequent appearances in July.
Yet, Montgomery, like he did in 2022, played well during the fall of 2023. After missing the cut at the Fortinet Championship, Montgomery recorded two top-20 finishes and solidified his standing in the ‘Next 10.’
56. Matt Kuchar — United States
One of the PGA Tour’s most popular players, Kuchar played in only three events during the FedEx Cup Fall. But he finished in the top 10 in two of those, at the Fortinet and World Wide Technology Championships.
In all, Kuchar recorded six top-10 finishes throughout the 2022-23 season, and he did not miss a cut after the Travelers Championship in June.
The 45-year-old found his groove when he needed to, especially in Mexico, where he tied for second. Kuchar finished two strokes behind Erik Van Rooyen, who won the World Wide Technology Championship at 27-under par.
Unlike many others apart of the ‘Next 10,’ Kuchar has plenty of experience at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the Genesis Invitational. Last year, Kuchar missed the cut at Pebble Beach while finishing solo eighth at Riviera.
Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images
Matt Kuchar hits a tee shot during the third round of the 2023 RSM Classic.
57. Nick Hardy — United States
While teamed up with Davis Riley, Nick Hardy won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, which awarded him 400 FedEx Cup points.
He recorded only two top-10s outside of that, but it was still enough to qualify for the FedEx St. Jude Championship.
Alas, Hardy struggled in Memphis, finishing in a tie for 49th. That put him at 52nd in the FedEx Cup standings, meaning he did not make the BMW Championship or gain entry into the Signature Events in 2024.
But Hardy made six of seven cuts during the FedEx Cup fall. Although he had no eye-popping performances, he accumulated enough points to make the ‘Next 10.’ His best finish came in Mexico, where he tied for 23rd.
58. J.J. Spaun — United States
Like many others on this list, J.J. Spaun made the first leg of the FedEx Cup playoffs but did not make it to the BMW Championship.
Nevertheless, Spaun played in five FedEx Cup Fall events and finished in the top 20 in three of those.
The former San Diego State Aztec’s best finish this fall came at the ZOZO Championship, where he tied for sixth. He most recently tied for 13th at the RSM Classic.
He did not play in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am last year, but he tied for 33rd at the Genesis Invitational. Spaun hopes to improve upon that in 2024.
59. Sam Ryder — United States
Two strong finishes to conclude the fall season have Sam Ryder on the right side of the bubble.
Before the World Wide Technology Championship, Ryder sat in 63rd in the FedEx Cup Fall standings. But he tied for 10th in Mexico, which helped him jump four spots in the rankings.
He then recorded a top-10 finish at the RSM Classic in Georgia, thus solidifying his standing within the ‘Next 10.’
Overall, Ryder, who played collegiately at Stetson University, recorded five top-10 finishes throughout the 2022-23 season. His best finish came at the Valero Texas Open, where he tied for third.
Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images
Sam Ryder hits a tee shot during the final round of The RSM Classic.
60. Luke List — United States
Luke List’s incredible 43-foot birdie make on the first playoff hole at the Sanderson Farms Championship paid more dividends than he could ever have imagined.
His victory secured him PGA Tour status for 2024 and awarded him 500 FedEx Cup points, which proved huge at the end of the RSM Classic.
Entering the FedEx Cup Fall, List sat in 119th in the standings. But his win in Mississippi soared him up the standings, as his triumph in the five-man playoff brought him up all the way to 61st.
He followed that up with three top-20 finishes, which awarded him enough points to secure invitations to Pebble Beach and Riviera.
In the end, List finished 16 points ahead of Alex Smalley—the 61st-ranked player.
On the Outside Looking In:
Not all hope is lost for those players ranked 61st and higher in the FedEx Cup standings.
Along with the ‘Next 10,’ the PGA Tour has created the ‘Swing 5’ for its Signature Events in 2024.
The Swing 5 for the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am will be the top five FedExCup points earners not otherwise exempt from the Sony Open in Hawaii, The American Express, and the Farmers Insurance Open—the three tournaments immediately preceding Pebble Beach.
Whoever accumulates the most FedEx Cup points during those three weeks gains entry into the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
61. Alex Smalley — United States
62. Stephan Jaeger — Germany
63. Alex Noren — Sweden
64. Thomas Detry — Belgium
65. Mark Hubbard — United States
66. Erik van Rooyen — South Africa
67. Brandon Wu — United States
68. Davis Riley — United States
69. S.H. Kim — South Korea
70. Keith Mitchell — United States
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko for more golf coverage. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough too.
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