So, which putter brands and models have the most wins in the 2026 season? Let's take a look...

Given the amount of coverage the range of putters have received, it's no surprise that the TaylorMade Spider Tour range is the top model used by the world's best in 2026.

Breaking the numbers down, 13 Spider Tour putters have earned victories this season, two of which were The Masters and the PGA Championship, where Rory McIlroy and Aaron Rai used them to earn their Major wins.

The Spider Tour X has 11 wins this year, including Scottie Scheffler's victory at the Tour Championship and FedEx St. Jude Championship, while the standard Spider Tour and Spider Tour V make up the remaining two wins.

Beginning the season, five of the first six victories on the PGA Tour were with a Spider Tour or Tour X, while JT Poston, Michael Thorbjornsen and Brandt Snedeker also used the style of putter later on in the year for their wins.

Behind TaylorMade, Scotty Cameron pocketed nine titles, with seven models represented that ranged from the Phantom to the GoLo.

Cameron Young and Jackson Koivun earned three wins using a Phantom 9.5R Tour Prototype, with Young's change to the putter sparking the likes of Justin Thomas to follow in his footsteps.

Out of the seven Scotty Cameron models present, just one of those was a blade-style putter, as Tom Kim had a Timeless GSS Tour Prototype in play for his Genesis Scottish Open victory.

Rounding out the podium spots was Odyssey and Ping, which were involved in six victories apiece throughout 2026.

In terms of Odyssey, six wins came from six different models in 2026 and, once again, just one blade putter was present, where Ricky Castillo had an Odyssey White Hot OG #1 in the bag for his Puerto Rico Open victory, his maiden PGA Tour title.

Ping, meanwhile, had six wins during the season, including two Majors in the form of Wyndham Clark and Ryan Fox.

Clark's change to the Ping Scottsdale Tec Ally Blue Onset has helped revolutionize his game in 2026, as he secured a second US Open title.

In fact, during the US Open week, the Major winner made history by signing a single-club endorsement deal with Ping, the first of the company's history.

Not long after, Fox lifted the Claret Jug at The Open Championship using a Ping Anser 2D.

This victory marked the first men's Major win for a blade putter since Bryson DeChambeau's US Open victory in 2024, with Fox's Anser 2D featuring an armlock design that was produced by the addition of an 8-iron shaft.

Rounding out the final two spots are Bettinardi and L.A.B Golf, with the two brands earning four wins between them.

Matt Fitzpatrick enjoyed a fine year that yielded three wins on the PGA Tour, as the Englishman used a Bettinardi DASS BB1 for the trio of victories.

JJ Spaun, meanwhile, had the L.A.B Golf DF3 in the bag for his Valero Texas Open title, marking the only victory for a zero-torque putter in 2026.

The former US Open winner did then switch out the DF3 for a Scotty Cameron model midway through the season, but returned to his previous gamer during the FedEx Cup Playoffs, specifically the BMW Championship.

Check out the full breakdown of the figures below...

What Putter Model Every PGA Tour Winner Has Used In 2026

What Is The Most Popular Putter Brand Used By The Winners On The PGA Tour In 2026?

Most Putter Wins On The PGA Tour In 2026

Because of that, claiming victory at East Lake brings considerably more perks than the ones generally available for winning a PGA Tour event.

Some of them are well known, such as huge prize money and world rankings points, but others have a tendency to slip under the radar.

Here are seven big perks of winning the Tour Championship.

Prize Money

The headline perk of winning the Tour Championship is, of course, the prize money.

Until 2025, the money earned for victory came directly from the FedExCup bonus pool, but now it counts as official money, meaning it goes towards the winner's PGA Tour career earnings.

In any case, that detail is not likely to matter much to the winner. The bottom line is that, whoever wins the 2026 Tour Championship will bank $10m, more than double the $4.5m handed to Cameron Young for winning the PGA Tour’s flagship event, The Players Championship.

FedExCup Title

After the Starting Scores format that previously accompanied the Tour Championship was abandoned after 2024, there is now a far more clear cut perk of winning the event.

Whoever does it also becomes the FedExCup winner meaning he's recognized as the PGA Tour’s season-long champion.

In its 19 previous editions, there have been just two multiple FedExCup winners - Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy - while there have been 16 different winners in total.

McIlroy has also likened the achievement to winning one of the very biggest events in golf, saying in 2022: "I think winning a FedExCup is right alongside winning a Major championship."

PGA Tour Status

Typically, winning a PGA Tour event brings a two or three-year exemption, depending on its prestige, but the winner of the Tour Championship secures his place on the circuit for the next five years.

That’s the same length given to Major winners, although it’s not quite all it seems.

