The PGA Tour will undergo a complete and total transformation in 2028 by splitting into two separate tiers.
Existential questions have faced the professional golf scene for several years. Even though it looked like golf’s civil war would divide the game in perpetuity, the threat of LIV Golf seems to have subsided thanks to the Saudi government pulling its funding. And in spite of the challenges of top players leaving, PGA Tour ratings have rebounded with growing numbers across the majors and throughout the tour calendar.
The PGA Tour did not sit idly by while LIV knocked at the door; they implemented serious reforms, including launching signature events, private equity backing, and changes to the calendar to build a foundation for the future.
But everything the PGA Tour has done over the last few years to modernize the sport and keep it successful, vibrant, and relevant is nothing compared to what new commissioner Brian Rolapp announced on Tuesday.
Beginning in 2028, the PGA Tour will become a two-tiered tour with a Championship series and a Challenger series.
The Championship series will be the main tour with a reduced schedule of 23-24 events consisting of the majors, the Players, the postseason, and likely other signature events. The tour’s announcement says that 10 of the 15 open events have already been decided while the rest will be a mix of new venues in big markets (something Rolapp has positioned as important for tour growth) and existing PGA Tour venues.
Each PGA TOUR Championship Series event will boast a purse of at least $20 million, including fields of approximately 120 players with no alternate list and no sponsor exemptions. Each regular season event will feature 72 holes with a 36-hole cut to the top 65 and ties, with consideration for special formats (i.e. pro-am). The PGA TOUR Championship Series will also feature a reimagined postseason, including the introduction of match play, with a new-look TOUR Championship contested across a rotation of prestigious courses – many of which the PGA TOUR would play for the first time.
The Challenger series will be a step below the Championship Series. It will feature promotion and relegation with the Championship Series and also feature seven events that will be played during Championship Series off weeks that will carry “increased consequence, benefits, and exposure.”
As the primary pathway to the PGA TOUR Championship Series, the PGA TOUR Challenger Series will offer a slate of at least 20 events with purses of at least $4 million as players look to earn coveted promotions. These events will be played on distinguished venues that have traditionally hosted PGA TOUR events.
PGA TOUR Challenger Series tournaments will be played concurrently with the PGA TOUR Championship Series and will feature fields of approximately 144 players, with the ability to reduce field sizes due to restrictions like daylight. Each tournament will be played across 72 holes with a 36-hole cut to the top 65 and ties.
Approximately seven PGA TOUR Challenger Series events will be played during PGA TOUR Championship Series off weeks, with increased consequence, benefits and exposure. PGA TOUR Championship Series players will not be eligible to participate in PGA TOUR Challenger Series events.
Additionally, a fall series of events will feature top Championship players in collaboration with the DP World Tour around the globe. On the Challenger side, a last-chance series of events will provide one final attempt to win promotion to the Championship. The changes were immediately endorsed by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy as their vision of a true elite series of the world’s best playing each other week in and week out has come to life.
Honored to stand alongside @brianrolapp today at the @TravelersChamp as we announce the @PGATOUR ‘s new model for 2028 and beyond. This is an exciting moment for the game of golf.
It has been a privilege to lead the Future Competition Committee and I am proud of the work we have… https://t.co/ERD16AkuJV— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) June 23, 2026
A statement from Rory McIlroy:
Today’s announcement is a positive step for professional golf. As more details emerge, it is encouraging to see the PGA Tour reaffirming the importance of meritocracy and creating a structure that will serve both players and fans well into the… https://t.co/JQfF7z0C3j
— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) June 23, 2026
In a letter to fans, Rolapp said that the decision to split the tour into a Championship and Challenger series will better serve them by bringing the best players in the world together more often and making each tournament matter.
Today marks a pivotal moment for the PGA TOUR as we move forward with a new competitive system, starting in the 2028 season.
Throughout this process, we have listened closely to players, partners and our fans. You told us you wanted to see the best players in the world competing against one another more often. You wanted clearer stakes as the season unfolds. And you wanted a more dramatic finish to the season that rewards excellence and makes every tournament matter.
This new model is our response.
One TOUR. Two compelling series of events, played at the most worthy courses, for the highest stakes, culminating in a true postseason that crowns the best golfer in the world.
But it will leave plenty of questions about whether or not fans will be able to follow the new structure and how the tour will distinguish between the two series.
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