* – Denotes a player who finished in the top 125 of the money list.

Bold text – Denotes a player who won in 2009.

1. Winners of PGA Championship or U.S. Open prior to 1970 or in the last 10 calendar years (Beginning in 1998, this is a five-year exemption.)

Michael Campbell declined membership. Lucas Glover and Yang Yong-eun were promoted to this category after their wins and earned exemptions through 2014.

Woods extended his exemption to 2014, in which year he would fall to cat 9. Ogilvy and Mickelson extended theirs to 2014; Ogilvy would fall to cat 6 in 2012 and cat 9 in 2013. Cabrera extended his to 2014; he would fall to cat 3 in 2013. Goosen extended his to 2011.

2. Winners of the THE PLAYERS Championship in the last 10 calendar years. (Beginning In 1998, this is a five-year exemption.)

Ames extended his exemption to 2013.

3. Winners of the Masters Tournament in the last 10 calendar years. (Beginning in 1998, this is a five-year exemption.)

Johnson extended his exemption to 2014.

4. Winners of the British Open in the last 10 calendar years (1990-present). (Beginning In 1998, this is a five-year exemption.)

Stewart Cink was promoted to this category after his win and earned an exemption through 2014.

Hamilton finished in the 126–150 range, fell short at Q School, and fell to conditional status for 2010.

5. THE TOUR Championship winners in the last three years, beginning with the 1998 winner
6. Winners of World Golf Championship events, beginning in 1999 (a three-year exemption)

Henrik Stenson declined membership.

7. The winner of the FedEx Cup in each of the last five calendar years
8. The leader in PGA TOUR official earnings in each of the last five calendar years
9. Winners of PGA TOUR cosponsored or approved events (except team events) within the last two calendar years, or during the current year; winners receive an additional year of exemption for each additional win, up to five years.

Not including Yang Yong-eun, who was later promoted to cat 1, twelve players moved into this category during the season. Steve Stricker earned an exemption through 2013 with three wins. Brian Gay earned an exemption through 2012 with two wins. Perry extended his exemption to 2014.

Appleby used a top 25 career money exemption for 2010. Ogilvie finished in the 126–150 range and made it through Q School. Bateman finished outside the top 150, was unsuccessful in Q School, and fell to past champion status in 2010 (for good).

10a. Career money exemptions – top 50

Duval and Maggert finished in the 126–150 range; Maggert made it through Q School, while Duval fell to the conditional category for 2010. Sluman and Roberts both focused on the senior tour and fell to past champion status for good in 2010.

10b. Career money exemptions – top 25

DiMarco and Lehman finished in the 126–150 range; Lehman used his top 50 exemption in 2010, as did Faxon; DiMarco fell to conditional status.

17. Life members

Both focused on the senior tour.

18. Top 30 on the previous year’s FedExCup points list

Hart, Duke, and Mayfair finished outside the top 150. Hart received a medical extension. Mayfair fell to past champion status in 2010, while Duke became a non-member.

19. Top 125 from money list

Herron, Pernice, Armour, Mediate, Pavin, and Kresge finished in the 126–150 range. Pavin used a top 50 career money exemption for 2010; Armour received a minor medical extension. Herron, Pernice, Mediate, and Kresge fell to the conditional category for 2010.

Wilson, Adamonis, Lonard, Bryant, Wilkinson, Elkington, and Axley finished outside the top 150. Bryant and Wilkinson received major medical extensions, and Adamonis a minor. Wilson, Lonard, Elkington, and Axley fell to past champion status (for good, in Lonard's case).

20. Non-member top 125

Robert Karlsson declined membership.

21. Major Medical Extension

Berganio's extension expired in February and he fell to the reshuffle; he ultimately needed another medical extension. Jobe's expired in March and he became a non-member. Micheel's expired in July and he fell to past champion status. Triplett's expired in October and he fell to past champion status (for good). Leaney's expired in August; he became a non-member and would never regain status. Azinger's expired in June and he fell to past champion status (for good). Perry, Wetterich, Oberholser, Snyder, Olazábal, Kuehne, Cóceres, Couch, and Short received carry-overs.

Roland Thatcher moved to this category after meeting his terms in August; he finished in the top 125.

22. Nationwide Tour leading money-winner
Medical extension

Moore received a carry-over.

24. Q School top 25, Nationwide Tour 2-25
Wins
Date Player Tournament
Mar 8 Yang Yong-eun Honda Classic
Aug 16 Yang Yong-eun (2) PGA Championship

Those who finished in the 126–150 range were Garrigus, Riley, Weibring, de Jonge, Levin, and Aron Price. Riley, de Jonge, and Levin were successful at Q School; Garrigus, Weibring, and Aron Price settled for conditional status.

Day, Olson, Wittenberg, Mathis, Grönberg, Heintz, Blanks, Jones, Lyle, Watkins, Williamson, Todd, Stiles, Vranesh, Gutschewski, Knost, Huston, Tomasulo, Fathauer, Woodland, Collins, Atwal, Rick Price, Oh, Begay, Borchert, Kelly, and Aldridge finished outside the top 150. Huston, Woodland, Atwal, and Begay received major medical extensions and Lyle a minor. Blanks and Williamson were successful in Q School; Grönberg finished in the top 25 of the Nationwide Tour money list. Day and Jones settled for past champion status (for good, in Day's case). The other 18 became non-members; Olson, Vranesh, Collins, Rick Price, Oh, and Borchert have not reached the PGA Tour again.

Reshuffle medical

Thatcher met his terms in August and moved to the major medical category. Kaye's extension expired in July and he fell to past champion status (for good). Waldorf and Paulson received carry-overs.

25. Three-time Nationwide Tour winners in the current year

One player achieved this:

26. Minor Medical Extension
27. 126–150 from money list

Four players finished in the top 125. Jones and Warren finished in the 126–150 range; Jones made it through Q School and Warren remained in this category for 2010. The remaining players all finished outside the top 150. Parnevik used a top 50 career money exemption for 2010; Bertsch made it through Q School. Durant, Gore, Tway, and Lickliter fell to past champion status in 2010 (for good, in Lickliter and Tway's cases). Sheehan, Allan, Sterling, Ridings, and Gainey became non-members; Allan and Sterling have never regained status.

28. Non-exempt medical extension
Notable past champions

The following past champions finished in the top 200 of the money list:

Wins
Date Player Tournament
Mar 15 Michael Bradley Puerto Rico Open

Two players finished in the top 125, including one winner. Hayes, Uresti, and Neal Lancaster made it through Q School; Willis finished in the top 25 of the Nationwide Tour money list. Brooks and Maruyama would never regain better status.

Notable non-members

The following non-members finished the equivalent of top 200 on the money list, including earnings in WGCs (^ denotes those eligible for full PGA Tour membership in 2010):

Wins
Date Player Tournament
May 10 Henrik Stenson The Players Championship

Stenson, McIlroy, and Singh accepted membership for 2010; Westwood, Fisher, Wilson, and McDowell declined, though McDowell accepted after winning the U.S. Open. Fisher accepted STM in April, McDowell in July, Singh in August, and Fowler in October.

Fowler made it through Q School; Lovemark, Lee, Chappell, Fischer, and Stanley were unsuccessful.

Other notes

Twenty-eight players not listed made it from the Nationwide Tour to the PGA Tour for 2010 (23 via the money list, 5 via Q School). Besides Fowler, seven players with no PGA Tour or Nationwide Tour status in 2009 made it through Q School.