ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. — On a beautifully sunny, blissfully perfect day in the Golden Isles of Georgia, the pressure at The RSM Classic reached a boiling point.

The second round of the final event of the FedExCup Fall, contested at Sea Island Golf Club, yielded a birdie fest that pushed the cutline three strokes lower than what was projected at the beginning of the day.

At 7-under, it was one shot away from tying the lowest cutline in PGA TOUR history.

"Always nerve-racking to try and make a cut," said Beau Hossler, who at No. 103 in the FedExCup is just outside the cardinal top 100 mark that guarantees full PGA TOUR status. "But just knowing that there's so much more needed.... Trying to get the most I can today and hopefully build on it this weekend."

Hossler, who needs at minimum a two-way T42 or better to earn his card, started the day at 2-under before kicking it into gear with a first-nine, 4-under 32 on the Plantation Course.

He made a clutch birdie on the par-5 eighth, his 17th hole of the day to get it to 7-under, before hitting his approach shot into the bunker on the par-4 ninth. He executed a nervy up and down to sign for a 67 and make the cut on the number.

This is the first time since 2017 that the 30-year-old is in danger of losing full PGA TOUR status.

"You know, this season's been challenging," Hossler reflected. "I feel like I've done some really good things. I've not really put four rounds together, truthfully. I've had a lot of tournaments where I've played probably three solid rounds."

Another player outside of the top 100 to deliver an up and down on the final hole to make the projected cut was Canadian Adam Hadwin, whose 6-under 64 was enough to leave him at 7-under. Hadwin entered the week No. 138 in the FedExCup, a far cry from his 2024 performance, where he finished within the top 50 and locked up starts in all Signature Events.

"I was definitely nervous coming in; It got a little sloppy the last three or four holes," said Hadwin. He needs a minimum finish of a two-way T2 to earn his TOUR card.

"Every point matters, every point counts," he said. "It's an extra guy that I can jump ahead of if I do end up with nonexempt status that maybe it's one more tournament that I get into. It was just an important day to give myself two more days, give myself two more chances.

"I've got two more days to try and go low. Talk to me again then."

FedExCup No. 117 Joel Dahmen found himself on the wrong side of the cutline Friday. Dahmen earned his 2025 TOUR card in dramatic fashion at last year's event, holing out for eagle in the final round. This year, he fell two shots outside of the cutline. The 38-year-old, one-time PGA TOUR winner welcomed his second child over the weekend with wife Lona, and his mind was likely elsewhere over the course of the day. After carding a first-round 69 at the Plantation Course, he bogeyed his second hole of the day on the Seaside Course. He added a few circles to get it to 5-under but couldn't find a way to birdie any of his final five holes.

Other notables

Nine-time PGA TOUR winner Matt Kuchar, who entered the week at No. 113 and is in danger of losing out on full-time status for the first time since 2007, made the cut on the number after a 2-under 68 on Seaside.

"Been a long time since I lost my job," said Kuchar after his round. "I'd like to keep it ... I still love doing it, I still feel like I'm a junkie for the game of golf. It's fun being here, it's fun trying to keep up with the kids."

Japan's Takumi Kanaya entered the week in a precarious 99th position in the FedExCup. After a lackluster second-round 71, he went home early and now plays the waiting game. So does FedExCup No. 97 Danny Walker, whose 2-under 68 on the Seaside Course left him one shot outside the cutline.

England's Matt Wallace, FedExCup No. 102, started the day two shots outside the cutline before carding a blistering 6-under 66 at the Plantation Course to comfortably play the weekend at 9-under. He needs at least a solo-43rd or better for his TOUR card.

"I feel like I deserve to be out on this tour," said Wallace after his round.

PGA TOUR rookie Isaiah Salinda, who at 104th in the FedExCup needed a big week to put himself in position, faded with a second-round 73 to finish at 2-under. Chandler Philips, whose runner-up finish at last week's Butterfield Bermuda Championship bumped him from 139th to 92nd in the FedExCup Standings, couldn't keep the momentum going into Sea Island and missed the cut at 1-under.