PGA Tour Creates Two-Tier Model With Championship and Challenger Series Starting in 2028

The PGA Tour approved recommendations from its Future Competition Committee that create two concurrent series of tournaments beginning in 2028, ESPN reported. The PGA Tour Policy Board and PGA Tour Enterprises Board endorsed the plan during meetings in West Hartford, Connecticut, on June 22.

The new model features a PGA Tour Championship Series of up to 24 events and a PGA Tour Challenger Series that serves as the main route for advancement.

Twenty players will move up from the Challenger Series each year, and golfers can earn in-season elevation to the top tier after two victories. The Championship Series will include 16 signature events, The Players Championship, four major championships, season-ending events, and either the Presidents Cup or Ryder Cup.

Each of the 16 signature events will be 72-hole stroke-play tournaments with average fields of 120 players and cuts after 36 holes to the top 65 and ties.

Purses will be at least $20 million. The season will run from around February through August, and at least the top 90 players on the Championship Series points list will keep their membership the following year. No sponsor exemptions will be granted.

Brian Rolapp, the PGA Tour CEO, said the model is grounded in meritocracy with clearer pathways and higher stakes. Tiger Woods, chairman of the Future Competition Committee, said the work focused on delivering a better experience for fans and long-term stability for the tour, players and partners. The tour has identified 10 of the 15 Championship Series regular-season events for 2028.