PGA Tour increases purse sizes, alters format in response to LIV

Change is afoot at the PGA Tour.

The Tour’s policy board voted Tuesday to make a series of stark changes to the size and qualifications of events. 

Commissioner Jay Monahan said the changes will “transform and set the future direction” for the PGA Tour.

• The 2024 season will have eight designated events with fields of 70-78 players. These will be in addition to the majors, Players, and three FedExCup Playoffs events.
• Prize purses will be larger for these designated events. This year, they have minimum prize purses of $20 million.
• They will not have a 36-hole cut, allowing every player to compete in all four rounds.

“Over the last year, we have spent a massive amount of time exploring how to better position the PGA Tour for continued growth,” Monahan wrote. “How to further showcase our top performers, while staying true to the meritocracy and legacy that define the Tour.”

The changes could help the Tour to better compete with LIV Golf for talent, which has lured big names with huge bonuses and prize offerings, and a guaranteed place in its events. LIV uses a 54-hole, no-cut format.

The PGA Tour will also no longer require top players to participate in certain events.

“I want to give everyone a fair shake at this, which I think this structure has done,” Rory McIlroy said about the designated event format. “It’s trying to get the top guys versus the hot guys, right? I think that creates a really compelling product.”