PGA Tour To Overhaul Off-Season In Direct Response To LIV Golf Threat
The PGA Tour's new off-season plans are a direct response to the threat from LIV Golf
The PGA Tour is reportedly considering a complete overhaul of its off-season amid the ongoing threat of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series.
A report from Golf Digest's Dan Rapaport from today's PGA Tour player meeting at the Travelers Championship states that the Tour may be launching an eight-event 50-man field series with purses of $20m. To compare that to LIV, the inaugural LIV Golf Invitational Series features eight events with 48-man fields and $25m purses for the first seven events before a $50m finale.
The fields would be made up of the top 50 in the FedEx Cup points rankings, with all other PGA Tour players competing in other events to secure their status and cards for the next year.
The FedEx Cup concludes in August where this year's winner will walk away with $18m - up from $15m last year. The Tour then transitions straight into the new season, also known as the 'fall series' or the 'wraparound season.' This is where the big US names tend to take time off and the Europeans, and some Americans like Collin Morikawa last year and Patrick Reed in the past, come over to compete for the Race to Dubai title, which is awarded at the DP World Tour Championship in November.
The bulk of the 'main' PGA Tour season takes place from January to August with legacy sites including the likes of Torrey Pines, TPC Scottsdale, Riviera, Bay Hill, TPC Sawgrass and Muirfield Village hosting events around the Majors before the FedEx Cup Playoffs in August.
The PGA Tour is also reportedly considering a return to a season aligned with the calendar year, which it went away from in the 2013-14 season.
At the players meeting, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan reportedly said the Tour is “under attack” from LIV Golf but is said to have assured players that they are “strong when we are united.”
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The PGA Tour will have been boosted by Collin Morikawa pledging his future today, with big names including Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas and Jon Rahm all publicly supporting the US circuit.
Jay Monahan is set to hold a press conference on Wednesday at the Travelers Championship, with a meeting set to take place today involving the DP World Tour. Golf Monthly recently learned that the PGA and DP World Tours were in "advanced negotiations" around a deal that could see them grow closer.
Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!
Elliott is currently playing:
Driver: Titleist TSR4
3 wood: Titleist TSi2
Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1
Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW
Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58
Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5
Ball: Srixon Z Star XV
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