Six golfers earned PGA Tour cards just as six LIV golfers teed off in shotgun start in Boston

Once a player strikes a tee shot on the LIV Golf Series, he has lost his status on the PGA Tour.

Not sure they should be expecting thank you cards or gift baskets, but when the six newest members of the LIV Golf Series teed off in Boston on Friday for their 1:15 p.m. ET shotgun start, six others earned their PGA Tour cards.

Officially, Cameron Smith, Marc Leishman, Joaquin Niemann, Harold Varner III, Anirban Lahiri and Cameron Tringale were “removed from the 2021-22 FedEx Cup Playoffs and Eligibility Points List,” according to the PGA Tour.

This then elevated Kelly Kraft, Justin Lower, Doc Redman, Austin Smotherman, Matt Wallace and Danny Willett inside the top 125, thus granting them their Tour cards for the 2022-23 season.

The Tour’s announcement specifically mentioned the 1:15 p.m. ET time. Once a player strikes a tee shot on the LIV Golf Series, he has lost his status on the PGA Tour.

Kraft, Lower, Redman were removed from the Korn Ferry Tour Championship on Friday after they earned fully exempt status. They cannot improve their standing on the Eligibility List. Smotherman, Wallace and Willett did not reach the Korn Ferry Tour Finals.

The top 25 finishers at the Finals will earn PGA Tour cards. The final FedEx Cup Playoffs and Eligibility Points List for the 2021-22 season will be finalized at 5 p.m. ET on Sept. 9, 2022.

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Kelly Kraft makes walk-off hole-in-one at Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship

Kelly Kraft ended his first round at the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship in style on Thursday.

Kelly Kraft ended his first round at the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship in style on Thursday.

Closing his day on the par-3 ninth hole at Corales Golf Club in the Dominican Republic, Kraft made a hole-in-one on the 204-yard hole.

The PGA Tour reports that he used an 8 iron and his ball had eyes for the hole all the way.

In fact, Kraft finished eagle-par-eagle to shoot a 68. That puts him T-17 with a slew of golfers and he’s just three off the lead heading into Friday’s second round.

Kraft has one Korn Ferry Tour win, which came five years ago. He’s seeking his first PGA Tour win.

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