Poulter retains card after PGA Tour amends points system

It took one week for Ian Poulter to regain his PGA Tour status, after failing to win the necessary amount of money last week in Texas.

The tour announced Saturday that because the Englishman was on a medical extension, his FedEx Cup points were altered.

"The spirit of the medical extension has always been to provide the same opportunity a player would have had if he had not been injured to retain his card, and in this case the bar was moved significantly," the tour said in a statement.

The PGA put more emphasis on the points system rather than the money list this year due to a disparity between the two categories. Poulter would've been fine in gaining his status under the old structure, but not with the current model.

Under the new system, players finishing between 15th and 68th were awarded fewer points than before, and the alteration also made it more difficult for players on medical extensions.

"The change to the FedExCup Points Curve unintentionally made it more difficult for these players to retain their exempt status," the tour stated.

Brian Gay, who missed the 2014-15 season because of a back injury, also received full status for the 2017 season.