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

Bold text – Denotes a player who won in 2006.

Note: This seems to have been the first season when a win could lengthen an exemption from a previous season or from a different category.

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. Geoff Ogilvy was promoted to this category after his win and earned an exemption through 2011.

Singh, Toms, Woods, and Furyk extended their exemptions to 2011. Mickelson did the same; he would fall to cat 3 in 2011. Love extended his to 2009.

Brooks and Jones both finished outside the top 150 and fell to past champion status (for good).

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

Stephen Ames was promoted to this category after his win and earned an exemption through 2011. Scott extended his exemption to 2010, 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.)
  • Canada Mike Weir* (2009) – moves to cat 9 in 2009

Nick Faldo declined membership.

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

Curtis extended his extension to 2010, and would fall to cat 9 in 2009.

Duval finished outside the top 150 and used a top 25 career money exemption for 2007.

5. Winners of the NEC World Series of Golf in the last 10 calendar years. (Beginning in 1998, this is a three-year exemption.)
6. THE TOUR Championship winners in the last three years, beginning with the 1998 winner

Campbell extended his exemption to 2008.

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

Geoff Ogilvy was promoted to this category, then to cat 1.

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

Twenty-one players moved into this category during the season. Stuart Appleby earned an exemption through 2009 with multiple wins.

Geiberger and Kaye finished finished in the 126–150 range; Kaye was successful at Q School, while Geiberger fell to the conditional category for 2007.

Stolz did not play at all in 2006 and did not receive a medical extension; he fell to past champion status (for good). Daly, Franco, and Parry finished outside the top 150 and fell to past champion status (for good, in Parry's case).

10a. Members of the last-named U.S. Presidents Cup team
10b. Members of the last-named International Presidents Cup team
10c. Members of the last-named U.S. Ryder Cup team

Riley finished in the 126–150 range and was unsuccessful at Q School, therefore falling to conditional status for 2007. Haas focused mainly on the senior tour; he finished outside the top 150 and fell to past champion status in 2007 (for good).

10d. Members of the last-named European Ryder Cup team
Wins by players with expiring exemptions
Date Player Tournament
Mar 12 Luke Donald Honda Classic

Levet received a minor medical extension.

11a. Career money exemptions – top 50

Janzen finished in the 126–150 range, fell short in Q School, and fell to conditional status in 2007. O'Meara finished outside the top 150 and fell to past champion status for good.

11a. Career money exemptions – top 25

Sutton played only one event and did not receive a carry-over. He fell to past champion status for good in 2007.

19. Life members

Watson focused on the senior tour.

20. Top 125 from money list

Langer, Brehaut, Atwal, and Ridings finished in the 126–150 range. None were successful in Q School, so all fell to the conditional category for 2007.

Damron, Lewis, Huston, Fischer, Barron, Sheehan, Armour, Tway, Driscoll, Price, McCarron, Na, Mediate, Roberts, Tanaka, Kuehne, and Snyder finished outside the top 150. Tway used a top 50 career money exemption. Lewis, McCarron, Na, Kuehne, and Snyder received major medical extensions, and Mediate a minor. Damron, Huston, Armour, Price, and Roberts fell to past champion status (for good, in Damron's case), while Fischer, Barron, Sheehan, Driscoll, and Tanaka became non-members (only Sheehan and Driscoll would ever regain membership).

21. Non-member top 125

McDowell finished outside the top 150 and became a non-member for 2007.

22. Major Medical Extension

Goydos met his terms in April. Riegger and Stankowski's extensions expired in April and July, respectively, but both secured conditional status and fell to the non-exempt medical category. Both finished outside the top 150; Stankowski made it through Q School and Riegger became a non-member for 2007. Williamson's extension expired in July and he became a non-member. Leggatt's expired in May and he fell to the reshuffle, ultimately finishing outside the top 150 and falling to past champion status in 2007 (for good). Hoch, Perry, Tataurangi, and Berganio received carry-overs.

