PGA Tour Changes (2022 Onward)

[SG11118]

• 70 fully exempt players year to year (plus the two-year tournament win exemption?)  A lot of details missing.  Seems strange to be running 144 or 156 field events and only have 70 exempt players.  Not sure how tournaments will be filling out their fields when over half the field isn't exempt.  
• 70 for the first playoff event, 50 to the second, 30 to the third. The 70 are fully exempt next year.  Are the playoff events still in August and September?  Seems weird to have the season end with three to four months left in the season.  
• The 50 who make it to the BMW qualify for a three-event series in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East with purses of at least $20M.  OK - are these worth extra points in the FedEx standings?  It is good to get the top 50 players in tour playing in the same events, but if you continue to give the stars from previous years a huge leg up in keeping points, these players really are not the top 50 players on tour.  Are these events in the Fall, or will we not see any of the top 70 players from September-December?
• Riviera, Bay Hill, Memorial, WGC Match Play, and Tournament of Champions will be re-categorized with boosted purses ($15M for the TOC, $20M for the others, $25M for the Players Championship).  Are these all still smaller field invitational events?  Are they worth extra FedEx points?  
• Calendar year "season" starting in 2024.  OK
• The players outside the top 70 can play in the fall series to earn better status for the following season.  OK - they still can't make their way into the top 70 special events.  Hopefully, if someone kicks ass in the fall series events they can make it into any other event they want to play in the next year.  If I am a top 50 player in the world there needs to be a clear path for me to get a top 70 exempt spot.  If you join the top 50 or top 70 club, it should not be a 10 year free ride where you just have to play mediocre golf to keep your spot.

[Friz]

18 minutes ago, SG11118 said:

• 70 fully exempt players year to year (plus the two-year tournament win exemption?)  A lot of details missing.  Seems strange to be running 144 or 156 field events and only have 70 exempt players.  Not sure how tournaments will be filling out their fields when over half the field isn't exempt.  

There will be more than 70 by the time the next season starts.  The 70 that make the playoffs are initially the only fully exempt.  Those that miss the playoffs will continue playing the fall series, which will round out 55 more spots to get to 125 fully exempt.  Assume there will continue to be additional exemptions from previous tournament winners, and unless there is a format change, 50 total exemptions between the Korn Ferry Tour/Tour finals.  Ultimately I don't think the total number of exemptions changes, its just a different format to get to that number.

 

24 minutes ago, SG11118 said:

•  
• 70 for the first playoff event, 50 to the second, 30 to the third. The 70 are fully exempt next year.  Are the playoff events still in August and September?  Seems weird to have the season end with three to four months left in the season.  

Yes, part of this was because players didn't have an actual offseason, and many players simply created their own personal offseason in the fall anyway while the next season was beginning.  But the fall series mentioned where players will continue to fight for spots 71-125 to obtain full exemption sounds like it will occur after the playoffs.  So events will still be going on in this time.....but there is also the undeniable fact that the PGA Tour just simply can't compete with the NFL and NCAA Football between September and December.

 

30 minutes ago, SG11118 said:

•  
• The 50 who make it to the BMW qualify for a three-event series in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East with purses of at least $20M.  OK - are these worth extra points in the FedEx standings?  It is good to get the top 50 players in tour playing in the same events, but if you continue to give the stars from previous years a huge leg up in keeping points, these players really are not the top 50 players on tour.  Are these events in the Fall, or will we not see any of the top 70 players from September-December?

I'm not sure if this is confirmed yet - from the PGA Tour - Additionally, the TOUR is making room for up to three international, no-cut, limited-field events, taking the top 50 from the final FedExCup, and top performers from the fall. The format and other details of these events are under review by the Player Advisory Council.

 

32 minutes ago, SG11118 said:

•  
• Riviera, Bay Hill, Memorial, WGC Match Play, and Tournament of Champions will be re-categorized with boosted purses ($15M for the TOC, $20M for the others, $25M for the Players Championship).  Are these all still smaller field invitational events?  Are they worth extra FedEx points?  

