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The PGA Tour has announced sweeping changes to its competitory structure, approving a two-tier strategy pinch promotion and relegation to return effect successful 2028.
The elite-tier PGA Tour Championship Series will tally from February to August and feature 23-24 events pinch $20m (£15m) purses, while nan $4m events connected nan Challenger Series will supply a way for players to gain their measurement to nan apical level.
“At its core, this activity was driven by a elemental objective: to build nan best type of nan PGA Tour, thing that could strengthen and outlive america all,” PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp told a property convention successful Cromwell, Connecticut, up of this week’s Travelers Championship.
The Championship Series will see nan 4 majors, Players Championship, season-ending events and squad events specified arsenic nan Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup. It will characteristic 120 players, connected average, and will beryllium contested arsenic 72-hole changeable play events pinch a 36-hole cut.
The new building introduces existent promotion and relegation, pinch a minimum of 90 players retained connected nan Championship Series and 20 promoted from nan Challenger Series each season.
Tiger Woods, making his first nationalist quality since his DUI complaint successful March, was portion of the nine-member committee that recommended nan changes and introduced Rolapp astatine nan property conference.
“We person to look guardant and beyond coming and complete nan sky to group up nan PGA Tour and our athletics for nan early generations of players and fans,” Woods said.
Rolapp said location were caller markets nether information for nan events yet to beryllium filled connected nan Championship Series, including Boston, Denver, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington DC.
Full eligibility criteria will beryllium finalised by nan PGA Tour later this year, including prime further exemptions for tourney winners, aesculapian extensions and profession milestones. There will beryllium nary sponsor exemptions.
The Challenger Series, which will run concurrently to nan Championship Series, will person a minimum of 20 events and characteristic emerging talent on pinch players fighting their measurement backmost to nan top. Fields will beryllium filled to 144 players.
Two-time winners connected nan Challenger Series will gain contiguous promotion to nan Championship Series. There will besides beryllium a “last chance” bid of four-to-six events wherever a constricted number of spots connected nan Championship Series will beryllium available.
World No 2 Rory McIlroy, who precocious suggested that a two-track strategy would turn immoderate tournaments into “glorified Korn Ferry events” successful a reference to nan tour’s developmental circuit, called nan changes a affirmative measurement for master play aft nan presence of LIV play shook up nan sport.
“Over nan past fewer years, play has faced a play of uncertainty and division, which has not been successful nan champion interests of nan players, aliases nan fans of nan game,” McIlroy said successful a statement. “Today, we are putting nan fans first and I americium excited astir nan early of our sport.”
In a separate announcement, nan PGA Tour said Rolapp, who began his tenure arsenic CEO past July, had been approved arsenic nan US-based circuit’s next commissioner from January. Rolapp will return complete from Jay Monahan, who will reason his 10-year tenure connected 31 December.
