The PGA Tour unveiled a new competitive structure on Tuesday that will begin in 2028 and feature two distinct tiers: a Championship Series for the game’s elite players and a Challenger Series that will be the primary pathway to the upper track.
The Championship Series will feature 23 to 24 events, including the four major championships, The Players Championship, the Presidents Cup or Ryder Cup, and a reimagined playoff. The Tour has confirmed 10 regular-season Championship Series events for 2028, with the remaining spots to be filled by existing events or new markets under consideration, including Boston, Denver, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington D.C. The full 2028 schedule will be announced early next year.
Championship Series events will feature 120-player fields, a 36-hole cut, and $20 million purses.
The Challenger Series will include at least 20 events with 144-player fields, a 36-hole cut, and $4 million purses.
The Tour’s policy board approved the new model on Monday. The postseason will include the introduction of match play, and the Tour Championship will rotate courses rather than remaining at East Lake in Atlanta, where it has been held since 2004.
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The top 90 players on the season-long points list will retain their Championship Series status while 20 players will be promoted from the Challenger Series each year. Players finishing outside the top 90 will face relegation to the Challenger Series, or they can earn their status back via a “last chance” series of four to six events in the fall.
The two series will have separate points lists. Players eligible for Championship Series events will not be allowed to play Challenger Series events. The new model does not require players to compete in every Championship Series event.
“From Day 1, 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,” Rolapp said. “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.”
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Top Championship Series players will also be eligible for a limited fall international series in partnership with the DP World Tour. Details on the Korn Ferry Tour, PGA Tour Americas, and Q-School’s roles in the new system will be announced at a later date.
