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

Bold text – Denotes a player who won in 2005.

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.)

Phil Mickelson was promoted to this category after his PGA Championship win and earned an exemption through 2010.

Singh and Goosen extended their exemptions to 2010, in which year both would fall to cat 9. Woods extended his to 2010, and would move to cat 3 in 2008. Toms extended his to 2010. Furyk extended his to 2009, in which year he would fall to cat 9.

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

Fred Funk was promoted to this category after his win and earned an exemption through 2010.

Janzen and Sutton finished outside the top 150. Both used career money exemptions for 2006 (top 50 and top 25, respectively).

3. Winners of the Masters Tournament in the last 10 calendar years. (Beginning in 1998, this is a five-year exemption.)

Nick Faldo declined membership. Ben Crenshaw mostly retired from the PGA Tour after turning 50 in January 2002 and fell to past champion status for good in 2006.

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

Leonard extended his extension to 2010.

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

Bart Bryant was promoted to this category after his win and earned an exemption through 2008.

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

Fourteen players moved into this category during the season. Pádraig Harrington earned an exemption through 2008 with multiple wins. Perry extended his exemption to 2009; García extended his to 2008.

Hoch received a major medical extension, and Triplett and Jacobsen minors. Stadler focused on the senior tour and fell to past champion status for good in 2006. Lickliter finished finished in the 126–150 range and was successful at Q School. Mattiace finished outside the top 150 and fell to past champion status (for good).

10a. Members of the last-named U.S. Presidents Cup team
10b. Members of the last-named International Presidents Cup team
Wins by players with expiring exemptions
Date Player Tournament
Apr 17 Peter Lonard MCI Heritage
10c. Members of the last-named U.S. Ryder Cup team
10d. Members of the last-named European Ryder Cup team

Casey played only 10 events and lost membership for 2006.

11a. Career money exemptions – top 50

Cook and Kite finished outside the top 150 and fell to past champion status (for good, in Kite's case).

11a. Career money exemptions – top 25
19. Life members

Both focused on the senior tour.

20. Top 125 from money list

Baird, Allen, Mahan, Lancaster, Čejka, and Bateman finished in the 126–150 range. Allen, Mahan, Čejka, and Bateman were successful in Q School, while Baird and Lancaster fell to the conditional category for 2006.

Beckman, Waldorf, Smith, Allan, Williamson, Gogel, Byrum, Cóceres, Paulson, and Kendall finished outside the top 150. Williamson received a medical extension. Byrum was successful in Q School. Beckman, Waldorf, Smith, Gogel, Cóceres, Paulson, and Kendall fell to past champion status (for good, in the cases of Smith, Gogel, Paulson, and Kendall), while Allan became a non-member.

21. Non-member top 125

Westwood finished in the 125–150 range and fell to the conditional category for 2006.

22. Major Medical Extension

Begay's extension expired in August and he fell to the conditional category. Magee's extension expired in October apparently; he theoretically should've fallen to the non-exempt medical category, but did not enter the only remaining full-field event. He finished in the 126–150 range and had conditional status for 2006. Jobe met his terms in April. Hnatiuk's expired in September and he became a non-member, never to regain membership. Dawson used his last start at the final full-field event of the season, finished in the 126–150 range, and made it through Q School. Allem's extension expired in April and he fell to past champion status (for good). Perry, Stankowski, Tataurangi, Berganio, Goydos, Leggatt, and Riegger received carry-overs; Leggatt also made it through Q School.

Craig Barlow and Tom Gillis were promoted to this category after meeting their terms in January; Barlow finished in the top 125, but Gillis finished outside the top 150, fell short at Q School, and became a non-member in 2006. Mark O'Meara was promoted to this category after meeting his terms in May, but ultimately finished outside the top 150 and used a top 50 career money exemption for 2006. Tjaart van der Walt was promoted to this category after meeting his terms in August; he finished in the 126–150 range, fell short at Q School, and ended up in the conditional category for 2006.

23. Nationwide Tour leading money-winner

Walker received a medical extension for 2006.

Medical extension

Moore received a carry-over.

