The PGA Tour is planning changes to its 2023 schedule that will include eight limited-field, non-cut tournaments with purses of $20 million or more for the top 50 in the previous season’s FedEx Cup standings, according to a Golf Digest report. published on Tuesday.
According to multiple players interviewed by Golf Digest after a mandatory player meeting at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut, the site of this week’s Travelers Championship, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan told the meeting that events would be spread over the season. – which will also revert to a calendar year format after the Tour switched to a FedEx Cup schedule in 2013 which was carried over to the following season.
Bolting of Kopeka: Four-time major champion jumping at the LIV Tour
“Unfortunate Decisions:” PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan defends suspension of 17 players
Monahan is scheduled to hold a press conference at River Highlands at 1 p.m. Wednesday.
Golf Digest reported that players outside of the top 50 will still have a series of fall events that give them a chance to keep their tour cards or improve their status for next season. It was unclear how this would affect current fall events, such as the RSM Classic at Sea Island Club in St. Simons Island, Georgia, and tournaments in Houston, Las Vegas, Napa, Calif., and Jackson, Miss.
The eight-event series is similar to LIV Golf, the breakaway tour that started two weeks ago and is being funded by the Saudi Public Investment Fund, except the Tour events will be 72 holes, while that LIV Golf is 54 holes.
The Associated Press reported additional details on scheduled events and other changes to the FedEx Cup of the Tour throughout the season:
• Only the top 70 players on the points list will be eligible for the FedEx playoffs, reducing the current number from 125.
• The top 50 on the points list after the first event will move on, and the next top 30 will qualify for the Tour Championship.
• The drop would be used for players beyond 70th place to get cards for the following year, although research has shown that most players inside the top 100 would be safe.
• The Tour was still considering three fall events for limited fields, as well as the eight tournaments offered during the regular season.
Nearly two dozen PGA Tour players have participated in the first LIV Golf event in London (such as Phil Mickelson, Louis Oosthuizen, Dustin Johnson and Charl Schwartzel, who won the first tournament) or have since announced their intention to play (Patrick Reed, Bryson DeChambeau, Abraham Ancer and Rickie Fowler, with reports that Brooks Kopeka’s announcement to play LIV Golf will be coming any day now.
LIV Golf, whose CEO is Greg Norman, will play eight 54-hole tournaments this year with prize money of $25 million. Schwartzel won more than $4 million, the biggest payout in professional golf history.
According to Golf Digest’s sources, Monahan spoke for 30 minutes and told players the Tour was “under attack.” He also urged them to stick together and reminded them of the Tour’s longtime business partners, many of whom are also associated with players.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.