CROMWELL, Conn. (AP) 鈥� Tiger Woods said the objective was to create the best version of the PGA Tour. The answer Tuesday was a major shakeup to its model that effectively , expanding the field for the elite tier and cutting in half prize money for the secondary tier.
The new system is to start in 2028, and the Future Competition Committee that still has work left on key details. Chief among them is which of the roughly 15 tournaments will be part of the 鈥淐hampionship Series,鈥� and the 20 events on the lesser 鈥淐hallenger Series.鈥�
Other details involve bringing a form of match play to the postseason and creating a rotation of prestigious courses instead of going to East Lake in Atlanta every year.
鈥淭his work was never about any one player or person,鈥� Woods said in his first public appearance since his on March 27. 鈥淚t was about bringing together different perspectives, having honest, hard conversations, and thinking boldly about what is best for the game that we all love.鈥�
The PGA Tour boards on Monday afternoon approved the recommendations. Woods jumped back into his role as chairman the last several weeks upon his return from seeking treatment out of the country since his arrest.
鈥淚t’s great to see him back,鈥� PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp said. 鈥淭iger has been involved throughout the process. He’s contributed meaningfully. It’s awesome to see him back and in great form.鈥�
Rolapp preached 鈥渟carcity, simplicity and parity鈥� when he took over last summer, and those pillars have become more clear. The season will be shorter 鈥� approximately February through August with some scheduled weeks off 鈥� without taking away playing opportunities.
The $20 million signature events for 72 players now will be part of the Championship Series and expanded to 120 players on average. Players are not required to play them all and those tournaments will not have sponsor invitations or an alternate list. There will be a 36-hole cut.
鈥淲hen fans tune into the PGA Tour Championship Series, they know they will see the best players in the world competing head-to-head,鈥� Rolapp said. He said it was important to credibility not to have sponsor exemptions because sponsors in other sports don’t determine who plays.
The Challenger Series will be a path for players to earn their way to the top level. Those fields will be about 144 players, and Rolapp said purses would be at least $4 million. This year, all but three regular non-signature events had prize funds of at least $9 million.
Except for about seven times during the season, the Championship and Challenger Series tournaments will be held the same week. Rolapp said on the occasion of a week off for the elite circuit, the Challenger Series event would be elevated.
Rory McIlroy last week referred to the secondary tier as a 鈥済lorified Korn Ferry event,鈥� referring to the tour’s developmental circuit.
鈥淚 just think there’s going to be certain events that might lose their status if a sponsor doesn’t pony up $30 million,鈥� McIlroy said.
Rolapp said he spoke to McIlroy on Tuesday 鈥� the Masters champion is skipping the Travelers Championship, the third signature event he has missed this year 鈥� and said the new model will serve the same player and offer a similar number of tournaments. Korn Ferry purses are $1 million.
鈥淲e’ve just organized the same tour into a much more interesting and competitive system,” Rolapp said. 鈥淚f you look at the Challenger Series events, they鈥檒l be at venues you recognize. They鈥檒l be for healthy purses. They鈥檒l include a subset of the same 200 and change players that we have today. That is much different than what the Korn Ferry Tour is today.鈥�
Each tour will have a separate points standings and there is no plan for players to move up to the Championship Series during the season unless they were to win twice.
The Championship Series eligibility would be determined by the top 90 players from the previous year, the top 20 players from the Challenger Series and other exemption categories for tournament winners, injuries or career milestones.
Missing from the announcement was any mention of the FedEx Corp., the financial muscle behind the PGA Tour’s postseason since it began in 2007. The most recent FedEx deal ends in 2027.
鈥淥ur hope is to create more value for FedEx and everybody else. We鈥檙e in an existing contract, and we鈥檙e going to honor that,鈥� Rolapp said.
As for the fall, the PGA Tour is moving toward a separate series of four to six tournaments in which top performers can earn their way back to the Championship Series. The tour said it still has plans for the Korn Ferry Tour, PGA Tour Americas and the PGA Tour University ranking system that creates places for top college players.
Finishing in August would give the elite players time to consider playing overseas, such as premier European tour events or the Australian Open. The PGA Tour recently became partners with Golf Australia without co-sanctioning the century-old event.
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