In late October, the PGA Tour Players Advisory Council officially proposed an eye-opening series of changes to the competitive structure of the tour that would shrink tournament field sizes, squeeze the number available tour cards, and diminish paths to the tour membership and participation everywhere from the Korn Ferry Tour to Monday qualifying.
On Monday afternoon, at the official session of the full Policy Board, those changes were approved. There was no indication in the tour’s press release of vote totals.
“The PGA Tour Policy Board today approved competitive changes supported by the Player Advisory Council (PAC) that will deliver a stronger and more competitive and entertaining PGA Tour to fans, players, tournaments and partners,” the statement began.
Among the changes that will be implemented for the 2026 season:
• Only 100 players will be keep their tour cards with fully exempt status at year’s end, compared to 125 now.
• Tour cards available for those graduating from the Korn Ferry Tour will decrease from 30 to 20.
• Field sizes for many events will be reduced, and in some cases, including the Players Championship, to 120 players. As outlined in the proposal, most fields will see at least 12 fewer players in 2026.
• A series of smaller adjustments to FedEx Cup points allocation, and a reduction in spots available in tour fields through Monday qualifying (when the field is 132 players or fewer).
“This was a true collaborative effort, and I’m extremely proud of the PAC for the time and effort they put into evaluating how we build a stronger PGA Tour,” Commissioner Jay Monahan said in the statement.
Key among the stated reasons behind the changes was pace of play, according to Tyler Dennis, the tour’s chief competitions officer.
“These field size adjustments, which also promote a better flow of play, improve the chances of rounds being completed each day with a greater ability to make the 36-hole cut on schedule under normal weather conditions,” Dennis said in the statement. “For our fans, this certainty sets up weekend storylines much more effectively and will make the PGA Tour easier and more enjoyable to follow.”
Interestingly, an idea in the October proposal that was not mentioned was instituting more forgiving policies for slow play among the players in the smaller fields.
Along with the “aspirational nature of earning a PGA Tour card,” as the Tour put it, outside speculation for the changes has centred on the need to create more favourable conditions for the top players, to avoid possible defections, and perhaps to cut costs. Some players have criticized the changes, including Lucas Glover, who described them as “the cool kid meetings,” and said that “hiding behind pace of play, I think challenges our intelligence.”
Any narrowing of field size and membership totals on the tour comes with consequences at the margins. There’s some irony in the fact that Rafael Campos, ranked 147th in the FedEx Cup standings, won last weekend at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship, highlighting the kind of emotional triumphs that can occur on the tour as it’s currently constituted. With smaller participation numbers, sentimental storylines like Campos’ win will be, by definition, harder to achieve.
Main Image: James Gilbert
