PGA Tour unveils new schedule with fan-favorite playoff format

A new-look PGA Tour is on the horizon. On Tuesday, the PGA Tour announced it will debut a new competitive structure in 2028 featuring two distinct series and a promotion-relegation system. 

In the new schedule approved by the PGA Tour boards and the Future Competition Committee, players will compete in the Championship Series and the Challenger Series. The two series will operate similarly to the Premier League and the English League Championship in English soccer. 

In the Championship Series, approximately 120 of the world's top players will compete in 23-24 events each year. These events will feature 36-hole cuts and purses of at least $20 million. The top 90 players in the Championship Series standings at the end of the season will retain their PGA Tour card and avoid relegation.

As for the Challenger Series, which will operate as the minor leagues of professional golf, an average of 144 players will compete in 20 events with minimum purses of $4 million. Players competing in the Challenger Series will have multiple opportunities to gain promotion to the Championship Series. A player on the Challenger Series can jump to the Championship Series by winning twice in one season, winning a major championship or finishing 20th or better in the season standings.  

"From day one, the focus of the Future Competition Committee has been to build the best version of the PGA Tour, and to do so in a way that reflects the voice of our players and the expectations of our fans," PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp said in a statement. "The result is a new competitive model grounded in meritocracy, with clearer pathways, higher stakes and more consistency when the best players compete together."

PGA Tour fans finally get their wish