How it works: PGA TOUR Championship Series

Designed to bring the best players in the world together to compete against each other on a consistent basis, the PGA TOUR Championship Series represents the next chapter in elite competition on the PGA TOUR.

Approved by the PGA TOUR boards among a series of recommendations from the Future Competition Committee, the PGA TOUR Championship Series will begin with the 2028 season as the upper echelon of a two-series competitive model. It will run concurrently with the PGA TOUR Challenger Series, creating a true meritocracy to help identify the best golfers in the world.

Let’s dive into the details on how the PGA TOUR Championship Series will operate – and how it will create increased stakes and heightened clarity for players, fans and partners.

Schedule

The PGA TOUR Championship Series will feature 23 to 24 events, with the regular season running from approximately February to August. That group will include 15 regular season events in addition to the THE PLAYERS Championship, four majors, the TOUR Championship as part of a reimagined postseason and an annual international team event (Presidents Cup or Ryder Cup). In 2028, when the PGA TOUR Championship Series debuts, it will also include the Men’s Olympic Golf Competition. PGA TOUR Championship Series members will not be eligible to play PGA TOUR Challenger Series events.

While the THE PLAYERS and four major championships will continue to maintain eligibility criteria specific to their respective events, PGA TOUR Championship Series members will otherwise have access to all regular season events – creating consistent, competitive fields.

The PGA TOUR Championship Series schedule will be optimized around the major championships and will include off weeks at regular intervals. The PGA TOUR has already lined up an initial set of 10 of its expected 15 PGA TOUR Championship Series regular season events for 2028. The remaining events will either be filled by existing events or new markets under consideration, such as Boston, Denver, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C.

Format

There will be approximately 130 players eligible for the PGA TOUR Championship Series on an annual basis, with 120-man fields expected on average for each regular season event. Importantly, that number will be flexible: there will be no alternates or sponsor exemptions for PGA TOUR Championship Series events. Players from the PGA TOUR Challenger Series will have an opportunity for mid-season promotion, but those paths now will be limited to winning multiple PGA TOUR Challenger Series events in the same season or qualifying for (and winning) a major championship.

Each PGA TOUR Championship Series tournament will boast a prize purse of at least $20 million. Another key element will be the inclusion of a 36-hole cut, with each regular season event outside of the majors played across 72 holes with a cut to the top 65 and ties after 36 holes (with consideration for special formats, like a pro-am)

Structure

In order to remain in the PGA TOUR Championship Series for the following year, players will need to play well. A single, consistent points structure will be utilized for all PGA TOUR Championship Series events. At minimum, the top 90 players will be retained from the prior year’s points list. Those players who fail to retain membership will face potential relegation to the PGA TOUR Challenger Series.

A minimum of 20 players from the PGA TOUR Challenger Series will be promoted each year, with remaining spots determined through multiple criteria including tournament winners, medical extensions, career milestones and a new “last chance” series. Full eligibility criteria will be finalized later this year.

Reimagined postseason

The PGA TOUR Championship Series will celebrate a regular season winner, recognizing the season-long points leader who outshined the best in the world across a full calendar of events. From there, the season will culminate with a new-look TOUR Championship featuring match-play format. The TOUR Championship will also rotate among a series of prestigious venues, some of which have never hosted a TOUR event. Further details on format and expected location(s) for the postseason will be provided at a later date, and full details of the 2028 schedule will be announced in the first quarter of next year.

“Last chance” series

A key component to how the PGA TOUR Championship Series will work in conjunction with the PGA TOUR Challenger Series will be the structured element of promotion and relegation. That includes a new-look “last chance” series, comprised of four to six events to determine some of the final spots on the PGA TOUR Championship Series for the following season. Contested in the fall, players competing will include those who failed to retain PGA TOUR Championship status plus those from the PGA TOUR Challenger Series who failed to earn one of the automatic promotions.

Fall international events

Following the TOUR Championship, the top players from the PGA TOUR Championship Series will also be eligible for a limited series of elevated international events, played in the fall. Announced at a later date with the intent to be delivered in conjunction with the DP World Tour as part of the Strategic Alliance between the two organizations, these events will include prominent national opens. The fall calendar of events will not factor into the points race to determine eligibility for the following season but will give the best players in the world an opportunity to shine brightly in front of new audiences on an international stage.