The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 plus 7 letter word FRONT RUNNERS
F
R
O
N
T
R
U
N
N
E
R
S
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "in their field? These 9 5" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case in their field? these 9 5 = front runners.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.