DETROIT - Will Gordon stood on the 17th tee Friday evening knowing his future on the PGA TOUR hung in the balance. Playing in the final start of his Major Medical Extension, the 28-year-old needed to make the cut at the Rocket Classic to retain status on TOUR. Two birdies later, Gordon had done all he could, but still needed some help.

Gordon carded a second straight 3-under 69 at Detroit Golf Club to reach 6-under for the tournament, the number teetering on the projected cut line late into the evening. He birdied each of his final two holes, including a clutch 6-footer on the 18th green that sent him into an outpouring of emotion.

Failing to hold back tears, Gordon walked off the green with his season, and perhaps career, still very much hanging in the balance despite his absolute best efforts down the stretch

“It’s not in the back of my mind, it’s in the very front,” Gordon said after the round. “But that’s why you play, to put yourself in moments like this.”

For over two hours, Gordon waited as the cut line hovered between 6 and 7-under. He needed it to fall in order to qualify for the weekend and secure at least the 0.644 FedExCup points required to maintain conditional membership.

Then came a few breaks.

Zach Johnson three-putted from four feet on the 17th hole. Brandt Snedeker doubled the last. And Michael Kim, one of the final players on the course, three-putted his final hole. Each slip helped nudge the cut line to 6-under. By day’s end, Gordon had moved into a tie for 64th, inside the number.

“It hadn’t been the prettiest kind of last three, four years,” Gordon said. “But I always fight. I was just proud of keeping my head in it and fighting to the end.”

That fight didn’t go unnoticed.

“I was pretty much a wreck for most of the evening,” Gordon said Saturday. “Didn’t look at my phone, didn’t want to see anything. Zach Johnson called me and gave me the full rundown of what happened. Just called to encourage me, which I really appreciated.”

The support extended beyond that phone call. “A bunch of guys, caddies and everybody, it was really special for me just to feel supported out here,” Gordon said. “Even a bunch of fans were hollering at me today. You don’t get those moments too often, so it was really special.”

Gordon’s path back to the weekend was the culmination of a grueling journey. He lost his TOUR card after the 2020-21 season but reclaimed it via the Korn Ferry Tour. A serious neck injury sidelined him for five months last season, and while he returned to action in July, lingering issues persisted until October. He eventually finished 191st in FedExCup points last year.

Through three rounds in Detroit, Gordon sits at 9-under, firing his third straight 69 Saturday morning. A top-three finish is needed to fully satisfy his medical extension, but even if that does not materialize, he will earn status in the 126-150 category for the remainder of the season. That designation offers opportunities to compete through the summer and fall.

Gordon has made just four cuts in 13 starts this year but posted top-10 finishes at the Farmers Insurance Open and THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson. He currently ranks 136th in FedExCup points, outside the all-important top 100 cutoff, which grants full membership for 2025.

For now, Gordon has earned at least a little more time.