The PGA Tour will operate under a two-series format and introduce a relegation system starting with the 2028 season.
The PGA Tour held a board meeting Monday and approved the 2028 season competition format proposed by its Future Competition Committee, the tour said. Under the new format, PGA Tour events will be divided into a Championship Series for top-ranked players and a Challenger Series for lower-ranked players.
The Championship Series, running from February to August, will consist of 23 to 24 events, including the Players Championship, the four major championships, and international team competitions (the Presidents Cup and the Ryder Cup). Each Championship Series event will offer a minimum total purse of $20 million. About 120 players will compete, without alternate lists or sponsor invitations. The Challenger Series will run concurrently with the Championship Series, except for some events, and feature about 144 players.
The top 90 or so players in the Championship Series will be guaranteed entry for the next season, while those who fail to make the cut will be relegated to the Challenger Series. Meanwhile, 20 players from the Challenger Series will advance to the Championship Series the following season.
At the meeting, the board elected PGA Tour Chief Executive Officer Brian Rolapp as the successor to Commissioner Jay Monahan, whose term ends this year. As a result, Rolapp will hold both the commissioner and CEO positions from 2027.
