Why PGA Tour should change Tour Championship's slot on calendar

The format is golf’s version of a seeded tournament, rewarding consistent play throughout the season and giving other players a fighting chance to take home the trophy. Scottie Scheffler, the world's No. 1 golfer, is one of its biggest critics.

“I think it’s silly,” he said about the FedEx Cup playoff format last week. “You can’t call it a season-long race and then have it come down to one tournament.”

Rory McIlroy, meanwhile, admires and thrives under the format. In the 2022 FedEx Cup, he erased a six-stroke deficit to win. He has three FedEx Cup wins, the most by any golfer.

Bonuses are considerably higher for the winner of the Tour Championship than any other PGA Tour event, but TV viewership for golf wanes toward the end of the season. So, even historic prize money may not move the needle with fans.

Per data from Statista, since 2021, the final round of the Tour Championship has averaged roughly 30% fewer viewers than the British Open, highlighting the decline in fans' interest once the major schedule concludes. Last week’s BMW Championship may be a harbinger of another significant drop in TV ratings this year, with viewership down 30% from 2023. 

The PGA Tour can’t overcome the high-stakes excitement of a major tournament or the bigger dollars of its rival tour, LIV Golf. It can, however, restructure its event calendar to make the event more palatable for players and fans. 

Ideally, the Tour Championship should be played before the season's final major, and the PGA Tour should work to make that happen.