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Seismic changes are coming to the PGA Tour with a completely revamped model and schedule set to be implemented beginning in 2028.
The introduction of relegation and promotion, two separate series, match play and courses the Tour has never paid a visit to are among the many exciting changes the golf world will see in the near future.
While there are still plenty of details to be fully ironed out, which will be announced at a later date, the information the Tour formally announced on Tuesday painted a rather clear picture of just how different — and exciting — the new-look structure will be from a fan perspective.
Everything you need to know about the new-look PGA Tour
PGA Tour Championship Series
- This will be the new top-tier on the PGA Tour, consisting of 23 to 24 events including The Players, the four major championships and international team events. Purses will be at least $20 million.
- Ten of the expected 15 Championship Series regular events have been finalized, with the remaining five to be filled out in larger, new markets.
- The field size will be, on average, 120 players, and all events will feature a 36-hole cut with the top 65 players and ties playing the weekend.
- The Tour Championship, the finale of the playoffs, will rotate around to different golf courses, and match play will be integrated in some format.
- There will be no alternates or sponsor exemptions into events.
PGA Tour Challenger Series
- The new second-tier on Tour that will also be the primary pathway onto the Championship Series.
- At least 20 Challenger Series events will take place, with seven expected to be standalone tournaments that will not overlap with Championship Series events. All events will feature a 36-hole cut.
- Fields will feature approximately 144 players and carry purses of at least $4 million.
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Relegation and promotion
The Championship Series will have a points structure, and the top 90 players on the points list will be retained and remain on the top-tier series. Players who finish outside the top 90 will face relegation to the Challenger Series.
A minimum of 20 players from the Challenger Series will be promoted each season, with remaining spots determined through multiple criteria including tournament winners, medical extensions, career milestones and a new “last chance” series.
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The last chance series, which will take place in the fall, will consist of four to six events to determine the final spots on the following season’s Challenger Series.
PGA Tour qualifying school will still take place, but prior to the last chance series offering players to earn their way onto the Challenger Series.
Key takeaways about the Tour’s sweeping changes
One could easily make the argument that there has long been a two-tiered system on the PGA Tour. By putting it in writing, it only adds intrigue and, most importantly, clarity.
You have a top-tier system and a second-tier system. Players who play well in the top-tier system remain there, play for huge purses and stay atop the best circuit in professional golf. The second-tier system rewards the best players with a shot at promotion, but also features tournaments with $4 million purses, where the “middling” player, even on the Challenger Series, can comfortably make a living.
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On the topic of clarity, it’s something PGA Tour fans have not been accustomed to, ever, with the various iterations of the FedEx Cup Playoffs over the years. Not only will the introduction of match play make things as straightforward as possible, but it’s also the format that golf fans have been clamoring for since the WGC match-play event was taken off the schedule after the 2023 edition.
Many minute details still have to be put in place, but the vision has been presented, and it’s a complete revamp of the PGA Tour.
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