PGA Tour Updates Schedule Format, Potential Promotion and Relegation, More in New Memo

The PGA Tour is considering some major changes to scheduling, tournament and postseason formats, according to a Wednesday letter to fans from PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp.

The memo outlined six "key themes" the PGA Tour wants to address in the future, according to Rolapp.

One of those themes is the structure of the PGA Tour's season, which Rolapp said could potentially introduce a promotion and relegation model going forward.

The memo was written as part of collaboration with the Future Competition Committee, a group launched last August that is chaired by Tiger Woods.

Rolapp addressed the PGA Tour's plans for future changes in a press conference ahead of THE PLAYERS Championship, which kicks off at TPC Sawgrass on Thursday.

The PGA Tour is looking at scheduling between 21 to 26 tournaments, largely between late January and early September, on a "first track of elevated events," according to Rolapp.

That slate could feature at least 16 signature events in addition to THE PLAYERS Championship, the President's Cup, the Ryder Cup, the four majors and the postseason.

The PGA Tour is also eyeing a second event track from which players can climb up into top-tier tournaments, Rolapp said.

He compared what the proposed relegation model could look like to English football, where the bottom clubs in the Premier League are relegated to the Championship each season.

The goal of implementing this model would be to create standings that are "easier to understand" than larger fields with cuts, Rolapp said.

"Players have told me reportedly that meritocracy is our greatest strength, and we intend to build on that even further," Rolapp said.

The PGA Tour is also eyeing a season-opening event on the West Coast, which would wrap up in prime time ET, according to Rolapp.

Other potential changes include expansion to new markets. Rolapp said the PGA Tour has been considering events in locations including New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Boston and Washington D.C.

The organization plans to stay mainly in the United States for future event expansions, according to Rolapp.

The PGA Tour is also considering more consistent 120-player fields with cuts and the potential addition of postseason match play, according to Rolapp.

The organization has discussed multiple potential formats for that match play, including medal play featuring one-on-one matchups determined by total strokes.

None of the changes discussed Wednesday have been finalized or approved by players, Rolapp noted.

If ultimately put into place, changes could be implemented on a rolling basis starting during the 2027 season, according to Rolapp.

He indicated more complicated changes, potentially including a relegation model that would require renegotiation of sponsorship contracts, would likely not be put into place until at least 2028.