By Miguel Mike Medina
Photo: RICH GRAESSLE/ICON SPORTSWIRE VIA GETTY IMAGES
The PGA Tour’s advisory council has proposed several changes that, if approved by the PGA Tour policy board, would take effect starting with the 2026 season.
Major changes will come to the future of the PGA Tour. The Players Championship field will look different and have fewer players. The plan is to reduce it from 144 players to 120. It’s one of many proposals from the PGA Tour.
Here are the potential changes for the 2026 season:
– adjust the maximum number of players in the open tournament from 156 to 144 with reductions to 120 or 132 when required
– change exempt status from top 125 to top 100 in FEDEX with a conditional category for 101-125
– decrease PGA Tour cards from Korn Ferry Tour from 30 to 20
– reduce or eliminate open qualifying spots at regular season events with fewer than 144 players
According to GolfWeek, under the proposal, a player with an average stroke time of 12 or more seconds over the field average (who made the cut and played in all four rounds) will receive two warnings, then be fined $5,000 for a third violation and $10,000 for each violation after that.
Some would say it’s long overdue. The decision will affect some players. You will have PGA Tour members who won’t like this decision, but in the long run, this decision will be more of a positive than a negative.
The reduction of membership to 100 will be massive. It will make the sport more competitive.
There will be players who feel they’re not good enough. We understand that players train hard and will make a sweet spot to qualify or advance, but players should be motivated to improve.
If you want to keep your card year after year, then put extraordinary hard work into your game. Practice, discipline, consistency, and good behavior go a long way. Players can’t get complacent.
Every decision has pros and cons, but it will benefit the sport of Golf.
The PGA Tour Policy Board will vote on Nov. 18 at the Sea Island Club.
Miguel Mike Medina is the publisher for The MMM Journal. He can be reached at medinamiguelmike@gmail.com
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