The PGA Tour and CEO Brian Rolapp held a press conference this morning ahead of The Players Championship.
The press conference was highly anticipated as it was believed that Rolapp would outline a plan for the future of the tournament – which is exactly what happened.
While he stressed that nothing has been finalized, here are six things we learned from his press conference.
1. The tour wants to double the number of signature events
Rolapp and the Tour are working toward creating a two-track schedule with 21-26 elevated events (including majors, the Ryder Cup and the Presidents Cup) and a lower tier of events for players to work their way through.
That means the Tour essentially wants to double the number of signature events and bring the world’s best players together even more than they currently do.
There are more or less two tracks at the moment, but this would be a more formalized, structured system where the upper level has more events and more play options.
Citing European football, Rolapp explained that the Tour hopes for a much clearer promotion/relegation system, where players can work their way between the two tracks.
In response to a question about how it’s different from the current system, Rolapp indicated that stakes for lower-level events will be significantly more visible than they have been.
It is unclear how many lower level events there will be and how many laps there will be in that promotion/punishment system. Rolapp said he believes the low will compete throughout the summer and fall.
His stated message to players: “Play well and you’ll earn the chance to compete in our biggest events and for more money.”
3. Bigger fields and no-cut events are on the way
In a dramatic move away from the current structure of limited fields and no-cut events, the Tour hopes its best events will be around 120-player fields that feature cuts.
This would be consistent throughout the best events.
Signature events are currently limited fields. For example, the Arnold Palmer Invitational last week had only 72 players. That would be a lot more players.
4. The match may be on the road for the tournament championship
Fans have long hoped for a final match of the Tour Championship. It’s always felt like a dream because the match play doesn’t seem to feel with the TV product.
Rolapp dropped a bombshell that the inclusion of match play is a distinct possibility.
He said fans have been asking for more drama from the tournament final. While the FedEx Cup playoffs will likely remain at three tournaments, it appears that the venues for those events and the format are very much under construction.
5. Tour wants to “open big” on the West Coast
As expected, the Tour would like to open big with a marquee event on the West Coast.
Saying that the tour schedule time frame is likely to be reduced from “late January to early September”, it looks like there will be a new emphasis to start with a bang.
Rolapp mentioned that closing out the first inning in prime time is important.
6. Entering larger markets is the mission
Rolapp said the tournament is “looking closely at where we play” — which includes getting to better venues AND the biggest cities.
“The tour is only played in four of the top 10 media markets. That’s an opportunity,” Rolapp said.
Notable choices for tour events include Chicago, Boston, New York and Philadelphia. While executives have frequently visited those countries, the Tour has regularly bypassed those markets.
Rolapp emphasized that all these points have not been finalized. He said there will be a more meaningful update during a press conference at the Travelers Championship this summer.
The changes will be implemented in a permanent approach with some changes for 2027, but more permanent changes coming in 2028 and beyond.
Taking Sean
We’ll have more thoughts for you in the next 48 hours, but my initial reaction is that Tour and Rolapp are very much on the right track.
I am happy with the larger field sizes and cuts. The tee is a part of golf that we must protect.
The lower half of the membership is more protected than I expected them to be.
Having two tracks is similar to where we are now, but it looks like there will be more cohesion and structure between all the events, which is a welcome addition.
I’m also excited about the prospect of a match coming up. This is the biggest surprise here.
Rolapp and the Tour seem to be moving toward a lot of what we’ve been asking for, so they’re listening to the fans.
What do we think of all this? Let me know in the comments.
Top Photo Caption: Brian Rolapp gave a press conference Wednesday morning before The Players Championship. (GETTY IMAGES/Orlando Ramirez)
