Hunter Mahan Fighting to Regain PGA TOUR Card

It’s not often that a former Ryder Cup participant who has won over $30 million on the PGA TOUR finds himself playing in the minor leagues. That’s the exact situation, however, that Hunter Mahan finds himself in this weekend.

Mahan is a well-respected name around the PGA TOUR and has been one of the top players on the circuit for the past couple of seasons. Mahan has backed up that pedigree with his six wins on the PGA TOUR as well as multiple appearances for the USA in the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup over his 14-year career. But still, that didn’t stop him from losing his pro status this season.

Since playing in the Ryder Cup three years ago, Mahan has had a hard time trying to balance his home life with his golf life. Currently, Mahan has three children under the age of five and has done his best to support his growing family. While he’s been working on his family life, Mahan hasn’t had much time for golf and did not qualify for the FedEx Cup, landing him at the Web.com Tour Championships. The top 25 money earners from this series of four events will earn PGA TOUR cards.

Hunter Mahan hits a tee shot on the 15th hole during the third round…

Hunter Mahan hits a tee shot on the 15th hole during the third round of the Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club on August 19, 2017 in Greensboro, North Carolina. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images

While losing his PGA TOUR card was heartbreaking, Mahan does look on the bright side of things heading into this weekend.”The best thing for my game is to play tournaments and put to the test my skills in tournament golf,” Mahan said. “This is where I can play, so it’s the perfect opportunity to work on my game. I feel like I’m making strides, and I want to continue to push myself.”

While many may think it could be a cakewalk for Mahan to regain his pro status, he won’t be the only PGA TOUR winner competing in the Web.com Championships. Of the other players attempting to regain PGA TOUR status, the most notable names competing with Mahan are Ben Crane, Matt Jones, and Johnson Wagner.

While it is sad to see a great guy like Mahan lose his status because of raising his family, we can only hope that he will be able to take the Web.com Championships by storm and reenter the PGA fold next season.

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