Explains new PGA Tour structure: Two series, promotion, relegation in 2028
The structure and schedule of the PGA Tour will receive a complete overhaul in 2028, and after a year of discussion and debate about what the tour’s new competitive model will look like, we finally have the details of CEO Brian Rolapp’s new vision for the Tour.
On Tuesday, the PGA Tour unveiled its new series structure that will divide players between the PGA Tour Championship Series and the PGA Tour Challenger Series, with an official promotion and demotion system to allow players to move from the Challenger Series to the Championship Series. Both series will have 20+ events, but with very different purse sizes.
“From day one, the Future Tournament Committee has been focused on building the best brand for the PGA Tour, and doing so in a way that reflects the voice of our players and the expectations of our fans,” said Rolapp. “The result is a new model of competition based on meritocracy, with clear paths, higher stakes and more consistency where the best players compete together.”
Perhaps the most exciting news for fans is that the Championship Series will now conclude with a new postseason structure, which will finally include match play and move the Tour Championship to different courses than permanently at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. Fans have been clamoring for the game to return to the PGA Tour for playoffs, and now that will happen in 2028.
“Today’s announcement is a great step forward for professional golf. As more details emerge, it’s encouraging to see the PGA Tour affirming the importance of honors and creating a structure that will serve both players and fans well into the future,” Rory McIlroy said in a release.
“I’ve always been proud to compete around the world, and the partnership between the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour is another innovation in the development of the game around the world. The dedication to promoting some of these historic international tournaments and country openings is incredibly important to the sport and something I strongly support.
“Over the past few years, golf has faced a period of uncertainty and division, which has not helped the players, or the fans of the game. Today, we put the fans first, and I am excited about the future of our game.”
Below you can find a complete explanation of the new PGA Tour structure, starting with the Championship Series.
PGA Tour Championship Series
Format and layout
The newly created Championship Series will have a structure very similar to the ideas Rolapp revealed months ago at The Players. The top series will include about 130 eligible players playing 23-24 scheduled events, including the Players, four majors, playoffs and, interestingly enough, the Ryder Cup, the Olympics and the President’s Cup. The main schedule, with the exception of the Ryder Cup and President Cup, will run from February to August as the PGA Tour moves to its first events in Hawaii in January.
All Championship Series events will feature fields of 120 players and purses of at least $20 million — as in the current signature events — and will be 72-hole events with a 36-hole cut for the top 65 and tie. Every player in the Championship Series will be eligible to start each event and so will scheduled off weeks to create breaks in the players’ schedules.
There will be 15 “regular season” events, and the PGA Tour already has 10 of those scheduled for 2028 — expected to be current signature events. The other five will be filled by existing events or new events in major markets, with Boston, Denver, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, DC all being considered.
Tour Championship match
The details of the new Tour Championship structure are still being finalized, with the PGA Tour promising more information “in the first quarter of next year,” but the big news is that the Tour Championship will be the way to play the game. That’s something that’s been discussed and debated for years, but we’re finally getting a matchup not just back on the PGA Tour, but in an event with real stakes. The Tour Championship will no longer be held annually at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, instead moving to a rotation of “prestige venues” to be announced at a later date.
On Tuesday, Rolapp explained that they want to celebrate the regular season championship and have the postseason and the Tour Championship as a separate, but respected entity. Instead of the current three-week playoff format, the Tour Championship will be a two-week event with a group stage and then a bracket to decide the champion.
“We thought, and the players thought, it was important to have a season finale that culminated in a regular season win at the end of the regular season,” Rolapp said. “And I would argue that if you beat 120 of the best golfers in a season series, that is the most impressive achievement in the sport because you always beat them. It was important to do that. At the same time it was always important to set up a different tournament after that regular season peak where a small group of those best players can compete in one tournament that we heard. a lot from our fans, from our partners, how can we accept the game of the game and think that this separate competition was a good way to do it.”
Promotion and Demotion
One of the big questions for the new structure is how players will flow from one series to the next. Midseason promotions will be available for those in the Challenger Series, but will require the player to win multiple times in the Challenger Series or qualify for and win a major championship. Otherwise, the two series will remain separate until the end of the season.
After the season ends, the top 90 in the Championship Series points standings will regain their spot for the following year, while the top 20 from the Challenger Series will be promoted. Other spots in next season’s Championship Series will be filled based on a variety of criteria, including tournament winners, medical extensions, career milestones and a new “last chance” series.
The final chance series will replace what is currently known as the FedEx Fall, giving players who finished 91-130 in the Championship Series and those outside the top 20 in the Challenger Series the opportunity to maintain or gain Championship Series status in all 4-6 events.
International Events
Players from the Championship Series will also be able to play in a new series of international events. This will include several prominent national openings as part of the Tour’s strategic alliance with the DP World Tour, such as the Australian Open, which the PGA Tour has announced its new partnership with. While the international series won’t count toward next season’s points, the Tour will sell players the opportunity to play in new markets in front of new international audiences — while also competing in prestigious national tournaments.
PGA Tour Challenger Series
Format and layout
The Challenger Series will feature 20+ events with purses of at least $4 million. At least seven of those events are played in the Championship Series over several weeks to provide “increased competitive effect, benefits and exposure.”
Each event will be a 72-hole event with a field of 144 players with 36 holes cut over 65 and ties. The Challenger Series points system will be completely separate from the Championship Series, and players will only earn points for one series. The Challenger Series points system will provide bonus points for events played in the Championship Series over the past few weeks, as well as major tournaments.
The Challenger Series will have a similar membership structure to the PGA Tour’s current system, with fully exempt members with priority at all Challenger Series events and conditional members to fill the fields.
Promotion and Demotion
The top 20 players on the Challenger Tour at the end of the season will earn promotion to the Championship Series, while others will have the chance to play their way through the last chance series. A Championship Series will also be released, to be announced at a later date. Players can also earn a battleground promotion directly to the Championship Series by winning multiple Challenger Series events in the same season — or major tournament.
Q-School
IQ-School will continue, offering the opportunity to earn a spot in the Challenger Series. IQ-School will take place before the Final Chance Series, providing players with access to the Challenger Series and other Tour development leads.
