OT: PGA tour adopts a promotion and relegation system

[Dawgzilla2]

PGA Tour ratifies sweeping changes that will change pro golf as we know it

The PGA Tour announced significant changes Tuesday that will define its future. Here's what's coming, and how it happened.

golf.com

Starting in 2028. No more Korn Ferry Tour. There will be a Champions Tour, with 130 players, and a Challengers Tour with some other fixed number. Players are in their Tour for a full season, with no moving up.

Sponsors exemptions are out...but also there won't be players earning a Tour card who still cant get a spot in a tournament.

Fewer tournaments, but everyone is guaranteed a spot if they want to play. Some weeks there will be no Champions Tour event, and the focus will be on Challengers trying to move up.

The Tour Championship will move to match play. Player of the Year will be determined by points.

No detail on what they will do with European players or older golfers who want to come out for 1 or 2 tournaments, but the announcement says there is still a lot to be determined.

However, in 2027 players will be earning points for their positions on hhe tours for 2028.

 

[gtowndawg]

Very interesting, for someone that watches a lot of golf (me), I like it.

 

[Napoleon378]

I like the tour championship being match play. really needed that format to add more excitement or at least something different than what they do 99% of the year.

 

[johnson86-1]

PGA Tour ratifies sweeping changes that will change pro golf as we know it

The PGA Tour announced significant changes Tuesday that will define its future. Here's what's coming, and how it happened.

golf.com

Starting in 2028. No more Korn Ferry Tour. There will be a Champions Tour, with 130 players, and a Challengers Tour with some other fixed number. Players are in their Tour for a full season, with no moving up.

Sponsors exemptions are out...but also there won't be players earning a Tour card who still cant get a spot in a tournament.

Fewer tournaments, but everyone is guaranteed a spot if they want to play. Some weeks there will be no Champions Tour event, and the focus will be on Challengers trying to move up.

The Tour Championship will move to match play. Player of the Year will be determined by points.

No detail on what they will do with European players or older golfers who want to come out for 1 or 2 tournaments, but the announcement says there is still a lot to be determined.

However, in 2027 players will be earning points for their positions on hhe tours for 2028.

I'm surprised at getting rid of sponsors exemptions. You're putting up millions for a purse, and the PGA is going to tell you you can't have Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson if they're willing to play? I guess that will be offset somewhat by the pressure for pros to play virtually every tournament. Also seems a little crazy that an injury could relegate a really good player to the minor leagues for a full year. That seems crazy and I'm surprised the players would agree to anything approaching that. 5 years in the top twenty and one year struggling, and you lose an entire year on the tour? That's pretty rough.

 

[gtowndawg]

Match play for the playoffs will be electric. It will come down to the two best players and it says that will allow them to play on courses not meant for big tournaments. That will be more like a good YouTube golf event. Everything I've read sounds outstanding.

I also expect the FedEx St Jude to get moved to late spring in the new format.

 

[patdog]

I'm surprised at getting rid of sponsors exemptions. You're putting up millions for a purse, and the PGA is going to tell you you can't have Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson if they're willing to play? I guess that will be offset somewhat by the pressure for pros to play virtually every tournament. Also seems a little crazy that an injury could relegate a really good player to the minor leagues for a full year. That seems crazy and I'm surprised the players would agree to anything approaching that. 5 years in the top twenty and one year struggling, and you lose an entire year on the tour? That's pretty rough.

Yeah. I think they’re gonna get some real
Pushback on that one.

 

[patdog]

So what happens to the old Sanderson Farms tournament at CCJ? Got to think their days on the top tour are over. Maybe a 2nd division tournament.

 

[8dog]

So what happens to the old Sanderson Farms tournament at CCJ? Got to think their days on the top tour are over. Maybe a 2nd division tournament.

It’s already been done bc they don’t have a sponsor.

 

[mstateglfr]

Clarification because it was understandably confused...

- PGA Champions Tour is the age 50 and older tour.

- This new top tier PGA track will be the Championship Series.


Champions Tour and Championship Series. Good stuff right there!

 

[Dawgzilla2]

Like I posted, I think they have to find a way for players who arent on the tour full time be in a few events. The fans want that. But if there are 130 slots each tournament, the Tour can come up with a system for filling vacancies, or just adding a couple of slots.

Just dont let someone not on the Tour take up a tour player's spot.

They will need a way to address injuries, too.

Im not real excited for Match play in the Tour Championship. Its really hard to watch the semis and finals of match play events on TV because of all the down time between shots...

But, MAYBE...they could have sort of a losers bracket, so that the payouts for positions 3-8, or even 3-16, are determined head to head on the course. That could be really entertaining.

And the end of year tournaments will have serious intrigue, with some guys fighting for a spot in the Tour Championship and other guys trying to avoid relegation.

 

[patdog]

Clarification because it was understandably confused...

- PGA Champions Tour is the age 50 and older tour.

- This new top tier PGA track will be the Championship Series.


Champions Tour and Championship Series. Good stuff right there!

That's not confusing at all. **

 

[patdog]

And the end of year tournaments will have serious intrigue, with some guys fighting for a spot in the Tour Championship and other guys trying to avoid relegation.

As a fan of Premier League soccer, one one of the most surprising things to me was that a good relegation battle can be almost as exciting as a battle for the title or a Champions League berth.

 

[ckDOG]

Match play championship...hell yes!

 

[ckDOG]

Match play for the playoffs will be electric. It will come down to the two best players and it says that will allow them to play on courses not meant for big tournaments. That will be more like a good YouTube golf event. Everything I've read sounds outstanding.

I also expect the FedEx St Jude to get moved to late spring in the new format.

Still be a good field for the FedEx? I suspect it would have to be if there are fewer tournaments. I may not even care though if it means not watching in the mid-August 7th layer of hell.

 

[Dawgzilla2]

I think the PGA Championship should move back to August, and count for extra points in the Tour standings. I know the PGA and the PGA Tour are two different entities, but that could really spice up what is basically the worst Major.

Imagine some marginal player trying to get into the Top 20 at the PGA Championship to avoid relegation.