By Doug Ferguson
The Associated Press
June 23, 2026 - 9:05 am
CROMWELL, Conn. — The PGA Tour has approved a large shakeup to its exemplary that efficaciously creates 2 tours, expanding the tract for the elite tier and cutting successful fractional prize wealth for the secondary tier.
The caller exemplary is to commencement successful 2028 with respective details inactive to beryllium finalized, including which of the astir 15 tournaments volition beryllium portion of the “Championship Series” and the 20 events that volition privation to beryllium portion of the lesser “Challenger Series.”
The PGA Tour boards connected Monday day approved the recommendations from the Future Competition Committee, which has been moving connected a caller program since it was formed past August.
Tiger Woods was appointed president of the committee. He was arrested connected a DUI complaint successful Florida successful precocious March — painkillers were recovered successful his pouch but nary intoxicant successful his strategy — and sought attraction extracurricular the country. He returned successful clip for the committee approval.
CEO Brian Rolapp was to sermon the changes Tuesday greeting astatine the Travelers Championship.
Rolapp preached “scarcity, simplicity and parity” erstwhile helium took implicit past summer, and those pillars person go much clear. The play volition beryllium shorter — astir February done August with immoderate scheduled weeks disconnected — without taking distant playing opportunities.
The $20 cardinal signature events for 72 players present volition beryllium portion of the Championship Series and expanded to 120 players connected average. Players are not required to play them each and those tournaments volition not person sponsor invitations oregon an alternate list. There volition beryllium a 36-hole cut.
The Challenger Series volition beryllium a way for players to gain their mode to the apical level. Those fields volition beryllium astir 144 players, and Rolapp said purses would beryllium astatine slightest $4 million. This year, each but 3 regular non-signature events had prize funds of astatine slightest $9 million.
Except for astir 7 times during the season, the Championship and Challenger Series tournaments volition beryllium held the aforesaid week. Rolapp said connected the juncture of a week disconnected for the elite circuit, the Challenger Series lawsuit would beryllium elevated.
Rory McIlroy past week referred to the secondary tier arsenic a “glorified Korn Ferry event,” referring to the tour’s developmental circuit.
“I conscionable deliberation there’s going to beryllium definite events that mightiness suffer their presumption if a sponsor doesn’t pony up $30 million,” McIlroy said.
Each circuit volition person a abstracted points standings and determination is nary program for players to determination up to the Championship Series during the play unless they were to triumph twice.
The Championship Series eligibility would beryllium determined by the apical 90 players from the erstwhile year, the apical 20 players from the Challenger Series and different exemption categories for tourney winners, injuries oregon vocation milestones.
The different large alteration is the “introduction of lucifer play” successful the postseason and a Tour Championship that volition determination astir to prestigious courses alternatively of returning to East Lake successful Atlanta each year, arsenic it has done since 2004. Those details are inactive being worked out.
As for the fall, the PGA Tour is moving toward a abstracted bid of 4 to six tournaments successful which apical performers tin gain their mode backmost to the Championship Series. The circuit said it inactive has plans for the Korn Ferry Tour, PGA Tour Americas and the PGA Tour University ranking strategy that creates places for apical assemblage players.
Finishing successful August would springiness the elite players clip to see playing overseas, specified arsenic premier European circuit events oregon the Australian Open. The PGA Tour precocious became partners with Golf Australia without co-sanctioning the century-old event.
English (US)·