* – Denotes a player who finished in the top 125 of the FedEx Cup points list.

Bold text – Denotes a player who won in 2014.

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.)

Kaymer and McIlroy extended their exemptions to 2019. Rose did the same; he would fall to cat 9 in 2019. Simpson extended his exemption to 2018, in which year he would fall to cat 9.

Yang finished outside the top 150, fell short in the Finals, and dropped to past champion status in 2015 (for good).

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

Kuchar extended his exemption to 2019. Clark extended his to 2016, in which year he would fall to cat 9.

3. Winners of the Masters Tournament in the last 10 calendar years. (Beginning in 1998, this is a five-year exemption.)
Wins by players with expiring exemptions
Date Player Tournament
Jul 6 Ángel Cabrera Greenbrier Classic

Watson extended his exemption to 2019. Scott did the same; he would fall to cat 9 in 2019.

4. Winners of the British Open in the last 10 calendar years (1990-present). (Beginning In 1998, this is a five-year exemption.)
5. THE TOUR Championship winners in the last three years, beginning with the 1998 winner

Billy Horschel was promoted to this category after his win, and earned an exemption through 2019; he would fall to cat 7 in 2018.

6. Winners of World Golf Championship events, beginning in 1999 (a three-year exemption)

Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, and Jason Day were promoted to this category and earned exemptions through 2017. Mahan extended his exemption to 2017.

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.
Wins by players with expiring exemptions
Date Player Tournament
Oct 28 Ryan Moore CIMB Classic
Jan 26 Scott Stallings Farmers Insurance Open

Fifteen players moved into this category during the season. Jimmy Walker earned an exemption through 2018 with three wins; Chris Kirk earned an exemption through 2017 with two wins. Zach Johnson extended his exemption to 2019.

Beljan finished in the top 125 of the money list. Perry used a top 25 career money exemption for 2015. Piercy and Potter received medical extensions. Henry, Curtis, and Wagner finished in the 126–150 range; Henry made it through the Finals, and the others fell to conditional status in 2015. Gainey and Stanley finished outside the top 150; both fell to past champion status (for good, in Gainey's case).

10a. Career money exemptions – top 50

Weir finished in the top 125 of the money list. Ames, Calcavecchia, and Funk all finished outside the top 150 and fell to past champion status for good in 2015.

10b. Career money exemptions – top 25

Verplank used his top 50 career money exemption for 2015.

17. Life members

Watson focused on the senior tour.

18. Top 125 on the previous year’s FedExCup points list

Thompson finished in the top 125 of the money list. Chalmers, Lingmerth, Castro, Richard H. Lee, Teater, and Wi finished in the 126–150 range. Lingmerth made it through the Finals; Wi received a minor medical extension, and the rest settled for conditional status in 2015.

Driscoll, Rollins, Maggert, Lynn, Lee Dong-hwan, Estes, and Reavie finished outside the top 150. Estes and Reavie received major medical extensions, and Lee Dong-hwan a minor. Rollins and Maggert fell to past champion status in 2015 (for good). Driscoll and Lynn became non-members, and have not reached the PGA Tour since.

19. Top 125 from money list

Colsaerts, Harrington, and Hanson finished outside the top 150. Harrington fell to past champion status in 2015; Colsaerts and Hanson became non-members, and have not reached the PGA Tour since.

20. Non-member top 125
Wins
Date Player Tournament
Jun 1 Hideki Matsuyama Memorial Tournament

Olesen finished outside the top 150 and became a non-member in 2015.

21. Major Medical Extension
Wins
Date Player Tournament
May 4 J. B. Holmes Wells Fargo Championship

Holmes met his terms in April and won the following week. Baird met his in November, Na in January, Byrd in March, Goosen in April, and Vegas in July; Baird ultimately needed another medical extension, while Byrd finished in the 126–150 range and landed in the conditional category for 2015. Herron and Marino secured conditional status and fell to the non-exempt medical category when their extensions expired in May and July, respectively. Both finished outside the top 150; Herron fell to past champion status for good in 2015, while Marino became a non-member. Blanks's first extension expired in February, and he fell to the reshuffle medical category (in which he received a carry-over). Cóceres's expired in March and Goydos's in July; both fell to past champion status (for good). Mallinger's expired in June; he became a non-member and has never regained membership. Kim, Oberholser, Hart, Adams, Levin, Kelly, Frazar, Couch, and Hoch received carry-overs; Snyder and Kuehne did not.

