PGA TOUR unveils historic overhaul: Championship & Challenger Series with promotion and relegation starting 2028

Share

Tweet

Share

Share

Email

Comments

The PGA TOUR Boards recently approved a series of recommendations from the Future Competition Committee, establishing a new competitive structure to be implemented in 2028. With competitive clarity and heightened consequence, the model is supposed to deliver a stronger, more compelling experience for fans, players and partners.

The new model will feature two series of events that run concurrently to make up the PGA TOUR – the PGA TOUR Championship Series and the PGA TOUR Challenger Series. Together, the system establishes a true meritocracy with a formal structure for promotion and relegation. The PGA TOUR Championship Series will feature consistent fields of the top players competing head-to-head, driving a season narrative that identifies the best golfer in the world. As the primary pathway to the PGA TOUR Championship Series, the PGA TOUR Challenger Series will be an integral component of the PGA TOUR, with players competing to advance to the top of the sport.

“From day one, the focus of the Future Competition Committee has been to build the best version of the PGA TOUR, and to do so in a way that reflects the voice of our players and the expectations of our fans,” said PGA TOUR CEO Brian Rolapp. “The result is a new competitive model grounded in meritocracy, with clearer pathways, higher stakes and more consistency when the best players compete together. This model positions the PGA TOUR for the future, and our focus now shifts to finalising the details and preparing for implementation in 2028.”

Formed in August 2025, the Future Competition Committee undertook a comprehensive review of the existing competitive model, guided by three strategic priorities: (1) increasing the consistency and quality of fields across the season, (2) creating a clear system for players to earn and retain status and (3) delivering a more structured and competitive experience for fans and partners – all in an effort to strengthen meritocracy and enhance the PGA TOUR.

The nine-member committee is made up of six player representatives – Patrick Cantlay, Maverick McNealy, Keith Mitchell, Adam Scott, Camilo Villegas and Tiger Woods (Chairman) – and three strategic business advisors – Joe Gorder, John Henry and Theo Epstein.

“The Future Competition Committee conducted a thorough and highly collaborative process, with meaningful engagement from players, leadership and partners,” said Joe Gorder, Chairman of the PGA TOUR Boards. “Brian and his team led this work with clarity and discipline, ensuring the outcome reflected a player-driven approach that addressed the evolving sports landscape. The Boards are confident this model is the right path forward for the PGA TOUR and solidifies the foundation of the organisation moving ahead.”

“This work was bigger than any one player or person – it was about designing the strongest possible version of the PGA TOUR for the future generations of fans and players,” said Tiger Woods, Chairman of the Future Competition Committee. “From the beginning, the Committee’s focus was on delivering a better experience for our fans, while creating a model that best sets up the TOUR, its players and its partners for long-term success and stability.”

The Boards approved the core elements listed below, with additional details to be evaluated and presented to the Boards later this year for approval.

PGA TOUR Championship Series Structure and Eligibility: The PGA TOUR Championship Series will feature the PGA TOUR’s top performers competing head-to-head across the season. There will be approximately 23-24 events, inclusive of THE PLAYERS Championship, major championships, season-ending events and international team events (Presidents Cup, Ryder Cup) with the season running approximately February through August.

• PGA TOUR Championship Series regular season events will be contested as 72-hole stroke play events with a 36-hole cut to the top 65 (and ties), with consideration for special formats (i.e. pro-am), and a purse of at least US$20 million.
• The PGA TOUR Championship Series will feature fields of 120 players, on average, without an alternate list.
• PGA TOUR Championship Series membership will consist of a minimum of 90 players retained from the prior season’s points list and 20 players promoted from the PGA TOUR Challenger Series. Full eligibility criteria will be finalised by the Boards later this year, including select additional exemptions for categories like tournament winners, medical extensions and career milestones. There will be no sponsor exemptions.

PGA TOUR Championship Series Markets: The PGA TOUR will begin finalising the PGA TOUR Championship Series schedule, markets, courses, and sponsors, optimised around major championships and including off weeks at regular intervals.

• The PGA TOUR has already lined up an initial set of 10 of its expected 15 PGA TOUR Championship Series regular season events for 2028, in addition to THE PLAYERS Championship, four major championships, the postseason and the Presidents Cup.
• The remaining events will either be filled by existing events or new markets under consideration such as Boston, Denver, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C.

Enhancing the Postseason: The Boards approved a new structure for a season-ending model that includes retention and relegation for the following season, recognition for the season-long points leader and the introduction of match play into the postseason. A new-look TOUR Championship will be contested across a rotation of prestigious courses, many of which the PGA TOUR would play for the first time.

