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PGA Tour announces major changes to competitive model

With Tiger Woods helping to lead the way, sweeping changes are coming to the PGA Tour — everything from a two-track system to a new normal of 90 Tour cards, to match play for the Tour Championship and the end of sponsor exemptions, the Tour announced on Tuesday morning.

Tour CEO Brian Rolapp convened the Future Competitions Committee as one of his first acts in August after coming over from the NFL to revamp the Tour’s competitive model.




Woods, who chaired the FCC until he took an indefinite leave from professional golf to seek treatment for his health, opened Tuesday’s press conference. Its plan to define “the optimal competitive model that enhances the PGA Tour’s value to fans, players and partners” was approved on Monday during the Tour’s board meeting. Rolapp is expected to share more details and answer questions during a press conference at 10 a.m. ET.

What is Track One?

Track One is to be called Championship and consist of 23-24 events offering purses of $20 million and fields of 120 players. The top 90 on the season-long points list will keep their status for the following season, while 20 players will be promoted from Track 2, which is to be known as the Challenger and consist of 20 events with purses of $4 million.

The Tour Championship will get another facelift, shifting to match play and will be held at rotating venues and elite courses.

 

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“This work was bigger than any one player or person — it was about designing the strongest possible version of the PGA Tour for the future generations of fans and players,” Woods said in a statement. “From the beginning, the Committee’s focus was on delivering a better experience for our fans, while creating a model that best sets up the Tour, its players and its partners for long-term success and stability.”




Win and you’re in

If a player gets hot during the season, they can work their way into the Championship Series, according to Rolapp’s statement.

Match play Tour Championship at premier courses?

The Tour’s board of directors approved a series of sweeping changes on Monday that will go into effect for the 2028 season, including another facelift to its playoffs. For the first time, match play will be used to settle the winner of the Tour Championship beginning in 2028.

What will happen with the Fall Series?

The Fall season will feature international events in conjunction with the DP World Tour for players on Track One, while there will be a Last Chance series in the fall for pros to keep status on the upper tier and a Q-School to earn status on lower rungs similar to the current system in place.

Many of the details still are being worked out, including particulars on eligibility. But there will be no more sponsor exemptions as the Tour leans into a more meritocratic model, where you eat what you kill.




What about LIV Golf players?

When asked by Adam Schupak, Rolapp deferred and said the players are under contract and there are no plans to fold any players into the mix.

Rory McIlroy supports announcement

Through the PGA Tour, Rory McIlroy released a statement on Tuesday, calling it “a positive step for professional golf.”

Here is the entire announcement.

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Tiger Woods’ comment was short and sweet




Tiger Woods hasn’t been in the public eye of late, but he had a short comment to lead off the press conference and introduced Brian Rolapp. He also posted to social media.

Wait, Championship and Champions?

Golf journalist Rick Gehman made an interesting point on X after the announcement, noting that the differentiation between the PGA Tour Championship and the PGA Tour Champions will be a difficult one. Could the latter get a new name in the process?



Article originally appeared on: Golfweek.usatoday.com

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