Shawn Stefani was promoted to this category after meeting his terms in April; he finished in the top 125.

Scott McCarron was abruptly promoted to this category in March; his extension expired in July and he fell to past champion status for good.

22. Web.com Tour and Finals leading money-winners

Peterson finished outside the top 150 but made it through the Finals.

23. Medical extension

Moore did not receive a carry-over.

25. Web.com Tour 2-25 and Finals 2-25

Renner finished in the top 125 of the money list. Those who finished in the 126–150 range were Slocum, Loupe, Wilcox, Cauley, van Aswegen, Immelman, and Swafford. Cauley received a minor medical extension, and also made it through the Finals, as did Slocum, van Aswegen, and Swafford. Loupe, Wilcox, and Immelman settled for conditional status.

Fritsch, Roach, Collins, O'Hair, Matteson, Durant, Lovemark, Tway, Malnati, Herman, La'Cassie, Gardiner, Carballo, Foley, Williams, Prugh, Bettencourt, Anderson, Claxton, Cantlay, Loar, Alvarado, Chopra, Aragon, and Gates finished outside the top 150. Williams, Anderson, Claxton, Cantlay, Alvarado, and Gates received major medical extensions and Fritsch and Gardiner minors. Collins, O'Hair, Herman, and Prugh made it through the Finals. Matteson, Durant, Bettencourt, and Chopra fell to past champion status in 2015 (for good). The other 9 became non-members; La'Cassie, Foley, Loar, and Aragon have not reached the PGA Tour again.

26. Reshuffle medical

All four received carry-overs.

Kris Blanks fell to this category after his first medical extension expired in February; he received a carry-over.

27. Three-time Web.com Tour winners in the current year

One player achieved this:

28. Minor Medical Extension

Stefani met his terms in April and was promoted to the medical category.

29. 126–150 from money list

One player finished in the top 125. The remaining players all finished outside the top 150. Jobe and Ridings received medical extensions; Campbell used a top 50 career money exemption for 2015. Owen made it through the Finals; Gómez finished in the top 25 of the Web.com Tour regular-season money list. Pride fell to past champion status in 2015. LaBelle, Kohles, and Bolli became non-members, and only Kohles has ever regained status.

30. Non-exempt medical extension

Christian used his last start at the final regular-season; he finished outside the top 150, became a non-member in 2015, and has never regained membership. McCarron was abruptly promoted to the major medical category in March; his extension expired in July and he fell to past champion status for good. Daly's extension expired in January. and he fell to past champion status for good.

Tim Herron and Steve Marino fell to this category when their extensions expired in May and July, respectively. Both finished outside the top 150; Herron fell to past champion status for good in 2015, while Marino became a non-member.

Notable past champions

The following past champions finished in the top 200 of the FedEx Cup points list:

One player finished in the top 125. Gore, Alex Čejka, and Bill Lunde finished in the top 25 of the Web.com Tour regular-season money list. Axley made it through the Finals. None of the others have ever regained better status.

Notable non-members

The following non-members (plus John Mallinger) finished the equivalent of top 200 on the FedEx Cup points list (^ denotes those eligible for full PGA Tour membership in 2015):

Dubuisson, Koepka, Donaldson, and Francesco Molinari accepted membership for 2015. Dubuisson and Donaldson accepted STM in March, Koepka in April, Francesco Molinari in June, and Manassero in July.

Thomas finished in the top 25 of the Web.com Tour regular-season money list. Sterne was successful in the Finals; Allred, Grace, Hend, and Rodgers were not.

Other notes

Thirty-one players not mentioned above made it from the Web.com Tour to the PGA Tour for 2015 (including Japan Golf Tour winner Park Sung-joon; 20 via the regular-season money list, 11 via the Finals).