Ever since LIV Golf came into existence, the PGA Tour has buckled down and done everything it could to make, its tour better.
Purses have increased, players are allowed to wear shorts during practice rounds, and the creation of Signature events to name a few things.
I never was an LIV fan but there is no denying that it forced the PGA Tour to up its game. The latest news came Tuesday with the decision to have two tours – a Championship Series and a Challenger series.
The crux is to have as many events as possible where the top players are entered, while also providing a pathway for players to earn their way from the Challenger to the Championship series.
Conversely, a player who is playing poorly on the Championship series could also be relegated to the Challenger.
According to the PGA Tour website here are some of the details.
The new system begins at the top, with the PGA Tour Championship Series offering a consistent schedule of playing opportunities for the best players in the world. It will feature approximately 23-24 events, inclusive of THE PLAYERS Championship, the majors and international team events with the season running from approximately February to August.
The PGA Tour has already lined up an initial set of 10 of its expected 15 PGA Tour Championship Series regular season events for 2028. The remaining events will either be filled by existing events or new markets under consideration, such as Boston, Denver, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washinton D.C.
Each PGA Tour Championship Series event will boast a purse of at least $20 million, including fields of approximately 120 players with no alternate list and no sponsor exemptions. Each regular season event will feature 72 holes with a 36-hole cut to the top 65 and ties, with consideration for special events such as pro-ams. The PGA Tour Championship Series will also feature a reimagined postseason, including the introduction of match play, with a new-look Tour Championship contested across a rotation of prestigious courses -many of which the PGA Tour would play for the first time.
Top players from the PGA Tour Championship Series will also be eligible for a limited series of elevated international events, played in the fall and with the intent to be delivered in partnership with the DP World Tour as part of the Strategic Alliance between the two organizations.
As the primary pathway to the PGA Tour Championship Series, the Challenger Series will offer a slate of at least 20 events with purses of at least $4 million as players look to earn coveted promotions. These events will be held at distinguished venues that have traditionally hosted PGA Tour events.
The Challenger Series tournaments will be played concurrently with Championship Series and will feature fields of approximately 144 players with the ability to reduce field sizes due to restrictions like daylight. Each tournament will be played across 72 holes with a 36-hole cut to the top 65 and ties.
Approximately seven Challenger Series events will be played during Championship Series off weeks, with increased consequence, benefits, and exposure. Championship Series players will not be eligible to participate in Challenger Series events.
The key to how the two series work together will be the opportunity for clear promotion and relegation. At minimum, the top 90 finishers (out of approximately 130 Championship players) will be fully exempt for the following season, while those who fail to retain membership may risk relegation to the Challenger Series. Similarly, a minimum of 20 players from the Challenger Series will be promoted to the Championship Series for the following season.
There will be two opportunities for the Challenger Series players to earn immediate promotions to the Championship Series: winning multiple Challenger Series events within the same season and by winning a major championship.
There will also be a “last chance,” series, featuring four to six events in the fall, where a limited number of spots on the Championship Series for the following season will be available as players look to improve – or retain – their status.
The PGA Tour will continue to contest an annual Qualifying Tournament to provide access across the PGA Tour ecosystem, including the PGA Tour Challenger Series, a last chance series and the developmental pathways.