Why Will Gordon's made cut on number in Detroit meant so much

NBC Sports

8 hours ago

Will Gordon arguably just made the biggest cut of his life.
In the final start of his major medical extension, the 28-year-old Gordon birdied each of his final two holes Friday at the Rocket Classic to card a second straight 3-under 69 and eventually make the cut on the number.
Gordon's last birdie, from just inside 6 feet, got him to 6 under, right on the projected cut line. Upon sinking the clutch putt, Gordon gave a few fist pumps before he was seen wiping away tears as he walked off the green, eventually squatting down and burying his face in both hands in an attempt to compose himself. He knew just how big that was. His emotions were still coming out in a post-round interview with Golf Channel's Amy Rogers.
Gordon then waited over an hour to see if it was good enough to keep playing into the weekend – and keep his PGA Tour card for a few more months.
'It's not in the back of my mind, it's in the very front,' Gordon said afterward. 'But that's why you play is to put yourself in moments like this, hopefully win golf tournaments. But I'm really proud of myself for executing under that pressure…
'I was just proud of keeping my head in it, fighting to the end. That's what I do. It hadn't been the prettiest kind of last three, four years, but I always fight.'
Once Gordon completes 72 holes, he'll earn the 0.644 points required to maintain conditional PGA Tour membership, which means he'll play the rest of this season, through the fall, out of the Nos. 126-150 category. Not great, but also better than the alternative. Missing the cut would've meant Gordon losing his card for the second time in his career.
Gordon finished No. 159 in FedExCup points his rookie season in 2020-21, but he re-earned his card via the Korn Ferry Tour Finals the following year. He then finished No. 100 in points in 2022-23 before suffering a neck injury last season. Gordon missed five months after last year's WM Phoenix Open after three vertebrae in his cervicothoracic junction became so inflamed they weren't turning left, and the issue caused ulnar nerve tension down into his elbows. Though he returned in July, he wasn't symptom-free until October, and he would eventually finish No. 191 in points after a T-30 finish at the RSM Classic, where he briefly contended.
So far this year, Gordon has missed nine of 13 cuts, though top-10s at the Farmers and Byron Nelson have him at a respectable No. 136 in points. The top 100 in points – down from the top 125 – after this year's RSM Classic keep full membership.
'This is a game that kind of get what you deserve, and unfortunately I haven't played well enough to, you know, give myself more breathing room,' Gordon said. 'It's kind of crazy it's kind of come down to this, but again, you get what you earn in this game and this is what I kind of earned myself. Just try to use it as motivation for whatever comes next.'
Gordon can't fully satisfy his major medical without a victory Sunday at Detroit Golf Club. A win, of course, would solve more than that, coming with a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour, among other perks. Gordon is currently eight shots back of leaders Andrew Putnam, Philip Knowles and Chris Kirk.
'Hopefully, I can get a top-10 or something,' Gordon said. 'I'm just thankful for the people around me helping to support me and keep me going, and that's why we'll continue to wake up and do the same thing.'