The PGA Tour unveiled its reward and exemption process on Tuesday for the two-tier system that will begin in 2028.
Among the announcements are criteria for maintaining status on the top-tier Championship series, rewards for winning a tournament including majors, and a last-chance Fall series that will consist of at least four events and give three spots into the top level.
“From the beginning, we set out to preserve the meritocracy that makes our sport unique by creating a system where performance dictates opportunity,” PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp said in a release. “Through new eligibility criteria and supporting pathways into the PGA Tour, the new competitive model is designed to reward excellence and ensure there is always a clear path for top performers at every stage of their career.”
The details of how players earn and keep status on both the Championship Series and the Challenger Series is now clear, although somewhat detailed. There is also some carryover from existing exemptions.
Some of the basics include:
- The top 90 players from the Championship Series will retain membership for the following season.
- Winners of events on the Championship Series and majors earn status for the current season and the following two years. However, multiple wins do not add years beyond that as it does under the existing rules.
- Twenty players will be promoted from the Challenger Series each season.
- Players who win multiple events in one season on the Challenger Series earn a promotion to the Championship Series.
Among the other announcements was a pathway for the winner of the PGA Tour University program. That golfer will earn a spot on the Championship Series at the conclusion of the NCAA Championships.
Discussions are also underway to reward top finishers on the DP World Tour. Currently the top 10 finishers on the order of merit earn PGA Tour membership.
One of the most interesting additions is the creation of a late-season, last-chance series. A minimum four-event series held after the Q-School, will let three players into the following year’s Championship Series.
Not all the details on the Korn Ferry Tour have been finalized and to date, there has been no mention of PGA Tour Americas, which includes a series of events in Canada.
