PGA Tour approves change likely to catch Scottie Scheffler's attention

The PGA Tour has confirmed that golfers will only be able to compete on one track from 2028. 

The North American circuit announced in June that a revamped circuit will be rolled out in two years' time. 

Promotion and relegation will be a key feature, with golfers teeing it up in a Championship and Challenger Series. 

The top tier will be reserved for the world's leading golfers, comprising of tournaments featuring field sizes of at least 120 players, a 36-hole cut and $20m purses. 

The finalised schedule is expected to feature 23-24 events and includes the majors and the Players Championship. 

The top 90 players at the end of the season will preserve their status. 

Some players had previously expressed a desire to play on both tracks but the PGA Tour confirmed on 15 September that the golfers will only allowed to compete on one.

The news is likely to attract the attention of world number one Scottie Scheffler, who had previously expressed a desire to continue in playing in tournaments that are close to his heart. 

For example, a teenage Scheffler made his debut at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in 2014 and even had his sister carry his clubs.

He won the tournament, held in Texas, for the first time last year. 

The annual stop is unlikely to feature in the Championship series. 

A spokesperson for the PGA Tour said the new system is "designed with meritocracy in mind, ensuring upward mobility for top-performing players at each level with compelling promotion and relegation driving interest and consequence."

PGA Tour chief executive, Brian Rolapp, said: "Through new eligibility criteria and supporting pathways into the PGA Tour, the new competitive model is designed to reward excellence and ensure there is always a clear path for top performers at every stage of their career.

"For fans, this means a clear understanding of what is at stake during each PGA Tour competition, whether that is at the event level or across a season."

The PGA Tour are yet to finalise the full 2028 schedule. 

So far, nine tournaments have been designated for the Championship Series. 

The RBC Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Links was the most recent addition. 

It joined The Sentry, Arnold Palmer Invitational, Truist Championship, Memorial Tournament, Travelers Championship, RBC Heritage, GO by Raymond James and a new event sponsored by Sompo. 

What changes have been approved?

The PGA Tour has now finalised eligibility criteria and established new membership categories for both the PGA Tour Championship Series and PGA Tour Challenger Series. 

The Championship Series will not have an alternate list or designated exemptions and will target an average field size of 120 players across the calendar.

The top 90 players from the Championship Series will retain membership from one season to the next, while 20 players will be promoted each year from the Challenger Series.

Winners of Championship Series events, including the Players Championship and the majors, will receive membership for the remainder of the current season and the following two seasons. 

Unlike the current system, exemptions will not stack for players who win multiple events in the same season.

Mid-year promotion will also be available to players who win multiple Challenger Series events in the same season.

Championship Series fields will also include applicable medical extensions and career milestone exemptions, while further pathways into the top tier will be available through PGA Tour University.

The number one player in the PGA Tour University standings will earn Championship Series membership following that year's NCAA Championships, as well as an additional season of membership.

Access for leading players from the DP World Tour is also being considered as part of ongoing discussions over the future of the Strategic Alliance.

Three Championship Series places will also be available through a newly finalized "last chance" series, which will be played in the autumn following Q-School.

The 2028 transition will begin with changes to the 2027 season. 

The top 95 players in the season-ending standings in 2027 will earn Championship Series status, compared with the top 90 from 2028 onwards.

The top 10 finishers on the 2027 Korn Ferry Tour Points List will also earn Championship Series status, while the next 30 available players will receive Challenger Series membership.

The PGA Tour will also honour winners' exemptions earned through the conclusion of the 2026 season in full for the Championship Series.

New winners' exemptions will have a shorter duration under the new system, with all Championship Series events, including the Players Championship and the majors, carrying a two-year exemption.

That means this year's major championship winners will retain their existing five-year exemptions and Championship Series membership through 2031. 

Major champions in 2027, however, will have Championship Series status through 2029.

The Tour has also finalized the points structure for the Championship Series. 

All events, including the Players Championship and the majors, will use the same points distribution.

The system will feature a flatter curve, rewarding victories and high finishes while placing greater emphasis on making the cut.

The PGA Tour has announced 19 event weeks for the initial 2028 Championship Series schedule, including the Players Championship, the majors and national team events.

The final schedule will contain 24 event weeks, combining established Tour stops with new markets and venues. 

The complete 2028 Championship Series schedule is due to be unveiled next February. 

Challenger Series

Eligibility for the Challenger Series has also been finalized.

The Challenger Series will feature 144-player fields, with the ability to reduce the size when necessary, such as because of limited daylight, and will have an alternate list.

Players relegated from the Championship Series in the previous season will be eligible, while Nos. 21-90 on the previous season's Challenger Series Points List will retain their membership.

Another 20 players will be promoted from the Korn Ferry Tour, while winners of Challenger Series events who were not promoted will also remain eligible.

The Challenger Series will also provide a pathway for leading collegiate players. Nos. 2-5 in the annual PGA Tour University rankings will earn membership following the NCAA Championship through the following season.

Players who achieve and accept PGA Tour University Accelerated status will also receive Challenger Series membership.

Q-School will provide another route into the Challenger Series, with the top five finishers earning status for the following season.

There will also be open qualifying for selected Challenger Series events, with two places available through each qualifier.

Last Chance Series

The new "last chance" series will comprise at least four events, with the top three finishers earning Championship Series membership.

All eligible players will be able to compete in every event in the series, with no alternate list, and will be required to participate in all events unless granted a medical exclusion.

Eligible players will include relegated Championship Series golfers, existing Challenger Series players, Q-School qualifiers and selected Korn Ferry Tour and PGA Tour University players who have already secured Challenger Series status for the following season.

The PGA Tour Board will continue to address elements of the new competitive structure at upcoming meetings.

Details of the full developmental system and the Challenger Series points list are due to be finalized at the Board's Nov. 16 meeting.

The PGA Tour said the Korn Ferry Tour will continue to serve as the primary pathway into the PGA Tour ecosystem, promoting players annually to the Challenger Series.

Access for top performers from the DP World Tour remains under consideration as discussions continue over the future of the Strategic Alliance.