As has been known, PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp held his press conference at the Travelers Championship today and laid out further details of the framework for the tour’s new vision starting in 2028.
If you would like to read the PGA Tour’s article explaining every detail, I have linked it here: https://www.pgatour.com/article
Key points that are highlighted in it are as follows:
The PGA Tour will become a two track system, Track 1: Championship Series, Track 2: Challenger Series
Championship Series Key Details:
- Will consist of 15 regular season events + the 4 Major Championships, + The PLAYERS
- Fields for the events will be 120 w/cuts
- Will be a regular season champion crowned before playoffs
- Tour Championship will become a match-play tournament played at rotating “prestigious” courses
- Top 90 at years end will be exempt for the Championship Series the following year
- Championship series players are not eligible to play in Challenger Series events
Challenger Series Key Details:
- Average field size of 144 w/cuts
- At least 20 events, some the same week as the Championship Series some during there off weeks
- Points List separate from Championship Series
- Top 20 off the Challengers series will be promoted to Championship series the following year
Last Chance Series:
- Will replace the current FedEx Cup fall
- Will consist of players from both series who either did not finish within the top 90 to retain Championship series cards or players from the challengers series who did not finish top 20 to earn a promotion
- Will be 4-6 events and contested in the fall
My Thoughts
Overall I like the direction the Tour’s going, specifically in relation to the signature, limited field, no cut events being abolished. Golf tournaments need cuts and it’s great to see the new leadership of the PGA Tour agrees. I think 120 is the perfect field and member size for the Championship Series. We aren’t really loosing or segregating anyone who wouldn’t already be currently in all events via full status right now.
Secondly, I love the idea of the Tour Championship transitioning to a match play format. The FedEx Cup Playoffs have obviously been a hot topic of discussion over the last few years. A common theme and fan complaint has been regarding the actual significance they hold and the lack of juice they bring, which isn’t something other sports playoffs bring into question.
The change of having a regular season champion and then a separate playoff that ends with a match play event is the perfect way to go.
By going to match play, it’s allowing the playoff event to become something completely unique compared to the rest of the Tour schedule, which I think is needed. It needs a differentiation component compared to the rest of the Tour season. I also think moving to rotating courses is huge. A big problem is that East Lake feels so stale from seeing it year after year.
New courses and venues create excitement and discussion, which is exactly what the Tour Championship needs. And if they are able to pull off going to some of the rumored courses, such as Cypress and Pine Valley, that would be unbelievable. I won’t be believing that just yet, though.
My Ideal 15 Events
Thought I would have some fun and map out which 15 events I would include for the Championship Series. I’m doing this list based on assumptions too, such as believing all current Signature Events will be a part of it and leaving room for the addition of a few new tournaments, which has been mentioned.
This is the list I came up with (Not including Majors or PLAYERS):
- The Sentry at Torrey Pines (formerly Farmer’s Insurance Open)
- Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale
- AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am at Pebble Beach (Ideally different time of year than currently is)
- Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club (Ideally different time of year than currently is)
- Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bayhill
- Valero Texas Open at TPC San Antonio
- RBC Heritage at Hilton Head
- Truist Championship at Quail Hollow
- The Memorial at Muirfield Village
- RBC Canadian Open (rotating courses)
- Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands
- Genesis Scottish Open (ideally different course)
- NEW
- NEW
- NEW
Overall, this was difficult to do because, working around the assumption that they are going to add venues and tournaments that don’t already exist, there wasn’t a ton of room to squeeze in tournaments such as the Cognizant, Valspar, or Charles Schwab. All venues I would love to see in the Championship Series, but that just won’t be the case anymore.
I also, even though I’m aware it’s unlikely, got rid of the Cadillac Championship that returned this year. That event sucked!
Rapid Fire Questions I have:
What does PGA Tour University Look like now? Which series does the #1 player go to?
What does the DP World Tour Pathways look like? Which series do they go to?
How will record books be handled? Will Challenger series wins count as PGA Tour wins?
How does this affect the Korn Ferry Tour and PGA Tour Americas?
If LIV goes away what will the process look like for those guys returning with these two series?
Anyways overall I’m excited about the direction the tour’s going but I’ll remain skeptical until we see it in action.
