The PGA Tour and CEO Brian Rolapp held a press conference this morning in advance of the Players Championship.
The press conference was highly anticipated as it was believed Rolapp would outline a plan for the future of the Tour—which is exactly what happened.
While he stressed that nothing has been finalized, here are six things we learned from his press conference.
1. The Tour wants to double the number of signature events
Rolapp and the Tour are working toward creating a two-track schedule with 21-26 elevated events (including majors, the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup) and a separate lower tier of events for players to work their way up.
This means the Tour wants to basically double the number of signature events and get the best players in the world together even more than they do currently.
There are more or less two tracks right now but this would be a more formalized, structured system where the upper tier has more events and more playing opportunities.
2. Promotion and relegation will be prominent
Citing European soccer, Rolapp explained that the Tour is hoping for a much clearer promotion/relegation system where players can work their way in between the two tracks.
In response to a question about how that is different than the current system, Rolapp indicated that the stakes for lower-tier events will be significantly more obvious than they have been.
It’s unclear how many lower-tier events there will be and how much turnover there will be in that promotion/relegation system. Rolapp said he believes the lower tier will compete throughout the summer and fall.
His stated message to players: “Play well and you’ll earn the opportunity to compete in our biggest events and for more money.”
3. Larger fields and no-cut events are on the way
In a dramatic move away from the current structure of limited fields and no-cut events, the Tour is hoping to have their best events be around 120-player fields that feature cuts.
This would be consistent throughout the best events.
Signature events are currently limited fields. For example, last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational only had 72 players. This would be way more players.
4. Match play could be on the way for the Tour Championship
Fans have long hoped for a match play finale to the Tour Championship. It’s always felt like a pipe dream because match play doesn’t seem to jive with the TV product.
Rolapp dropped a bomb by indicating that including match play is a distinct possibility.
He said that fans have asked for more drama out of the Tour’s finale. While the FedEx Cup playoffs will likely remain at three tournaments, it appears that the locations for those events and the format is very much under construction.
5. The Tour wants to “open big” on the West Coast
As expected, the Tour would like to open big with a marquee event on the West Coast.
Saying the Tour’s schedule timeline will likely be shrunk from “late January to early September,” it appears there will be a new emphasis on starting with a bang.
Rolapp mentioned that ending the first tournament in prime time is important.
6. Getting into bigger markets is the mission
Rolapp said the Tour is “looking closely at where we play”—that includes getting to better venues and bigger cities.
“The Tour only plays in four of the top 10 media markets. That’s an opportunity,” Rolapp said.
Obvious choices for Tour events include Chicago, Boston, New York and Philadelphia. While majors have often visited those places, the Tour has regularly skipped those markets.
Rolapp underscored that all of these points are not finalized. He said there will be a more meaningful update during a press conference at the Travelers Championship this summer.
Changes will be implemented in a rolling approach with some changes for 2027 but more enduring alterations coming in 2028 and beyond.
Sean’s take
We’ll have more thoughts for you in the next 48 hours but my initial reaction is that the Tour and Rolapp are very much on the right track.
I’m delighted at the larger field sizes and having cuts. The cutline is a part of golf we should protect.
The bottom half of membership is more protected than I anticipated they would be.
Having two tracks is similar to where we are at right now but it seems like there will be more cohesion and structure amongst all events, which is a welcome addition.
I’m also excited for the possibility of match play coming. That is the biggest surprise here.
Rolapp and Tour seem to be heading toward much of what we have been begging for, so they are listening to the fans.
What do we think about all of this? Let me know in the comments.
Top Photo Caption: Brian Rolapp gave a press conference Wednesday morning before the Players Championship. (GETTY IMAGES/Orlando Ramirez)
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