
Michael Kim has made a bold prediction about the next batch of DP World Tour players heading to the PGA Tour. The American shared his thoughts after looking at the list of players who earned PGA Tour cards for 2026.
Kim finished T24 at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai ending his 2025 season. Soon after he reposted a list of the top 10 DPWT players eligible for PGA Tour status and added:
“An impressive list of guys coming to the Pgatour next yr. Not sure what the percentage of guys that retain their Pgatour cards but imo this bunch is going to be above the norm.”
All 10 players Kim mentioned earned their PGA Tour cards through the “10 Cards Initiative,” introduced in 2023. The program gives the top-ranked DPWT players a chance to play on the PGA Tour the following season. Every one of the 2026 qualifiers finished inside the top 16 of the Race to Dubai standings.
The 32-year-old has become one of golf’s most outspoken voices online, often sharing his opinions and answering fans’ questions. Earlier this year, he picked up his first DP World Tour win in France, adding to a lone PGA Tour title. Michael Kim also joined a Q&A session on Sunday offering more insight into the season.
Michael Kim talks 2025 season and a potential rule change in X Q&A
On Sunday, Michael Kim took to X to host a short Q&A, tweeting: “End of my season (sort of) Q&A!” A fan asked whether he plays DP World Tour events mainly for money or for experience, to which Kim replied:
“If it was just money, I would have played more Pgatour stuff. I wanted the experience of going to new places”

The one-time PGA Tour winner, who turned pro in 2013, currently sits 36th in the Official World Golf Ranking. Kim played 27 events this year, finishing runner-up at the WM Phoenix Open. He also recorded four top-10s, seven top-25s and made the cut in 22 tournaments.
Michael Kim also shared his thoughts on a potential rule change for 2026. When asked about changes he’d like to see, he tweeted:
“Plugged lies in the fairway, even if it’s not yours, you get a free drop.“
A fan questioned whether that rule already exists, and Kim clarified:
“It has to be yours to get a drop.“

In golf, a “plugged” or “embedded” ball is one that’s stuck in the ground in its own pitch mark. Players can lift the ball, mark the spot, and drop it within one club length behind where it was embedded, without taking a penalty. This free relief only applies in the fairway or general area, and it does not apply to balls in bunkers, where a player would need to take an unplayable lie with a penalty instead.