25. Q School top 30, Nationwide Tour 2-20
Wins
Date Player Tournament
Jul 10 Sean O'Hair John Deere Classic
Jul 17 Jason Bohn B.C. Open
Oct 23 Lucas Glover Funai Classic

Barlow and Gillis met the terms of their medicals in January and were promoted to the major medical category; Barlow finished in the top 125, but Gillis finished outside the top 150, fell short at Q School, and became a non-member in 2006.

Those who finished in the 126–150 range were Watney, Wetterich, Mark Wilson, Uresti, Hayes, Stiles, Jones, and Gutschewski. Watney and Wetterich were successful at Q School; Mark Wilson, Uresti, Hayes, Stiles, Jones, and Gutschewski had to settle for conditional status.

Price, Points, Langham, Haas, Stadler, Coles, Hend, Heintz, Thatcher, Gow, Brigman, MacKenzie, Anderson, Claxton, Wi, Bolli, Paulson, Hearn, Tiziani, Long, Allred, Briggs, Hart, Glasson, Carter, Davidson, Rashell, Hughes, Elliott, Tanihara, and Walters finished outside the top 150. Paulson received a major medical extension, and Coles a minor. Points, MacKenzie, and Glasson were successful in Q School. Carter settled for past champion status (for good). The other 25 became non-members; Price, Langham, Hend, Anderson, Tiziani, Long, Briggs, Hart, Davidson, Rashell, Hughes, Elliott, Tanihara, and Walters have not reached the PGA Tour again.

Reshuffle medical
Wins
Date Player Tournament
Oct 16 Wes Short Jr. Michelin Championship

Short's win came in his 14th start. Van der Walt was promoted to the major medical category after meeting his terms in August; he finished in the 126–150 range, fell short at Q School, and ended up in the conditional category for 2006. Green's extension expired in July and he fell to past champion status (for good). Lardon and Maginnes both used their last start in the final full-field event of the season; both finished outside the top 150, became non-members for 2006, and would not reach the PGA Tour again. Watts's extension expired in August; he became a non-member and would not reach the PGA Tour again. Summerhays received a carry-over.

26. Three-time Nationwide Tour winners in the current year

One player achieved this:

Win
Date Player Tournament
Sep 18 Jason Gore 84 Lumber Classic
27. Minor Medical Extension

Peoples's extension expired in May and he fell to the conditional category; he finished outside the top 150 and fell to past champion status in 2006 (for good). O'Meara met his terms in May and moved to the major medical category, but ultimately finished outside the top 150 and used a top 50 career money exemption for 2006. Isenhour used his last start at the final full-field event of the season; he finished outside the top 150, fell short at Q School, and became a non-member in 2006. McLean received a carry-over.

28. 126–150 from money list
Wins
Date Player Tournament
Sep 5 Olin Browne Deutsche Bank Championship

Four players finished inside the top 125, including one winner. The remaining players all finished outside the top 150. Azinger used a top 50 career money exemption for 2006. Grönberg and Ellis made it through Q School. Begay (who fell to this category after his medical extension expired), Burns, Day, and Kuchar fell to past champion status in 2006 (for good, in Burns's case). Pappas, Bowden, and Morgan became non-members; Morgan would never regain status.

29. Non-exempt medical extension

Tryba's extension expired in September and he fell to past champion status (for good). Johansson's also expired in September; he became a non-member and would not reach the PGA Tour again. May and Nobilo received carry-overs.

Notable past champions

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

Greg Kraft made it through Q School. Of those listed above, only Stricker would never 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 2006):

Wins
Date Player Tournament
Jun 19 Michael Campbell U.S. Open

Campbell did not accept membership after his win, nor at the start of 2006; Montgomerie, Bjørn, and Faldo also declined membership. McDowell, O'Hern, Howell, Moore, and Immelman accepted membership for 2006. McDowell accepted STM in March, O'Hern in June, Immelman in August, and Moore in September.

None listed above made it through Q School; only Putnam and Dunlap tried.

Other notes

Twenty-six players not listed made it from the Nationwide Tour to the PGA Tour for 2006 (20 via the money list, 6 via Q School). Besides Price, nine players with no PGA Tour or Nationwide Tour status in 2005 made it through Q School (including Japan Golf Tour winner Daisuke Maruyama).