That’s because even reaching the Tour Championship guarantees a two-year exemption through 2028, so in effect, claiming victory adds another three years to that total.

And the reason winning this year or next to become exempt through 2031/32 is even more important is because of the upcoming changes to the PGA Tour, which are due to be introduced from 2028.

World Ranking Points

The winner also walks away with 45 world ranking points. That’s actually fewer than many other big PGA Tour events, including the previous two Playoffs and the Signature Events. The reason? The smaller field produces a lower OWGR field rating.

Still, 45 points is a welcome perk and about 20 more than Joe Dean - the DP World Tour's Husqvarna British Masters - won earlier on Sunday.

PGA Championship Exemption

Reaching the Tour Championship gives the players in the field guaranteed starts at three of the following year’s four Majors, The Masters, the US Open and The Open.

However, it doesn’t include the PGA Championship. Even though all of the Tour Championship field would be confident of their place anyway, winning the Tour Championship removes any doubt as a result of becoming the FedExCup champion.

FedExCup Trophy

After winning the Tour Championship, the new FedExCup champion is presented with the famous sterling silver spun cup trophy.

While the winner doesn’t get to keep it, his name is engraved on it, and he is given a keeper trophy to take home.

That has a height of 13.25 inches and is engraved with just the name of that year’s winner.

Bobby Jones-Inspired Replica

East Lake was the home course of one of the game’s all-time greats, Bobby Jones.

He is commemorated in the form of the trophy handed to the winner of the Tour Championship, which he gets to keep – a replica of his famous Calamity Jane putter that he used when completing the Grand Slam in 1930.

The winner at East Lake not only gets to claim a PGA Tour title, but is also crowned the FedExCup Champion thanks to its status as the final three of the big Playoffs events following a season-long battle.

In other words, it’s a big deal in men’s elite golf – a fact reflected in the huge prize money offered.

Overall, a purse of $40m is available at the event, double the sum reserved for the PGA Tour’s Signature Events and $15m more than even its flagship tournament, The Players Championship.

The winner also claims a bigger prize than any other PGA Tour event, and by some distance.

Whoever wins the Tour Championship, becoming the FedExCup champion in the process, will earn prize money of $10m, more than double the next-highest on the PGA Tour – the $4.5m given to Cameron Young for his win at The Players Championship.

The new champion doesn’t get to see all that money, with various factors determining how much he actually receives.

One of the bigger slices of the $10m windfall is the money paid to his caddie.

In many cases, a player will negotiate terms with his caddie. For example, most caddies are either paid an annual salary or given a weekly base rate. That information is generally kept between them.

However, it is widely accepted that winners of tournaments generally give their caddies 10% of their prize money, on top of what else they are paid.

That means the winner’s caddie can expect a one-off payment of $1m from his boss’ earnings – over $400,000 more than even the winner of the big DP World Tour event, the Husqvarna British Masters, earned.

That’s the same sum Tommy Fleetwood’s caddie Ian Finnis is thought to have earned after he helped the Englishman secure his maiden PGA Tour title at the 2025 event.

The caddies of players finishing further down the leaderboard are also expected do well financially out of the week.

Caddies of players finishing elsewhere in the top 10 are expected to receive around 7% of the prize money, with around 5% going to the caddies of other players in the field.

If there’s a solo runner-up at the Tour Championship, the player will win $5m. If his caddie receives 7% of that, it would hand them around $350,000.

Even JJ Spaun, who withdrew on Thursday through injury, will claim at least $355,000 for finishing the FedExCup in 30th place, meaning his caddie Mark Carens is set for a $17,750.

The was the year the FedExCup was established, the culmination of a season-long pursuit to be recognized as the PGA Tour’s champion each year.

However, the Memphis-headquartered company’s association with the PGA Tour began long before then, in 1986.

That year, the St. Jude Memphis Classic became the Federal Express St. Jude Classic (although it's not to be confused with the FedEx St. Jude Championship, which was established as a Playoffs event in 2022, taking the place of The Northern Trust).

The company continued as the title sponsor right up until the inception of the FedExCup, at which point the event became the Stanford St. Jude Championship before a two-year spell as the St. Jude Classic.

By 2011, FedEx was best known for its sponsorship of the Playoffs, although for a period of seven years, it took on title sponsorship honors for the Memphis-based tournament once again, with the St. Jude Classic renamed the FedEx St. Jude Classic, before its run ended in 2018.

Even then, the company continued holding the dual role of title sponsor of the Playoffs and a specific event, putting its name to the WGC Invitational from 2019 until 2021, the year before the FedEx St. Jude Championship that we know today was established.

