'Just Terrible' - Padraig Harrington Has Strong Words On New PGA Tour Proposals

The always forthright Padraig Harrington labelled the proposed changes to the PGA Tour field sizes as "terrible" and was especially against the removal of Monday qualifiers.

An upcoming vote will decide on a number of proposals by the PGA Tour Policy Board which include field sizes, pace of play, playing privileges and the FedEx Cup points system.

The changes, which the PGA Tour announcement said would "enhance competition", include reducing field sizes to speed up play, fewer Tour cards being handed out and a reduction of some and removal of other Monday qualifiers.

There are also other pace of play proposals that have emerged from the Player Advisory Council-led examination of the game - but it is the field size reduction and removal of Monday qualifiers that Harrington really objects to.

The three-time Major champion feels the suggestions are being made by those higher up the golfing food chain to limit the chances of those lower down to make their mark on the PGA Tour.

"Terrible, just terrible it really is, I just can't think how bad it is," Harrington said on the Golf Channel.

"At the end of the day the people who are inside are voting to keep the thing tighter and more closed.

"The Tour was running just fine, I know there's a little bit of pressure on time to get fields finished when they go to 156 at certain times of the season but players will deal with that."

Harrington agreed that slow play is an issue and that reducing field sizes would help, but he's wary of limiting the opportunities when there's not a viable alternative - which he suggested the DP World Tour could provide.

"The slow play issue is like driving in rush hour traffic, there's too many people on the golf course and tee times are too tight," Harrington added. "So, yes, this a way of solving one of the big issues in golf - the pace of play.

"But you want to give everybody the opportunity. If there was a really, really good second tour, and maybe the European Tour can be that, then maybe it works out, but to me it definitely looks like the people on the inside keeping it tighter."

And the thought of Monday qualifiers being cut down from four to two for some events and being removed altogether from others did not go down well with the Irishman.

"And not having a Monday qualifier, come on, that's one of the most exciting things on the tour!"

The vote is set to take place on 18 November with any changes then implemented for the 2026 season.