Kirk Triplett and Bob May moved to this category after meeting their terms in February and July, respectively; Triplett won two weeks later, while May finished in the 126–150 range and made it through Q School.

23. Nationwide Tour leading money-winner
Win
Date Player Tournament
Oct 15 Troy Matteson Frys.com Open
Medical extension

Walker's extension expired in September and he became a non-member. Moore received a carry-over.

25. Q School top 30, Nationwide Tour 2-20

Leggatt fell to this category after his medical extension expired in May; he finished outside the top 150 and fell to past champion status in 2007 (for good).

Those who finished in the 126–150 range were Dickerson, Bateman, Overton, Smith, Dawson, Garrigus, Čejka, and Cox. Bateman, Dawson, Garrigus, and Čejka were successful at Q School; Dickerson, Overton, Smith, and Cox had to settle for conditional status.

Bjørnstad, Allen, McKenzie, Points, Ellis, Whittaker, Kraft, Thompson, Staten, Veazey, Hansen, Chalmers, Schultz, Sposa, Glasson, Tambellini, Byrum, Connell, Aragon, Hietala, Engler, Mills, and Bowditch finished outside the top 150. Byrum received a major medical extension, and Ellis, Staten, Veazey, Glasson, and Bowditch minors. Allen and Schultz were successful in Q School. Kraft settled for past champion status. The other 14 became non-members; McKenzie, Hansen, Sposa, Hietala, and Engler have not reached the PGA Tour again.

Reshuffle medical

Summerhays's extension expired in September and he became a non-member, never to reach the PGA Tour again. Paulson received a carry-over.

26. Three-time Nationwide Tour winners in the current year
27. Minor Medical Extension
Wins
Date Player Tournament
Feb 26 Kirk Triplett Chrysler Classic of Tucson

Triplett met his terms in February and was promoted to the major medical category, before winning two weeks later. I have found no information regarding how many starts Jacobsen had, but it appears he did not use them all and did not receive a carry-over; he fell to past champion status for good in 2007. Coles's extension expired in April and he became a non-member, but finished in the top 20 of the Nationwide Tour money list. McLean became a non-member after his extension expired in July, and he would not reach the PGA Tour again.

28. 126–150 from money list

Two players finished inside the top 125. Westwood and Uresti finished in the 126–150 range and remained in this category for 2007.

The remaining players all finished outside the top 150. Magee received a medical extension. Wilson, Gutschewski, and Stiles made it through Q School. Lancaster fell to past champion status in 2007. Jones and van der Walt became non-members and have never regained status.

29. Non-exempt medical extension

May met his terms in July and was promoted to the major medical category; he finished in the 126–150 range and made it through Q School. Nobilo played no events and did not receive a carry-over.

John Riegger and Paul Stankowski fell to this category after their medical extensions expired in April and July, respectively. Both finished outside the top 150; Stankowski made it through Q School and Riegger became a non-member for 2007.

Notable past champions

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

One past champion finished in the top 125. Cook, Waldorf, and Cóceres finished in the 126–150 range and (after Waldorf and Cóceres came up short at Q School) all ended up in the conditional category for 2007. Beckman, Pride, Glen Day, and Michael Bradley made it through Q School; Matt Kuchar finished in the top 20 of the Nationwide Tour money list. None of the other players listed would ever 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 2007):

Cabrera and Stenson accepted membership for 2007; Campbell declined. Cabrera and Stenson accepted STM in August.

Kim made it through Q School, while Day fell short; Stadler finished in the top 20 of the Nationwide Tour money list.

Other notes

Thirty-seven players not listed made it from the Nationwide Tour to the PGA Tour for 2007 (including Japan Golf Tour winner Paul Sheehan; 19 via the money list, 18 via Q School). Besides Kim, four players with no PGA Tour or Nationwide Tour status in 2006 made it through Q School (including European Tour winner Anders Hansen).