Still invitational, of which I believe only the previous season Top 70 are guaranteed into invitationals and 71-125 may have other ways in, but format of the actual tournaments not likely to change, and assume FedEx points would be the same as they are now.  This was also from the PGA Tour - 

Alongside these changes, the Policy Board also amended the Resource Allocation Plan to increase purse sizes at the following eight events in 2023:

Sentry Tournament of Champions – $15 million (up from $8.2M in 2022)

The Genesis Invitational - $20 million (up from $12 million in 2022)

Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard - $20 million (up from $12 million in 2022)

THE PLAYERS Championship - $25 million (up from $20 million in 2022)

WGC - Dell Technologies Match Play - $20 million (up from $12 million in 2022)

the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday - $20 million (up from $12 million in 2022)

FedEx St. Jude Championship - $20 million (up from $15 million in 2022)

BMW Championship - $20 million (up from $15 million in 2022)

40 minutes ago, SG11118 said:

•  
• The players outside the top 70 can play in the fall series to earn better status for the following season.  OK - they still can't make their way into the top 70 special events.  Hopefully, if someone kicks ass in the fall series events they can make it into any other event they want to play in the next year.  If I am a top 50 player in the world there needs to be a clear path for me to get a top 70 exempt spot.  If you join the top 50 or top 70 club, it should not be a 10 year free ride where you just have to play mediocre golf to keep your spot.

From this that I previously referenced, it sounds like maybe they can.  Additionally, the TOUR is making room for up to three international, no-cut, limited-field events, taking the top 50 from the final FedExCup, and top performers from the fall. The format and other details of these events are under review by the Player Advisory Council.

Every year is going to start with a clean slate, so anyone, including guys that were not Top 70 the previous year, should be able to play good golf and make the top 70 the current year.  Mediocre golf isn't going to guarantee anyone a free ride, especially for a cutoff at 70 instead of 125.  I personally hope the Top 50 events are not considered part of the season, but if it so happens that the 3 Top 50 events they referenced are part of the season, I'd fully expect there to be an alternate field event like they currently have.

[cutchemist42]

I just wish this came sooner as it was obvious LIV was coming and these are changes many have been saying the boring PGA product needed.

I still dont understand why we are going to the Middle East though. Wish Australia was getting an event. Also not sure I see TOC as being an event I thought needed the extra juicing?

[nevets88]

Where is the PGA Tour going to get the money from? I guess the reserve fund? Or whatever it's called. I guess higher revenue from the upgraded events?

[Darkfrog]

4 minutes ago, nevets88 said:

Where is the PGA Tour going to get the money from? I guess the reserve fund? Or whatever it's called. I guess higher revenue from the upgraded events?

Corporate sponsors, I figure.

[iacas]

6 hours ago, Friz said:

My whole original reply and subsequent replies was entirely about I understand the potential concern he is talking about moreso than I am personally concerned about it myself

The point is that you're completely guessing that KFT guys are getting screwed here, when I can see them as having a better chance - fewer of the top players will play in the fall after securing fully exempt status, opening up MORE spots for the KFT guys to play in the fall events.

4 hours ago, SG11118 said:

• 70 fully exempt players year to year (plus the two-year tournament win exemption?)  A lot of details missing.  Seems strange to be running 144 or 156 field events and only have 70 exempt players.  Not sure how tournaments will be filling out their fields when over half the field isn't exempt.

Like @Friz said, there will be another 100+ players with status.

4 hours ago, SG11118 said:

• 70 for the first playoff event, 50 to the second, 30 to the third. The 70 are fully exempt next year.  Are the playoff events still in August and September?  Seems weird to have the season end with three to four months left in the season.

August. And the fall series starts in September. The top guys can take some time off.

4 hours ago, SG11118 said:

• The 50 who make it to the BMW qualify for a three-event series in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East with purses of at least $20M.  OK - are these worth extra points in the FedEx standings?  It is good to get the top 50 players in tour playing in the same events, but if you continue to give the stars from previous years a huge leg up in keeping points, these players really are not the top 50 players on tour.  Are these events in the Fall, or will we not see any of the top 70 players from September-December?