That is a detailed way of making a simple point: FedEx has had involvement as a PGA Tour sponsor in some form or other for 40 unbroken years.

However, there is a chance its association with the circuit could be coming to an end.

FedEx agreed its current 10-year extension for naming rights of the Playoffs in 2017 in a deal reportedly worth around $650m. As a result, it is guaranteed as the sponsor of the Playoffs through the end of 2027.

Its agreement as the title sponsor of the TPC Southwind Playoffs event also expires at the same time.

However, 2028 marks the start of the revamped PGA Tour, featuring it’s tiered Championship Series and Challenger Series.

From 2028, it will be all change at the end of the main PGA Tour season, too. The PGA Tour Championship Series Finale will mark the final event giving a chance for players to finish in the top 90 of the season-long points list, thereby guaranteeing PGA Tour status.

Of those, the top 32 will progress to a new-look Tour Championship to be held over two weeks.

In his press conference before the East Lake tournament, PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp revealed that the finer details for the concluding events of the season-long race, including bonus money and sponsorship, are a work in progress, saying: “We continue to work on the details, including sponsorship and other things.”

So, does FedEx have a future with the PGA Tour beyond 2027? That remains unclear.

A statement released by the PGA Tour in August read: “We are grateful to FedEx for all it contributes to the sport, and the positive impact they make in the community, including in Memphis with St. Jude.

“As we implement a new competitive model and map out our schedule for 2028 and beyond, we believe Memphis is well-positioned to remain part of the PGA Tour.”

However, it was also confirmed that the FedEx St. Jude Championship will not be part of the Championship Series.

Rolapp was also non-committal on the company’s future with the PGA Tour, saying it has been “an amazing partner” and “we’re in an existing contract, and we’re going to honor that.”

The company then released its own statement, although it also didn't offer guarantees over its future as a PGA Tour sponsor.

It read: “While we are disappointed the FedEx St. Jude Championship will not be part of the new Championship Series, we are encouraged by their plans to find other opportunities to bring professional golf to Memphis.

“Regardless of the tournament’s next chapter, our commitment to Memphis is unwavering. We will find new ways to partner with St. Jude to advance their mission, and we will continue making new investments in this great city we call home.”

The pair sit at 10-under-par, while Collin Morikawa and Chris Gotterup are one back at nine-under and Cameron Young and World No.1, Scottie Scheffler, are two back at eight-under.

In fact, the day belonged to Young, who started the second round on Friday dead last, before an eight-under-par round of 62 vaulted him from one end of the leaderboard to the other.

On Saturday, Young is paired alongside Scheffler, who is searching for his second Tour Championship victory in three seasons. They tee off at 2.31pm local time (EDT).

Another former champion, in Hovland, is alongside Gerard at 2.55pm in the final pairing. Prior to the duo getting their third rounds underway, Morikawa and Gotterup tee off 2.43pm.

Justin Rose, Matt Fitzpatrick, Adam Scott and Ludvig Aberg are seven-under and tee off at 2.19pm and 2.07pm.

Four players, including Champion Golfer of the Year, Ryan Fox, find themselves six-under, while a further five players are five-under-par.

Check out the full third round tee times for the Tour Championship below.

Tour Championship Round Three Tee Times

All times local EDT

• 11.55am: Robert MacIntyre
• 12.07pm: Kristoffer Reitan, Hideki Matsuyama
• 12.19pm: Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele
• 12.31pm: Si Woo Kim, Rory McIlroy
• 12.43pm: Wyndham Clark, Tommy Fleetwood
• 1.01pm: Min Woo Lee, Alex Fitzpatrick
• 1.13pm: Alex Smalley, Tom Kim
• 1.25pm: Russell Henley, Jacob Bridgeman
• 1.37pm: Ryan Fox, Akshay Bhatia
• 1.49pm: Sam Burns, Gary Woodland
• 2.07pm: Adam Scott, Ludvig Aberg
• 2.19pm: Justin Rose, Matt Fitzpatrick
• 2.31pm: Cameron Young, Scottie Scheffler
• 2.43pm: Collin Morikawa, Chris Gotterup
• 2.55pm: Ryan Gerard, Viktor Hovland

Following the backlash to the commercial for a Good Good co-branded Callaway driver, which featured Garrett Clark barging fellow Good Good member Alexis Miestowski to the ground, the manufacturer severed ties with the golf entertainment brand.

However, that isn’t the end of the issue, with Good Good now confirming it has stepped away as the title sponsor of a new PGA Tour event scheduled for November as part of the FedExCup Fall.

A statement from Good Good reads: “After thoughtful discussions with the PGA Tour and careful reflection, we have decided to step away as sponsor of the event in Austin this fall.

