PGA Tour shares potential changes to field sizes, eligibility, pace of play detailed in memo to players

The PGA Tour shared pinch its players a missive connected Tuesday greeting detailing a scope of eligibility proposals that will beryllium voted connected successful November by nan Board of Directors and would effect section sizes and number of Tour cards opening successful 2026.

Golfweek was first to study that these changes were successful nan works successful June. The proposal, a transcript of which Golfweek has obtained, indicates that maximum section size for a one-course full-field arena would beryllium 144 players, down from 156.

Full-field events played aft daylight redeeming clip mostly would person a section size of 120 players. Full-field events played aft daylight redeeming clip goes into effect up until nan Masters would person a section size of 132 players.

Field sizes for typical events, specified arsenic those played connected aggregate courses and invitationals, are limited connected circumstances specified arsenic format and eligibility.

It has go a increasing interest that section sizes of 144 and 156 are causing excessively galore occurrences of failing to make a trim connected Friday, and shortening fields should rectify that but it besides removes playing opportunities for nan membership.

The Tour besides is proposing changes to its privilege ranking for membership. Tournament winners stay astatine nan apical of nan nutrient chain, but nan biggest alteration is breaking up nan apical 125 finishers into respective sub-categories pinch nan apical 70 successful nan FedEx Cup standings done nan Tour Championship being adjacent successful importance, followed by finishers 71-100 successful FedEx Cup done nan autumn information of nan schedule. The starring 10 finishers, not different exempt, successful nan Race to Dubai Ranking are up of a slimmed-down number of nan Korn Ferry Tour grads, which has been reduced from 35 presently to 20.

Finishers 101-110 successful nan FedEx Cup done nan autumn are respective much rungs beneath and location are 3 exemption categories, including awesome aesculapian extensions, up of Nos. 111-125 connected nan FedEx Cup.

Alongside these changes, nan Tour besides projected adjustments to nan Players Championship, reducing nan section from 144 to 120 players, and tweaks to exempt categories for nan Charles Schwab Invitational and Genesis Invitational.

Additional chat items astatine nan Board gathering see gait of play and adjustments that could successful immoderate cases trim fines and successful others will double them from $5,000 to $10,000. The Rules Committee “feels that location needs to beryllium an further argumentation to supply an contiguous inducement for nan very slowest players to play much quickly,” and person projected an “Excessive Average Stroke Time” penalty. At nan conclusion of a tournament, if a subordinate has an mean changeable clip of 12 seconds aliases much supra nan section mean and played successful each 4 rounds, an Excessive Average Stroke Time infraction would beryllium received. There would beryllium nary good associated pinch nan first 2 excessive violations, but nan 3rd infraction would consequence successful a good of $5,000 and consequent offenses would beryllium an further $10,000 per infraction.

The Tour’s Policy Board is scheduled to meet up of nan RSM Classic connected Nov. 11.