Nothing. There are no FedExCup points in the fall. The FedExCup is January to August.

4 hours ago, SG11118 said:

• Riviera, Bay Hill, Memorial, WGC Match Play, and Tournament of Champions will be re-categorized with boosted purses ($15M for the TOC, $20M for the others, $25M for the Players Championship).  Are these all still smaller field invitational events?  Are they worth extra FedEx points?

They're not really "smaller field invitational events" now. They're already elevated events (550 FEC points to the winners IIRC).

4 hours ago, SG11118 said:

• The players outside the top 70 can play in the fall series to earn better status for the following season.  OK - they still can't make their way into the top 70 special events.  Hopefully, if someone kicks ass in the fall series events they can make it into any other event they want to play in the next year.  If I am a top 50 player in the world there needs to be a clear path for me to get a top 70 exempt spot.  If you join the top 50 or top 70 club, it should not be a 10 year free ride where you just have to play mediocre golf to keep your spot.

Yes, they can improve to being the #71st player on the list (or right after still-exempt tournament winners).

You're missing, I think, that the fall stuff doesn't award FEC points. To anyone.

3 hours ago, cutchemist42 said:

I just wish this came sooner as it was obvious LIV was coming and these are changes many have been saying the boring PGA product needed.

Do you really think they put this together in a few weeks? Or even a few months?

3 hours ago, cutchemist42 said:

Also not sure I see TOC as being an event I thought needed the extra juicing?

Some of the tournament winners would skip it, though. It starts the PGA Tour season off with a bang, too. It'll be headline worthy if ALL of the tournament winners are there.

1 hour ago, nevets88 said:

Where is the PGA Tour going to get the money from? I guess the reserve fund? Or whatever it's called. I guess higher revenue from the upgraded events?

Sponsors, the TV deal, and if necessary, a little reserve fund.

The new TV deal is big. Unfortunately, with viewership being flat, that just means more commercials.

[Friz]

20 minutes ago, iacas said:

The point is that you're completely guessing that KFT guys are getting screwed here, when I can see them as having a better chance - fewer of the top players will play in the fall after securing fully exempt status, opening up MORE spots for the KFT guys to play in the fall events.

I'm trying really hard to assume nothing outside of what has been presented, and I feel like we began talking about different things.  I understand there may be an opportunity for the KFT guys to play in the fall events and maybe receive a paycheck, but based on what I've read it does not appear to me that this will lead to any additional opportunity to secure status on tour.  Per the PGA Tour - "The 70 players who qualify for the first Playoffs event will be fully exempt for the following season, including invitationals. Anyone outside that cutoff can improve his status in the fall events, at the conclusion of which the top 125 will be fully exempt for the following season."

Are you envisioning the KFT being able to play their way into the top 125 somehow during the fall events?  I interpreted this as there being 55 additional cards given out to current PGA Tour guys through these events to round out 125.  I don't know how Korn Ferry Tour Finals factors into this...if I was making an assumption I'd guess it remains unchanged, and takes place after these fall events in the same format it has in the past, so the guys at 126-200 would still be eligible for that....but I've seen no information about how it fits.  If you have a different interpretation of how PGA Tour status can be obtained through the fall events, I'd guess that is where we are differing.

[iacas]

1 minute ago, Friz said:

Per the PGA Tour - "The 70 players who qualify for the first Playoffs event will be fully exempt for the following season, including invitationals. Anyone outside that cutoff can improve his status in the fall events, at the conclusion of which the top 125 will be fully exempt for the following season."

That bold text includes KFT players.

1 minute ago, Friz said:

Are you envisioning the KFT being able to play their way into the top 125 somehow during the fall events?

Yes! Of course.

They're going to need to fill those fields, and many of the guys in the top 50 or 70 won't be playing in them. Currently, they almost have to play a few… lest they start in January too far behind in the FEC.

