The PGA Tour has announced sweeping changes to its competitive structure, approving a new two-tier system that will feature promotion and relegation to take effect in 2028.
The elite-tier PGA Tour Championship Series will run from February to August and feature 23-24 events with $20m (£15m) purses, while the $4m (£3m) events on the Challenger Series will provide a path for players to earn their way to the top level.
Developmental tours such as the Korn Ferry Tour, the PGA TOUR Americas and PGA TOUR University, will continue to operate as normal in this new professional ecosystem.
“At its core, this work was driven by a simple objective: to build the best version of the PGA Tour, something that could endure and outlive us all,” PGA TOUR CEO Brian Rolapp said at a press conference given at TPC River Highlands in Connecticut, the venue for this week’s PGA TOUR event, the Travelers Championship.
“From day one, the focus has been to build the best version of the PGA TOUR, and to do so in a way that reflects the voice of our players and the expectations of our fans. The result is a new competitive model grounded in meritocracy, with clearer pathways, higher stakes and more consistency when the best players compete together. This model positions the PGA TOUR for the future, and our focus now shifts to finalising the details and preparing for implementation in 2028.”
Tiger Woods, who appeared at the press launch to introduce Rolapp, was chairman of the nine-member Future Competitions Committee that recommended the changes. That committee also included five current PGA Tour players – Patrick Cantlay, Maverick McNealy, Keith Mitchell, Adam Scott and Camilo Villegas, plus three strategic business advisors – Joe Gorder, John Henry and Theo Epstein.
“We have to look forward and beyond today and over the horizon to set up the PGA Tour and our sport for the future generations of players and fans,” Woods said.
PROMOTION & RELEGATION
The Championship Series will include the four majors, Players Championship, season-ending events and team events such as the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup. It will feature 120 players, on average, and be contested as 72-hole strokeplay events with a 36-hole cut.
The new structure introduces true promotion and relegation, with a minimum of 90 players retained on the Championship Series and 20 promoted from the Challenger Series each season.
Using a uniform points system, the Championship Series will crown an individual champion before the usual end-of-season Tour Championship. That tournament will become matchplay and move to different locations rather than staying at its traditional home at East Lake in Atlanta.
NEW VENUES, NEW MARKETS
Rolapp said there were new venues under consideration for the events yet to be filled on the Championship Series schedule, including Boston, Denver, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington DC.
Full eligibility criteria will be finalised by the PGA Tour later this year, including select additional exemptions for tournament winners, medical extensions and career milestones. There will be no sponsor exemptions.
The Challenger Series, which will run concurrently to the Championship Series, will have a minimum of 20 events and feature emerging talent along with players fighting their way back to the top. Fields will be filled to 144 players. Two-time winners on the Challenger Series will earn immediate promotion to the Championship Series. There will also be a ‘last chance’ series of four-to-six events where a limited number of spots on the Championship Series will be available.
A series in international events are also being planned for the post-Championship Series season in partnership with the DP World Tour as part of the Strategic Alliance between the two organisations.
Full details of the schedule for both the Championship Series and the Challenger Series have yet to be confirmed.