PGA Tour Player Advisory Committee recommends sweeping changes to field size, exemption status and number of PGA Tour cards available each season through Korn Ferry Tour and Q-School, as well as minor adjustments to FedEx Cup points Major Championships, Players Assignment of tournaments and signature events.
The changes, which will not take effect until the 2026 season, must be approved by the PGA Tour Policy Committee at its next meeting on Nov. 18.
The PGA Tour Player Advisory Council unveiled the proposed changes for golfers in a 23-page executive summary, a copy of which was obtained by ESPN on Tuesday.
Proposed changes include:
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The PGA Tour will adjust the maximum number of starting players in an open single full game from 156 to 144, and further reduce it from 132 to 120 according to circumstances such as darkness.
The PAC noted in its executive summary that 28% of tournaments in 2024 (12 of 43 events) had at least one round not completed on the scheduled date due to darkness.
“The large surface area makes it difficult to complete matches on time each day and causes a delay in the overall pace of play, increasing the average round time on the Tour,” the executive summary said.
For example, under the proposed plan, the number of players at The Players Championship would be reduced from 144 to 120, and the number of players at the RBC Canadian Open and Genesis Scottish Open would be reduced from 156 to 144.
The tournament, held at multiple courses including the American Express Course, will maintain a field of 156 golfers.
The PAC said it considered adjusting smaller, limited venues at the tour's lucrative signature events, such as the Arnold Palmer Invitational and Memorial Championship, but concluded “any modification at this stage would be disruptive, and may increase confusion among fans.”
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The PAC proposed reducing the number of players who can keep their PGA Tour cards and intact status from the top 125 in FedExCup points to the top 100, while adding a new condition category for those ranked between 101 and 125.
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The Korn Ferry Tour normally awards 30 PGA Tour cards each season, but under the proposed changes, only 20 cards will now be issued. The DP World Tour will continue to award 10 PGA Tour cards, while the Q-school card limit is five.
In exploring “minimizing the impact of changes in field sizes on existing membership,” the PAC has also proposed a plan to reduce or eliminate open qualifiers (or Monday qualifiers) for events with fewer than 144 players. Location. This does not apply to FedExCup Fall events.
A review of public qualifier metrics showed that 65% to 75% of players who advanced through Monday's qualifiers did not advance, according to the executive summary. The PGA Tour said it plans to work with the PGA of America – which operates local qualifiers on Monday – if the proposed changes are approved.
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Restricted sponsor exemptions, including two reserved PGA Tour seats and two DP World Tour seats, will now be awarded to the next eligible member in the proposed priority ranking. The tournament will still retain unrestricted sponsor exemptions.
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PAC also proposed slight adjustments to the FedExCup points distribution system to accommodate the increased intensity of competition under the new schedule model. Players who finish second in Players Championship and major championships will receive a slight increase in points (100 points more), while players who finish 11th and above will receive a slight decrease (10 points for 11th place, 10 points for 11th place and above). 12 people 20 points, and so on) won. In signature events, players who finish seventh or worse will receive a slight reduction in points.
Less than two weeks ago, Camilo Villegas, chairman of the PGA Tour's Player Advisory Committee, sent a letter to members hinting at changes that would be submitted to the PGA Tour Policy Committee for approval.
“In recent years, we have had to quickly make significant changes to the PGA Tour's competitive structure and schedule,” Villegas said in the letter. “Now, we see an opportunity to shift our focus to solving a certain problem. issues that hinder a fair and ideal player experience and prevent us from competing at the highest level.”