Paul Casey backs PGA Tour's new 36-hole cut size for 2019-20 season

PGA Tour makes huge change to halfway cut size after players vote in favour of reducing weekend field size.

Andy Roberts's picture
Wed, 31 Jul 2019
Paul Casey backs PGA Tour's new 36-hole cut size for 2019-20 season

 

Paul Casey has backed the PGA Tour's new 36-hole cut size that will come into force for the 2019-20 season.

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The PGA Tour's player advisory council and policy board voted in favour of reducing the halfway cut size from the top 70 players and ties to the top 65 players and ties starting next season.

Secondary 54-hole cuts will also be scrapped from tournaments, which were only used if there were 78 players or more who advanced after 36 holes of a tournament.

The adjusted cut line is the same size implemented by the Korn Ferry Tour and European Tour, and it's a move that has been backed by three-time PGA Tour winner Casey.

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"It's a capitalist sport," said Casey ahead of this week's Wyndham Championship.

"You play well, you do well. 

"I've been on both sides of it, and I still firmly believe you make your own success, so I'm a fan of it.

"As long as we're not taking away opportunities to get into events, and I don't think this is taking away earnings or opportunities for players.

"This is the right thing to do. We have to protect the product. We have too many three-balls and two-tee starts on the weekend."

PGA Tour spokesman Joel Schuchmann said: "The new regulation, which is consistent with the cut size on the Korn Ferry Tour, ensures a more manageable field on the weekend from a pace-of-play perspective and allows more opportunities to play in twosomes over the final two rounds.

"The new structure also assists tournaments in a variety of ways from an operations perspective."

Casey is bidding to win his second title of the season at this week's Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club.

Webb Simpson, the 2011 winner of this event, starts a warm favourite following his runner-up finish at last week's WGC FedEx St Jude Invitational behind Brooks Koepka.

Other star names taking part include Jordan Spieth, Hideki Matsuyama, defending champion Brandt Snedeker and last week's Barracuda Championship winner Collin Morikawa, who arrives here on the back off three consecutive top-four finishes in his rookie season.