These are the Changes Coming to the PGA TOUR by 2026

Although its been recognized for decades as the premiere tour in professional golf, the PGA TOUR is looking to make several distinct changes to the way it operates, and all of it could happen within the next several years.

After LIV Golf disrupted the TOUR’s operations and how the game of professional golf is presented and perceived, it is looking to evolve into something that brings more excitement to the fans, the players, and the up-and-comers who are looking to make a name for themselves.

According to a new report from Golfweek, the PGA TOUR’s 16-member Player Advisory Council is looking to implement a variety of changes, and everything from reduced fields to relegations to changes in TOUR status is being discussed.

Here’s what is currently on the table:

Smaller Field Sizes

Currently, PGA TOUR fields can be as large as 156 players. There is talk amongst the Player Advisory Council (PAC) to reduce this number to 120 players. But it could go lower than that.

Some have even discussed 100 players, and Rory McIlroy has reportedly hinted toward fields even smaller than that.

Rory McIlroy (Credit: PGA TOUR)

Lanto Griffins has said the PAC has major support for reducing the field size across any event, whether regular or signature. This would mostly come from reducing the number of players who keep exempt status.

Korn Ferry Tour Majors

The KFT is a major crux of the PGA TOUR because of its development of young talent who eventually graduate to the “big leagues.” It has developed a large and extensive list of names who have eventually gone on to be very successful on TOUR. In fact, Scottie Scheffler came from the KFT, and once said that some of his qualifiers for those events were more nervewracking than any other experience in the professional ranks.

This is coming from a guy who has won The Masters twice.

So the idea of having Majors on the KFT has several benefits. Winners would be awarded PGA TOUR status. It would also give players on the KFT a new way to graduate to the TOUR.

Griffin said:

“They’re playing on the B-tour this year. In an ideal world, the PGA Tour should be 20-22 tournaments from January to August. I know that’s not every week. Then have some tournaments go to the Korn Ferry Tour just throwing random names – (Cognizant), a Valero, a Dominican, those are Korn Ferry majors, you win one of those, and you get promoted (in-season). It’s just an idea of having it where two signature events in a row, week off, three on, whatever it needs to be to where the top guys don’t have to play every week; they are still playing together but it’s 120 (man fields). If you get your card through Korn Ferry, it’s top 20 or top 25, you’re in those. We all think that’s the ideal situation, whether or not it’ll get there, who knows, it’s nowhere close.”

This idea would also play right into the hand of the reduced field sizes, which is an idea that is gaining major traction amongst the PAC.

More exclusivity in PGA TOUR fields would create a more cutthroat environment on the KFT, and there could be a new incentive to winning.

Peter Malnati, one of the player directors, talked about it:

“If we’re going to minimize the size of the membership gradually over the next few years, we’ve got to create a platform where guys are motivated to go play and earn their way back to the Tour. What we have now is a survival tour. That excites me that that is something we’re thinking about as a leadership group.”

Motivation Behind the Changes

The idea behind change is that it can help create a new product that will maximize the experience for the fans and players alike. It could also help the TOUR appease marketing partners, which is a sore spot for it, considering that many tournaments have lost their notable sponsors.

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The TOUR is drawing inspiration from Theo Epstein of SSG, who gave a presentation to the MLB in April. 

Unorthodox ideas that seem unlikely but would help the TOUR operate more efficiently and potentially catalyze growth is what the objective is. For example, in 2014, a pitch clock was suggested for the MLB to help expedite the pace of a game.

It was considered far-fetched, but now we are in the second year of pitchers having an allotted amount of time to deliver the ball from the mound.

Cover Image via Golfweek