The Reshuffle List: Fallout From the Third Reshuffle

The 2013 PGA Tour season is a truncated schedule, as events that formerly comprised the Fall Series will now kick off the start of next season.

As a result, the remaining Reshuffle List periods have been shortened for 2013, and merely four weeks after the last one, the third Reshuffle of 2013 is complete.

TOP 5

1. Luke Guthrie, $868,165 (clinched 2013-14 PGA Tour card)
2. James Hahn, $761,951 (clinched 2013-14 PGA Tour card)
3. Brian Stuard, $690,021 (all but clinched 2013-14 PGA Tour card)
4. Richard H. Lee, $629,012 (most likely clinched 2013-14 PGA Tour card)
5. David Lingmerth, $553,770

BOTTOM 5 (non-medical)

1. Eric Meierdierks, $22,445
2. Andrew Svoboda, $16,159
3. Paul Haley II, $12,028
4. Andres Gonzales, $0
5. Donald Constable, $0

GRADUATED

Billy Horschel - Plain and simple, Horschel is the hottest golfer on the planet. His recent run of T2-T3-T9-1 was capped off in grand style by a Sunday 64 that saw him walk away with the title two weeks ago at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Supported by his friend Tiger Woods, Horschel has reined in his fiery tendencies and parlayed that into fantastic golf, which has led to the most consistent stretch anyone besides Woods has had in 2013. Why is he playing so well? Well how about this combination: he's eighth in total driving (the combination of distance and accuracy) and fifth in the all-around ranking, which combines all major stats. That's the recipe for consistency.

Derek Ernst - To say that Ernst's win at the Wells Fargo Championship came out of nowhere is an understatement. His world ranking entering this week: 1,207. His Reshuffle List position entering this week: 38th (39th before Horschel's win moved everyone up a spot, whether they had done nothing or something all year). His 2013 results coming in: T59-MC-MC-MC-MC-MC-T47. Yeah, that's not exactly the best foreteller of immediate success. Oh, and he wasn't even in the field at the start of tournament week - he was the fourth alternate. But helped by bad greens that led to a mass exodus via withdrawals and two late bogeys from Phil Mickelson, Ernst found himself in a playoff with David Lynn and won on the first playoff hole by virtue of a fantastic 3-iron that led to an easy two-putt win. Now his life has gone from scratching for solid finishes to save his year to a ticket into this week's Players, a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour, a trip to Maui next January for the Hyundai Tournament of Champions and the all-important invitation to The Masters.

THE GAINERS

Bobby Gates, +27, $290,400 - Like Ernst on a smaller scale, Gates went from being part of The Nothing Men, for having earned not one penny this season, to being probably about halfway to his card for next year. The big jump in money and Reshuffle List positions was virtue of a T4 at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, which included a seven-birdie Sunday 66 in soggy conditions. A little over halfway through the PGA Tour's regular season, Gates should have at least two-to-three opportunities the next four weeks to improve his position once again before the next Reshuffle at the start of U.S. Open week.

Robert Karlsson, +21,$326,911 - Karlsson was having an extremely poor year (four missed cuts being the headline) until he stepped foot onto Quail Hollow last week and tied for fourth at the Wells Fargo Championship. That paycheck was worth $294,800, which provided not only a nice bit of chunk change but some quality FedEx Cup points, too. He's now 140th in those standings, with the Top 125 making it to the playoffs.

D.H. Lee, +17, $328,200 - Merely weeks after writing about how rough of a year it's been, we must compliment Lee on his recent turnaround. He has finishes of T8-T16 in his last two starts, and at more than $300K, he is more than halfway to securing his card for the 2013-14 season. None of Lee's key performance stats really stand out except for one: he's sixth on tour this year in total eagles, with seven, including one in New Orleans. At 43rd in par-5 performance, Lee is someone who likes to take chances, has seen the results already and could be intriguing for fantasy owners needing a sleeper.

Aaron Watkins, +13, $184,911 - If this is the first you're hearing of Aaron Watkins, then it's with good reason; his 2013 hasn't been noteworthy. Entering the Zurich Classic of New Orleans he had only made one cut and that T30 in Puerto Rico netted him a mere $19,911.11; $165K later and Watkins still has a lot of work to do. But at least he knows he's playing better and has some momentum headed into this next four week stretch.

THE LOSERS

Cameron Percy -9, $149,683 - Percy's three appearances during the most recent Reshuffle period were T55-MC-MC, continuing a rough stretch since he tied for 14th in Puerto Rico. He was disqualified in Tampa, which was followed up by a T70 in Houston two weeks later and a T37 at the Valero Texas Open to close out the previous Reshuffle period. Percy better get it together quickly, as he's still about $550K away from a Tour card for 2013-14 and is fighting a game that has led to a 100th-place standing in the all-important All-Around category.

Alistair Presnell, -9, $86,471 - Presnell has missed three consecutive cuts and six out of his last seven, leading to his further decline down the list and lack of additional money into his bank account. Last week at the Wells Fargo Championship he went home after shooting two rounds of 76, which won't get it done on a consistent, week-to-week basis. Fantasy owners will want to avoid Presnell as the following doesn't lead to good scores: a 150th in driving accuracy, 171st in greens in regulation and 159th in scoring average.

Tag Ridings -8, $201,470 - Ridings slid for one simple reason: he hasn't made it to the weekend since March. Five consecutive missed cuts have Ridings stuck at just above the $200K mark, and with no rounds in the 60s shot in this most recent stretch, Ridings needs to go back to the drawing board to get his game in good shape heading into the second half of the regular season.

Chez Reavie -8, $134,539 - Like a good portion of the players on the List, Reavie played in the three events for which he was eligible during the Reshuffle period (none of the players on the list were in The Masters). Just like Percy, T55-MC-MC were his three finishes, and the man who hasn't had a top-25 since February continues to see himself slide farther down the List with fewer and fewer playing opportunities on the way.

THE NO LONGER NOTHING MAN

Andrew Svoboda, $16,159 - Along with Gates, Svoboda removed his name from this dubious list with his tie for 47th at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Now for most players, we'd say the hill is still insanely high to climb, but with the new Finals Series, all is not lost. Because the Finals Series is made up of Nos. 126-200 off the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup points list, it doesn't take that much to punch your ticket. Svoboda's rank after just one finish in the money on the FedEx Cup points list: 209th.