Max Homa just said it on a podcast: to have a good year, you almost have to have a good fall (unless you're legit a top ten guy annually).

[Friz]

1 minute ago, iacas said:

That bold text includes KFT players.

Yes! Of course.

Have you seen this somewhere, or assuming?  We clearly did interpret it differently, so do you see this as 125 ADDITIONAL cards are being handed out in the fall events between the leftover PGA guys AND Korn Ferry guys?  Korn Ferry Tour Finals is scrapped and these are merged?

[iacas]

5 minutes ago, Friz said:

Have you seen this somewhere, or assuming?  We clearly did interpret it differently, so do you see this as 125 ADDITIONAL cards are being handed out in the fall events between the leftover PGA guys AND Korn Ferry guys?  Korn Ferry Tour Finals is scrapped and these are merged?

It's pretty tough for you to argue that they're going to have fewer playing opportunities (the KFT guys) if you think the KFT Finals are still going to exist.

I'm not saying that the KFT Finals are going away (who knows?), only that they're going to have to fill the fields somehow.

Thus, it cannot be worse for them.

[Friz]

4 minutes ago, iacas said:

It's pretty tough for you to argue that they're going to have fewer playing opportunities (the KFT guys) if you think the KFT Finals are still going to exist.

I'm not saying that the KFT Finals are going away (who knows?), only that they're going to have to fill the fields somehow.

Thus, it cannot be worse for them.

I was never talking about just playing opportunities though, I was talking about opportunities to gain or retain status on tour.  Those guys filling fields in the fall events is indeed a playing opportunity, but not necessarily an opportunity to gain tour status.  My interpretation of the PGA Tour's statement that the top 125 would be fully exempt at the conclusion of the fall events was that it was using FedEx Cup points obtained in season as the baseline starting point, and that they could continue to obtain points through those fall events to shuffle those standings to determine the final top 125 in the FedEx Cup standings, which would be 55 additional guys from the FedEx Cup list.  Korn Ferry Tour Guys are not part of the FedEx Cup standings, and therefore while they may play in these events, would not be able to play their way into the top 125 and would not be able to obtain PGA Tour status.  There is the current clause that any non-tour member obtaining the equivalent of the 125th rank FedEx cup guy at the end of the season will get tour status the following season....maybe thats their additional opportunity?  But most, if not all, of them would be starting at zero at the beginning of the Fall events, if thats the way it worked.  I don't know if thats how it will work but thats how I interpreted it.

So I'm just not understanding how you envision of the fall events, and how you see the standings working to get to 125.  The way I envisioned it, the 125 is all existing PGA Tour guys, there are still 50 total coming from Korn Ferry Tour and Tour Finals, so its the same as it is now, but they're just at the bottom of the priority rankings when it comes to filling fields the next season.  

I feel like every place I've read about this has phrased things a little differently.  But this was the article that shaped the way I envisioned the fall events working

https://www.golfchannel.com/news/pga-tour-announces-larger-purses-and-enhanced-fall-series-games-top-players

Beginning with the 2022-23 schedule, the top 70 ahead of the playoffs will keep their cards. The 2023 fall events will provide those outside the top 70 with a chance to add FedExCup points and end the year inside the top 125, which will ensure status for the following season.

The fall will be open to all players, including those who qualify for the playoffs. Those who finished the playoffs outside the top 50 will be able to compete for spots in the international series, in addition to those who will battle for their cards.

[iacas]

50 minutes ago, Friz said:

I was never talking about just playing opportunities though, I was talking about opportunities to gain or retain status on tour.

I know. So was I. Goodness.

51 minutes ago, Friz said:

Those guys filling fields in the fall events is indeed a playing opportunity, but not necessarily an opportunity to gain tour status.

Of course they can gain status. They're not seat-fillers (field fillers). If they win a freaking event, what do you think happens? If they finish second a bunch of times, you think they don't improve their status?

9 hours ago, Friz said:

Honestly I'm happy to leave it at this…

If only. 😄

Can we just wait and see, now?

