Andrew Novak's win at the VidantaWorld Mexico Open was monumental for his career in a multitude of ways. It was his first win as an individual – second overall, alongside his team win with Ben Griffin at the 2025 Zurich Classic of New Orleans. He secured status through 2028, which includes a year on the new PGA Tour Championship Series. It also pushed him into the top 60 of the FedExCup standings, setting the stage to get exemptions into the first two Signature Events of 2027.

Everyone in the field at this week’s World Wide Technology Championship, and the rest of the fall season, will be hoping to replicate Novak’s success.

So who is at risk of missing Signature Event starts next year? Here’s a look at five notables.

FedExCup rank: 69th

The fact that Jackson Koivun is pushing for a top-60 finish in the FedExCup is a testament to how well he has played since turning pro midseason. Despite spotting the entire PGA Tour roughly six months of play, Koivun has managed to put himself firmly on the bubble.

At his current rank, Koivun could sneak into the field at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, which must field a minimum of 80 players, though it’s far from certain.

Koivun has made eight of nine cuts since turning pro. Along with his win in Minnesota at the 3M Open, he finished fifth in Asheville in September and 10th at the ISCO Championship back in July. He has proven to have an incredibly high floor, which is exactly what he needs with three weeks to play. Three more made cuts and a run at contention would easily put him inside the top 60.

FedExCup rank: 74th

Shane Lowry has played incredibly well this fall. It just hasn’t come on the PGA Tour.

As has become customary, Lowry has played a heavy DP World Tour schedule since the FedExCup Playoffs, and he has thrived over in Europe. He won the Amgen Irish Open and has finished top 25 in his other three starts. That has had several important ripple effects.

Lowry has jumped back into the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking, a critical threshold to maintain eligibility in next year’s major championships. But it has also dropped him down the FedExCup standings. At 74th, Lowry is likely to miss out on spots for both Pebble Beach and Riviera Country Club. He will hope to receive a sponsor exemption, though there is no shortage of contenders for those spots.

A year ago, Lowry finished eighth at Pebble Beach and 24th at Riviera. It set the stage for his near-win at the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches in his next start. As of now, that same on-ramp to his 2027 PGA Tour season is unavailable.

FedExCup rank: 73rd

A winner in his previous three seasons, Taylor has been a staple in Signature Events. He will need a strong finish this fall to ensure 2027 starts similarly.

It’s not for a lack of trying. Taylor has made three starts this fall, and while he’s made every cut, his best finish is a T41 at the Baycurrent Classic. In between, Taylor was also a solid piece on the International squad at the Presidents Cup.

Taylor has a rich history at Pebble Beach, where he won in 2020. He’s also had solid results at Riviera. Two tentpoles of his typical early-season schedule are far from a guarantee right now, though. Taylor is in the field in Mexico and expected to play multiple times before year’s end as he chases those starts.

FedExCup rank: 100th

Clarity on Jason Day's health has been limited this fall. Aside from International Team Presidents Cup Captain Geoff Ogilvy saying that he would’ve chosen the Australian had Day been healthy, there has been little update since Day missed his season-ending Wyndham Championship.

Day said then that his body has been “really awful” this year and that he needed to take some time to get it “sorted.” So far, that has meant rest. Day has not played since. Unfortunately, that has led to a sizable fall in the standings. Day began the fall in 82nd and is now on the precipice of dropping outside the top 100. That means Day will begin next year on a major medical extension and will need a few solid results when he returns to maintain full status.

Jason Day reaches par-5 No. 5 in two, makes eagle at Wyndham

FedExCup rank: 89th

Since the PGA Tour adopted the Signature Event model in 2024, Keegan Bradley has never missed one.

Barring an unforeseen result, that streak will end in 2027. Bradley has enjoyed a career renaissance in recent seasons, but that momentum stalled when he lost the Ryder Cup as captain and let it linger into his performance the next year. Bradley couldn't compartmentalize the loss early in 2026, and it snowballed into one of his worst seasons in recent years.

Now, Bradley is comfortably outside the top 60 and has played only once this fall. He is a candidate for sponsor exemptions, but he certainly won’t receive all of them. The 40-year-old is at a key inflection point in his career. Is there another surge coming, or should we expect Bradley’s participation in the biggest events to be hit-and-miss going forward?