Scottie Scheffler: 'Competition will get better' with new two-series model

CROMWELL, Conn. — One day after the PGA TOUR announced sweeping changes and a new competitive model that will go into effect for the 2028 season, world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler shared his support for the PGA TOUR's new vision.

Scheffler is teeing it up this week at the Travelers Championship, days removed from a T4 finish at the U.S. Open in which he played alongside eventual champion Wyndham Clark in the final pairing at Shinnecock Hills.

Scheffler won at TPC River Highlands two years ago, but much of the on-site discussion this week has focused around what the TOUR’s competitive model will look like two years from now. On Tuesday CEO Brian Rolapp announced a new structure that will debut in 2028, with two distinct series of events – the PGA TOUR Championship Series and the PGA TOUR Challenger Series – creating a more simplified competitive model that will be built upon elements of promotion and relegation.

Scheffler shared that the TOUR is heading “in the right direction” with the new competitive changes and believes they will create increased fan interest.

“I’m excited about it,” Scheffler said. “I think the competition will get better. Play good golf courses against the best players in the world – I mean, for a player, I don’t think you could really ask for much more.”

Scheffler enters this week with a TOUR-leading consecutive made cut streak of 77 straight events, having last missed the cut at the 2022 FedEx St. Jude Championship. It’s a streak that is not in danger this week at TPC River Highlands, given the tournament’s 72-man field and lack of a 36-hole cut as the final Signature Event of the 2026 season.

Scheffler believes that two of the core components of the PGA TOUR Championship Series – increased fields to an average size of 120 players and the reintroduction of a 36-hole cut to the top 65 and ties for regular-season events – will have a meaningful impact in creating a more compelling product inside the ropes.

“Getting fields back to 120-man fields, getting a cut back, I think it’s good changes,” Scheffler said. “I think when you look at larger fields it will be much harder to win tournaments. It will be different than the old days on TOUR where you could win a tournament where there wasn’t many of the top players playing.

“When you win one of those (PGA TOUR Championship Series) tournaments, they will have some serious significance to it because you will have beaten pretty much all of the best players in the world in order to do it.”