The PGA Tour's Player Advisory Council (PAC) has held talks about developing a three-event series in the autumn that would feature a team format and reward the top players from the previous season.
According to reports, multiple members of the PAC at the Genesis Invitational confirmed this, with the three planned events being held in Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
Some sources have stated that there would be no FedEx Cup points awarded to participants at the event, with the tournaments including no cuts, lucrative purses, a college golf team style format, and 10 five-man squads led by a “captain” that would be drawn from the top 10 players of the Player Impact Program.
The college golf format - After each round, the team will count the lowest four scores from its five players, which will make up the team's cumulative score.
Currently, the PGA Tour play a wraparound schedule which is where the season begins in one year and finishes in the following year. With the new team tournaments, it would become a calendar year layout. Essentially, the top 50 players from the previous season’s FedEx Cup points list would qualify for the three events, with their position on the points list secure for the following season.
According to one source though, the current autumn events, in which there are nine of them that run from September to November, would become a 'seeding series' for those who qualified for the previous season’s playoffs, but didn’t finish inside the top 50. Their status, the following season, would be based on their performance in those nine tournaments.
As well as the proposed events, the PGA Tour also reiterated their stance on the breakaway Saudi Golf League, with officials stating that any player who signs on to play the proposed SGL would be banned from playing on Tour.
World number one, Jon Rahm, has pledged his allegiance to the PGA Tour
So, what has been the response to the 'team series'? Well, varied is probably the right answer, with one PAC member stating the interest in the proposed tournaments were “mixed”, adding that the conversation would continue. The PAC, which is made up of 16 players, will ultimately vote on the proposed series, with no set date confirmed as of yet. The players who are part of the PAC, are listed below for you.
WHO IS ON THE PGA TOUR PLAYER ADVISORY COUNCIL?
- Patrick Cantlay
- Paul Casey
- Austin Cook
- Joel Dahmen
- Harry Higgs
- Billy Horschel
- Russell Knox
- Brooks Koepka
- Justin Lower
- Peter Malnati
- Graeme McDowell
- Maverick McNealy
- Trey Mullinax
- Jon Rahm
- Webb Simpson
- Will Zalatoris
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