Tour to consider big changes to eligibility and small field sizes
The PGA Tour is considering a proposal that would eliminate 25 cards through the FedEx Cup and shrink the size of fields, part of a broad plan to make golf’s biggest circuit even more competitive for the top players while making tournaments easier to watch.
The proposal also would cut by 10 the number of tour cards awarded to Korn Ferry Tour players and do away with Monday qualifying for fields smaller than 144 players.
The proposal sent to players Tuesday, and obtained by The Associated Press, was developed by the 16-member Player Advisory Council that has been crafting the changes since May.
The tour currently gives priority to tournament winners and the top 125 in the FedEx Cup, with greater perks depending on a player’s ranking. The proposal would give full status to the top 100 in the FedEx Cup, the 10 players from the European tour who earn cards, the top 20 from the Korn Ferry Tour and five from Q-school.
There would be an additional category lower down the priority list for Nos. 101 to 125.
One reason for the change was a bloated membership, which at times kept younger players coming off the Korn Ferry Tour from having a reasonable chance at succeeding. Players who earned cards through various avenues still couldn’t get into a number of tournaments.
There also was the ongoing problem of slow play, which rules officials for years have argued was due primarily to too many players on the course. The field sizes would be 120 players before Daylight Savings Time, then up to 132 players and a maximum of 144 in the summer.
That’s for regular tournaments. The eight signature events with the $20 million purses would remain capped at 72 players.
The proposal also suggested changes to the FedEx Cup points distribution.
The PGA Tour policy board will vote on the changes at its Nov. 11 meeting. If approved, the changes would not start until 2026.
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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf