The PGA Tour Coverage Board on Monday authorized a number of modifications to the FedEx Cup event discipline, eligibility and factors system that will probably be launched over the following two years.
Maybe probably the most notable change includes a discount within the variety of exempt gamers on tour in a given season. Starting in 2026, golfers who end within the high 100 of the earlier yr’s FedEx Cup standings will retain full standing, down from this yr’s high 125. Gamers who end between 101 and 125 within the FedEx Cup standings will obtain conditional standing.
Solely 20 PGA playing cards will probably be awarded to Korn Ferry Tour (Division 2) graduates as a substitute of 30, amongst different minor modifications to membership insurance policies.
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“It was necessary to redefine PGA membership as we construct on the aspirational nature of incomes a PGA Tour card,” PGA Tour Chief Competitors Officer Tyler Dennis mentioned in an announcement. “As soon as on tour, members can have an equal alternative to keep up their membership and qualify for the FedEx Cup Playoffs. For our followers, this added aggressive drama will in flip create stronger fields and leaderboards all through the season.”
Commonplace event fields, which at present have a most of 156 gamers, will probably be lowered to 144, with the potential for some being lowered to 132 or 120 gamers relying on photo voltaic time and tempo of play. The Gamers Championship, the flagship and most prestigious event outdoors of the Grand Slams, will go from 144 to 120 gamers. These modifications is not going to take impact till 2026.
“These changes, which additionally promote a greater circulate of play, enhance the probabilities of rounds being accomplished every day with a larger capability to make the 36-hole minimize on schedule beneath regular climate circumstances,” Dennis mentioned. “For our followers, this certainty units the story traces for the weekend far more successfully and can make the PGA Tour simpler and extra gratifying to observe.” The FedEx Cup factors system will enhance the factors allocation for a second-place end at a serious – reportedly by 100 factors – whereas reducing factors for eleventh and beneath. At signature occasions, there will probably be a slight lower in factors for ending seventh or beneath.
The proposals have been initially despatched to gamers by the PGA’s Participant Advisory Council final month, and are removed from universally widespread. Veteran Lucas Glover, a one-time US Open champion, known as the coverage modifications “horrible” in an announcement to Golfweek.
“Do not minimize fields due to a pace-of-play challenge. Inform us to play sooner, or simply say you are attempting to appease six golfers and make them comfortable so they do not go some place else to play golf,” Glover added, in a veiled reference to the measures the PGA Tour continues to take to forestall extra high gamers from leaving for LIV Golf. However these changes may as a substitute be associated to the settlement, shut, between the PGA and the LIV, which might be applied exactly from 2026.
