PGA Tour details planned changes for 2026 onwards

Mark McGowan
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The PGA Tour are proposing changes to the format from 2026 onwards (Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)

Mark McGowan

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The PGA Tour has sent a memo to its players detailing a range of eligibility proposals which are set to be voted on by the Board of Directors in November according to Golfweek and would theoretically come into play for the 2026 season.

It’s good news for DP World Tour players hoping to earn a PGA Tour card via the Race to Dubai rankings as the 10 cards on offer are set to remain regardless, but it is proposed that Korn Ferry Tour graduates would be reduced, and that players would have to finish inside the top 100 in the FedEx Rankings to retain full status for the following year, while those finishing 101-125 in the rankings would have lower status exemptions.

The 10 DP World Tour graduates would also take priority over the Korn Ferry graduates, meaning that they would be guaranteed entry into all events apart from the Signature Events.

The most significant change would see the maximum number of players in a full-field regular PGA Tour event reduced from 156 to 144, with 120 and 132 players set to become the predominant field sizes either side of daylight savings.

The reduction in field sizes is in an effort to combat tournament cuts being finalised on Saturday mornings as first and second rounds routinely run over the allotted schedules, but the Tour are also planning to tackle the slow play issue by introducing an “Excessive Average Stroke Time” whereby players who play all four rounds and whose average shot times are 12 seconds or more greater than the field average will incur a $5,000 penalty for their third infraction and $10,000 for each subsequent infraction.

The Tour also plans to significantly reduce the number of Monday Qualifiers held and the number of places on offer, with the qualifiers eliminated at the Sony Open, Waste Management Phoenix Open, Mexico Open, Cognizant Classic, Puerto Rico Open, Corales Puntacana Championship and Myrtle Beach Championship, and the number of qualifier spots on offer halved from four to two at the Valspar Championship, Texas Children’s Houston Open and Valero Texas Open.

Plans to adjust the FedEx Cup points distribution table are also on the cards, with Major Championship and Players Championship runners-up set to get a slight increase, with points for finishing 11th or lower getting a minor decrease, as would players finishing seventh or lower in the Signature Events.

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