Austin Championship Field Announced: Smotherman Leads

Austin Championship Arrives in Texas Hill Country with Tour Cards and Signatures on the Line

Time is running out on the FedExCup Fall, and the PGA Tour is heading to the Lone Star State for the penultimate event of the 2026 season: the inaugural Austin Championship presented by Compliance Solutions. Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa’s Fazio Canyons Course will host the 120-man field from November 12-15, marking the tour’s return to Austin for the first time since the 2023 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play.

Players are making a final, frantic push to secure their spots inside the top 100 of the FedExCup standings to lock up their 2027 Tour cards. Beyond safety in the top 100, competitors are fighting for the Aon Next 10, which encompasses Nos. 51 through 60 and unlocks entry into the first two Signature Events of the new year at Pebble Beach and Riviera. The stakes are backed by a $6 million purse, with 500 FedExCup points awaiting the winner across 72 holes of stroke play on the par-72, 7,451-yard course.

Familiar Faces and Local Ties in the Texas Field

The competition features two-time fall winner Austin Smotherman leading a diverse roster that includes rookies, veterans, and local favorites. Smotherman is joined by Max Homa, Billy Horschel, Brian Harman, Lucas Glover, Matt Kuchar, and Jackson Koivun.

Butterfield Bermuda Championship 2026 - Round One — Photo: golfchannel.com

Adding a distinct local flavor to the tournament, five former University of Texas golfers will tee it up just a short drive from campus. The Longhorn alumni group features Pierceson Coody, Doug Ghim, Beau Hossler, Christiaan Maas, and Tommy Morrison. Maas and Morrison are two of the four sponsor exemptions.

How the Field Takes Shape

The PGA Tour utilizes a standardized system for determining event fields based on the current season’s Priority Ranking, supplemented by specific exemption and qualifying categories. While fully exempt members are guaranteed entry into all Full-Field Events, conditional categories are subject to periodic reshuffles based on FedExCup points accrued throughout the year. Four qualifying spots remained open as the tournament week approached.

With the 2026 season rapidly drawing to a close, the margins for error have vanished. Every stroke at Fazio Canyons carries financial and professional consequences that will define careers when the dust settles in the Texas Hill Country.