From 2028, the PGA Tour is going to look very different. Plans unveiled in June 2026 show the historic US circuit is effectively going to be split into two tiers.
The top tier will be called the PGA Tour Championship Series and feature most of the game's very best talent on the most iconic courses and playing for the highest prize purses.
Meanwhile, the PGA Tour Challenger Series will be the step below and is set to provide pros with the opportunity to compete for plenty of money still while also offering them a platform to reach the top table.
In a press release at the time, CEO Brian Rolapp said: "From day one, the focus of the Future Competition Committee has been to build the best version of the PGA Tour, and to do so in a way that reflects the voice of our players and the expectations of our fans.
“The result is a new competitive model grounded in meritocracy, with clearer pathways, higher stakes and more consistency when the best players compete together. This model positions the PGA Tour for the future, and our focus now shifts to finalizing the details and preparing for implementation in 2028.”
But with details so fresh and many people unsure of what the two tiers will look like at this stage, we've listed all of the key details you need to know right here.
Below is everything you need to know about the PGA Tour Championship Series.
HOW MANY EVENTS WILL THE PGA TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES HAVE?
The PGA Tour Championship Series is set to include 23-24 events per season, with that number including all four Majors, The Players Championship, the Playoffs and international team events - so either the Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup - as well as the Olympics starting in 2028.
The season is set to run from February through August, but there won't be an event on every single week. There are plans to ensure Challenger Series tournaments are given full exposure "at regular intervals." However, specific dates are not known at this stage.
Ten of the expected 15 events which are set to make up the regular season have already been lined up, and although it has not been confirmed which ones they are, it is fair to assume the most historic and prestigious tournaments will likely form that group.
The PGA Tour has revealed the remaining weeks could be filled by tournaments in new markets such as Boston, Denver, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C.
There will be no requirement for PGA Tour Championship Series players to participate in every event, but they will only be able to compete within the Championship Series and are not eligible to make any starts in the Challenger Series.
PGA TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES EVENT STRUCTURE
Each regular event in the Championship Series will be contested as a 72-hole stroke play competition, with the top-65 players (and ties) forming the cut after 36 holes.
The PGA Tour has also said there will be consideration in terms of that number for special formats - i.e. the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
Championship Series fields will largely begin with around 120 players and there will be no alternate list, removing uncertainty for pros who might be on the bubble. There will also be no sponsor exemptions any more, with every player in the field qualifying off their own back.
Each tournament will also consist of a $20 million prize money purse, and Golf Monthly understands that figure could well rise in the coming seasons.
PGA TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES MEMBERSHIP
From 2028, the PGA Tour Championship Series will feature a minimum of 90 players who are retained from the prior season's points list.
There will also be 20 players promoted from the PGA Tour's Challenger Series, leaving only around 10 players to fill up a field. At this stage, details are still unclear in terms of which path they might come from, but there are currently 10 PGA Tour cards on offer via the DP World Tour, so it might be that all 10 come from there.
Alternatively, there might only be five from Europe and the remaining quintet could be sourced from the PGA Tour Americas and PGA Tour University rankings.
Full eligibility criteria is set to be finalized by the PGA Tour boards later this year, with select additional exemptions for categories like tournament winners, medical extensions and career milestones all decided. To reiterate, though, there will not be any sponsor exemptions on this tier from 2028.
PGA TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES POST-SEASON
Brian Rolapp said he wants the regular season points leader to be recognized properly ahead of the post-season, with more details on that to come.
For the time being, the Championship Series post-season will play a big part in who is retained and who is relegated for the following term.
Should players lose their spots by the end of the Championship Series post-season, they will have the chance to win it back in a 'Last Chance' series later in the year.
But before that happens, a new-look Tour Championship is set to occur. Not only with the Tour Championship rotate away from East Lake moving forward, but it is going to become a match play tournament from 2028.
Frustratingly, the PGA Tour has said "details on the format and expected location(s) will be provided at a later date," so we can only presume how it might shape up at this stage.
After the Tour Championship has concluded, the top players from the Championship Series will also be eligible for "a limited series of elevated international events" which take places towards the conclusion of the DP World Tour campaign.
Details regarding specific events will be confirmed at a later date in conjunction with the DP World Tour, but we do know prominent national open championships such as the Irish, French and Spanish Opens are expected to be a part of that.
