PGA Tour unveils membership structure for two-tiered system
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Tour Championship and FedEx Cup winner Scottie Scheffler with PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp (left) and commissioner Jay Monahan at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Georgia on Aug 30.
PHOTO: AFP
- The PGA Tour announced a new two-tiered system launching in 2028, with players promoted and relegated annually based on performance between the Championship and Challenger Series.
- The Championship Series will include 90 retained players, 20 promoted from the Challenger Series, plus exemptions for winners, medical reasons, and career milestones.
- Eligibility rules for 2028 include exemptions for top FedExCup finishers in 2026 and 2027, while the Korn Ferry Tour remains the main pathway to promotion from the Challenger Series.
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Golf’s PGA Tour on Sept 15 detailed the membership categories and eligibility rules that will govern its new two-tiered competitive system that is set to launch in 2028.
The new structure, which has players promoted and relegated annually based on performance, was first announced in June but membership categories for the top-tier Championship Series and eligibility for the Challenger Series were finalised only during a board meeting this week.
The Championship Series will draw from several categories, including 90 retained players and 20 players promoted from the Challenger Series.
Other membership criteria include two-time winners during a Challenger Series season, a two-year exemption for winners of a Championship Series event, medical extensions and career milestone exemptions.
A key piece of the roll-out is the transition-year eligibility, which determines how players qualify for 2028.
Players who earned a two-year exemption by finishing in the top 30 of the 2026 FedExCup points list will have PGA Tour Championship Series membership for the 2028 season, though this two-year exemption will not be awarded for the top 30 finishers in 2027.
Separately, the top 70 players in the final 2027 FedExCup points list will earn PGA Tour Championship Series membership for 2028.
Eligibility for the Challenger Series covers several categories, with the Korn Ferry Tour continuing to serve as the primary path to the PGA Tour by annually promoting the top 20 finishers from the developmental tour’s previous season’s points list.
“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,” PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp said in a news statement.
“For fans, this means a clear understanding of what is at stake during each PGA Tour competition, whether that is at an event or across a season.” REUTERS