The PGA Tour is set to dramatically alter its postseason structure, introducing a new two-week, 32-player match-play format for its Tour Championship starting in 2028. This significant shift aims to create a more definitive and fan-engaging conclusion to the golf season.
Prior to the new Tour Championship, a 72-hole stroke-play event will be held with a field of 90 players. This tournament will determine season-long points standings, player card retention for the following season, and the overall season champion. The results of this event will also set the field for the 32 golfers who will advance to the subsequent match-play championship.
"I think one of the issues with the [current] Tour Championship was that I don’t think anyone really felt that it was culminating in crowning the best golfer in the world," PGA Tour commissioner Brian Rolapp stated. "I feel like calling it the playoffs was almost doing it a disservice because it was just a separate competition. I think we’ve established how you determine the best golfer in the world, and then we’ve established a really great competition in a format that fans want to see that is just a different set of skills over a period of time."
The new Tour Championship will mirror aspects of the World Cup, featuring a three-round group stage in its first week. The 32 participants will be divided into eight groups of four, with the top two players from each group advancing. Ties at the end of the group stage will be broken by a playoff.
The second week will consist of a bracket-style match-play competition to determine the Tour Championship winner. This marks the first time the Tour will incorporate a match-play format into its postseason.
Golf legend Tiger Woods, who chairs the PGA Tour Future Competitions Committee, expressed approval of the changes. "The conclusion of the season should be worthy of the journey it takes to get there," Woods said via X. "Today’s announcement is a result of the hard work and passion of our players. Excited to usher in a new era of match play on the [PGA Tour]."
The Tour Championship is also slated to rotate annually among a selection of prestigious venues, including courses not traditionally part of the modern Tour schedule. These changes are part of broader strategic evolutions for the PGA Tour, including the introduction of Championship and Challenger Series formats.