Championship Series to serve as main stage, Challenger Series as effective second tier; separate points systems to determine movement between the two

PGA Tour CEO Brian Rollapp speaks at a press conference. [PGA Tour]
PGA Tour CEO Brian Rollapp speaks at a press conference. [PGA Tour]

The PGA Tour will introduce a promotion-and-relegation system starting in 2028, splitting its competition into a Championship Series and a Challenger Series.

The PGA Tour's board of directors made the official announcement Wednesday, saying the tour would "introduce a new competitive model to deliver an intense and exciting experience for fans, players and partners built on a clearer and stronger competitive structure."

Under the plan, the PGA Tour Championship Series will serve as the premier stage where top players compete throughout the season to determine the year's best. Running from February through August each year, it will feature 23 to 24 events — including The Players Championship, the major championships, the season finale, the Presidents Cup and the Ryder Cup. Each event will carry a minimum purse of $20 million, with fields of approximately 120 players and no Monday qualifiers or sponsor exemptions.

The Challenger Series will function as the primary pathway to the Championship Series, giving players a route to earn promotion to the top tier. It will run concurrently with the Championship Series, except for select events, with fields of roughly 144 players. Approximately the top 90 players in the Championship Series will retain their cards for the following season, while those outside that threshold will be relegated to the Challenger Series. The top 20 finishers in the Challenger Series will earn promotion to the Championship Series the following season.

"From the very beginning, the Future Competition Committee focused on designing the PGA Tour's competitive framework by reflecting the voices of players and the expectations of fans," PGA Tour CEO Brian Rollapp said. "This competitive structure will serve as the foundation for the future of the PGA Tour, and we will now focus on finalizing the details and preparing for implementation in 2028."

The Future Competition Committee, chaired by Tiger Woods and launched in August last year, has focused on fundamentally redesigning the tour's competitive structure. PGA Tour board chair Joe Gorder said the committee developed its recommendations "through close collaboration among players, management and partners," adding that the board was confident the overhaul "will serve as an important foundation for the continued growth of the PGA Tour."

The board plans to review the remaining details and submit them for final approval later this year.


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