PGA TOUR Challenger Series Structure and Eligibility: The PGA TOUR Challenger Series will feature emerging talent alongside players fighting their way back to the top. Running concurrently with the PGA TOUR Championship Series schedule, the PGA TOUR Challenger Series will feature a minimum of 20 events. The PGA TOUR Challenger Series will be highly competitive and lucrative, and played on distinguished venues that have traditionally hosted PGA TOUR events. Approximately seven PGA TOUR Challenger Series events during PGA TOUR Championship Series off weeks will be elevated with increased consequence, benefits and exposure.

• PGA TOUR Challenger Series regular season events will be contested as 72-hole stroke play events with a 36-hole cut to the top 65 (and ties), including amateurs, and a purse of at least $4 million.
• The PGA TOUR Challenger Series will feature fields filled to 144 players, with the ability to reduce when necessary, due to constraints such as daylight.
• PGA TOUR Challenger Series membership eligibility and exemption criteria will be finalised by the Boards later this year.

Consistent & Competitive Fields: Simplicity in the new model and clarity for fans and partners relies on the distinction between the two series.

• PGA TOUR Championship Series and PGA TOUR Challenger Series members will be eligible to compete only within their respective series (i.e. PGA TOUR Championship Series players will not be eligible to compete in PGA TOUR Challenger Series events).
• PGA TOUR Championship Series members will benefit from certainty of schedule with all events having the same eligibility.
• Note: Events such as THE PLAYERS Championship and major championships may maintain eligibility criteria specific to their respective events.
• There will be no requirement for PGA TOUR Championship Series players to participate in every event.

Promotion & Relegation: The new competitive structure introduces true promotion and relegation with a minimum of 90 players retained on the PGA TOUR Championship Series and 20 players promoted from the PGA TOUR Challenger Series each season.

• A minimum of 90 players will retain PGA TOUR Championship status. Players who fail to retain status will face relegation (with the chance to regain PGA TOUR Championship Series membership in a “last chance” series).
• Additionally, two-time winners on the PGA TOUR Challenger Series will earn immediate promotion to the PGA TOUR Championship Series.
• Players relegated from the PGA TOUR Championship Series will have the opportunity to compete in a “last chance” series (more information below), and if they are unable to regain PGA TOUR Championship Series membership, they will be eligible for the PGA TOUR Challenger Series the following season.
• Complete eligibility criteria for both series – including access for the DP World Tour as part of the Strategic Alliance and PGA TOUR University – will be finalised prior to the start of the 2027 season.

Points System: The Boards approved the implementation of new points systems across the PGA TOUR ecosystem, designed to be more intuitive for fans and media partners, while maintaining competitive outcomes and retention rates consistent with the current structure. The system will reward winning, emphasise top finishes and reinforce the importance of making the cut, creating clear and more compelling storylines on an event-by-event and season-long basis.

• The PGA TOUR Championship Series and PGA TOUR Challenger Series will operate separate points systems, with points earned only within each respective series.
• The PGA TOUR Championship Series will utilise a single, consistent points structure.
• The PGA TOUR Challenger Series will reward points in a consistent manner for all co-sanctioned events, while also rewarding elevated points for PGA TOUR Challenger Series events contested in the PGA TOUR Championship Series off weeks and major championships.
• At the conclusion of each season, the respective points lists will be used to identify promotion, retention and relegation across both series.
• More details on the points systems for each series will be shared at a later date.

Elevated international events in the fall: The fall schedule will include a limited series of elevated international events with top players from the PGA TOUR Championship Series, with the intent to deliver in partnership with the DP World Tour as part of the Strategic Alliance.

A “last chance” domestic series: The PGA TOUR will develop a “last chance” series of 4-6 events in the fall, with a limited number of spots on the PGA TOUR Championship Series available for top finishers. Eligibility will include players relegated from the PGA TOUR Championship Series, PGA TOUR Challenger Series players and other categories to be determined. Any player who is relegated from the PGA TOUR Championship Series and does not advance through this series will be eligible for the PGA TOUR Challenger Series the following season.

Qualifying tournament (Q-School): The PGA TOUR will continue to contest an annual Qualifying Tournament (Q-School), to provide access across the PGA TOUR ecosystem, including the PGA TOUR Challenger Series, a “last chance” series and the developmental pathways. Eligibility and benefits details for Q-School will be announced later this year following Board approval.

PGA TOUR developmental pathways: While specifics of the PGA TOUR developmental pathways were not voted on, the Boards acknowledged organised developmental pathways – comprised of Korn Ferry Tour, PGA TOUR Americas and PGA TOUR University in the current model – remain critical to identifying and preparing the next generation of players ensuring the TOUR’s long-term success and sustainability. The PGA TOUR developmental pathways will form an important part of the competitive system that ultimately leads to the PGA TOUR. Details will be voted on at a Board meeting later this year.