[cutchemist42]

3 hours ago, iacas said:

The point is that you're completely guessing that KFT guys are getting screwed here, when I can see them as having a better chance - fewer of the top players will play in the fall after securing fully exempt status, opening up MORE spots for the KFT guys to play in the fall events.

Like @Friz said, there will be another 100+ players with status.

August. And the fall series starts in September. The top guys can take some time off.

Nothing. There are no FedExCup points in the fall. The FedExCup is January to August.

They're not really "smaller field invitational events" now. They're already elevated events (550 FEC points to the winners IIRC).

Yes, they can improve to being the #71st player on the list (or right after still-exempt tournament winners).

You're missing, I think, that the fall stuff doesn't award FEC points. To anyone.

Do you really think they put this together in a few weeks? Or even a few months?

Some of the tournament winners would skip it, though. It starts the PGA Tour season off with a bang, too. It'll be headline worthy if ALL of the tournament winners are there.

Sponsors, the TV deal, and if necessary, a little reserve fund.

The new TV deal is big. Unfortunately, with viewership being flat, that just means more commercials.

I'll be honest off, a portion feels rushed to me, as the WGC 2.0 feels like a tacked-on effort to emulate Livs international events with no real intrigue there. Going to the Middle East is really blah to me considering we were just hating on the Middle East now for 4 weeks. I'd prefer they go to Australia.

I personally feel its partially rushed which is why this is being announced now instead of announcing this before Liv took off.

 

 

[iacas]

25 minutes ago, cutchemist42 said:

I personally feel its partially rushed which is why this is being announced now instead of announcing this before Liv took off.

 

[nevets88]

This is a less important aspect but I'll still toss it out anyway because it's somewhat relevant, with the commissioner tweeting about it. With added pressure to keep players in the PGA Tour, it doesn't seem like there will be any fewer ads on the broadcasts, maybe more. It's a tough ask, I know, but this is what I'm guessing will happen.

 

[Dr. Manhattan]

48 minutes ago, cutchemist42 said:

I'll be honest off, a portion feels rushed to me, as the WGC 2.0 feels like a tacked-on effort to emulate Livs international events with no real intrigue there. Going to the Middle East is really blah to me considering we were just hating on the Middle East now for 4 weeks. I'd prefer they go to Australia.

I personally feel its partially rushed which is why this is being announced now instead of announcing this before Liv took off.

 

 

I would like to see them go to the most scenic places they can play around the world, whether it’s a course on the coast or mountains, etc. 

[iacas]

4 minutes ago, Dr. Manhattan said:

I would like to see them go to the most scenic places they can play around the world, whether it’s a course on the coast or mountains, etc. 

I would like to see them do something different for the top-50 three-event series. Mic up the players as DJ said, do something different with the format… really do something that interests the viewers. Because… why not?

Max Homa said "when you're competing you don't want to worry about what you're saying if you're wearing a mic, etc." and so on, so… the three events there don't really matter. They're not offering FEC points, etc. So mess with the format because you let the players be a bit more free. Do something different. Interesting. To them and us.

It doesn't have to be 72-hole stroke-play blah blah blah.

[Friz]

3 hours ago, iacas said:

Can we just wait and see, now?

👍

1 hour ago, iacas said:

I would like to see them do something different for the top-50 three-event series. Mic up the players as DJ said, do something different with the format… really do something that interests the viewers. Because… why not?

This would be great...so many ways to make it interesting.  If it doesn't count towards anything, and it's last seasons top players, treat it like an all star game.  Skills competitions?  Break into pairs or teams and play a true scramble to see how low PGA guys can go when they get multiple attempts at the same shot?  How about a team mode where the team plays one ball but the clubs in the bag are spread out across the team and whoever is holding the desired club for the shot has to play it?

Really just spitballing but there's lots of ways to get creative and interesting when the best players in the world are playing for fun.  And if they run out of ideas, let's bring in Michael Breed and whoever can throw the ball and break 80 gets the entire $20 million prize pool