"We recognise that we have work to do as an organisation, and our focus right now is on our team, our culture and ensuring we learn from the situation.

"We are grateful for our relationship with the PGA Tour and appreciate their partnership over the years. We remain committed to earning black trust, and we hope to work together again in the future.”

The tournament, which is due to be played between November 12th and the 15th, had been named the Good Good Championship.

The PGA Tour has confirmed that the event will still take place at Omni Barton Creek Fazio Canyons Golf Course, with details on sponsorship plans to be confirmed.

A statement from the PGA Tour reads: "The PGA Tour has been informed of Good Good Golf’s decision to step away as sponsor of the event in Austin, Texas this fall.

"We agree with the decision to use this time to focus on their organization and the work ahead.

"The PGA Tour believes in golf’s ability to bring people together and create a welcoming environment for all.

"The tournament will continue as scheduled from 12-15 November 2026, and we will provide an update on sponsorship plans at a later date."

Golf Channel later confirmed its upcoming Big Break show, partnered with Good Good will no longer air. The winner of the series was due to earn a spot in the Good Good Championship.

The news comes just two days after PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp addressed the issue at his Tour Championship press conference.

He said: “I think what we saw was concerning and is clearly not aligned with PGA Tour values. We take it very seriously. I think their initial response was disappointing.

“It was a bit defensive and late. But I think the responses are getting better.

“I think we've seen some things this morning, we've had some conversations with them, so we'll continue to monitor and work with them going forward. But no, we were disappointed with what we saw.”

Following the release of the commercial, Jamie Klingler, the co-founder of women’s rights group Reclaim These Streets, told the Telegraph's Golf Correspondent James Corrigan: “The PGA should cut ties with Good Good.

“According to the World Health Organisation, one in three women will experience physical and/or sexual violence at the hands of a partner in their lifetimes and here is Good Good endorsing domestic violence with a younger audience segment.”

Among the records he holds either outright or shares are the highest number of PGA Tour victories, the number of consecutive cuts made, total weeks as World No.1 and consecutive weeks at the top of the world rankings.

Another list Woods sits proudly at the top of is the PGA Tour career money list, which tallies the total money he has earned on the circuit since his first professional start at the 1996 Greater Milwaukee Open.

In fact, Woods has held the top spot for more than a quarter of a century - or February 13, 2000, to be precise, after he won $264,000 for his T2 finish at the Buick Invitational. However, he is in serious danger of losing that position in just a few days.

Woods’s overall PGA Tour career earnings stand at $120,999,166. His nearest rival is Scottie Scheffler, who is now just $608,505 away from Woods’s total, with career earnings of $120,390,661.

The World No.1 even had a chance to surpass the 15-time Major winner at the BMW Championship.

At the Bellerive event, Scheffler would have overtaken Woods had he finished third to collect prize money of $1,300,000.

Not that he will be too worried about eventually catching the living legend. Indeed, he would do that if he finishes solo 13th or better at the Tour Championship, although it may not be enough to go top of the career money list.

The reason finishing that high up the East Lake leaderboard may stop him from taking the top spot is that another player also has the chance to surpass Woods at the event.

Rory McIlroy is third on the PGA Tour career money list with overall earnings of $117,848,372.

That was boosted by $1,360,000 for his finish of third at the BMW Championship, leaving him $3,150,794 short of Woods’s total.

With a purse of $40m at the Tour Championship, it leaves plenty of scope for McIlroy to climb to the top of the money list, depending on Scheffler’s performance.

To have a chance, he’ll need to finish no worse than solo fourth, which would earn him prize money of $3,200,000.

If we assume McIlroy finishes in that position, it won’t be enough to reach the top of the career money list if Scheffler places solo 11th or better.

However, there is one way for McIlroy to guarantee becoming the first player to knock Woods off the top spot for over 26 years - winning the Tour Championship.

Should McIlroy achieve that, and claim his fourth FedExCup title in the process, he'll earn $10,000,000, meaning even if Scheffler places solo second to earn $5,000,000, it won't be enough to catch the six-time Major winner.

Whatever the permutations at East Lake, it is surely only a matter of time until both Scheffler and McIlroy overtake Woods, with the only debate over which one will reach the top first.

That’s because in recent years, Woods's PGA Tour schedule has become increasingly limited due to a succession of injuries.

Meanwhile, he hasn’t played at all in 2026 following a spell in rehab after being involved in a car accident in March.

PGA Tour Career Money List Top 10

There have been several iterations through the years, including changes to the number of Playoffs events.

Originally, four tournaments were played to determine the champion, although that was reduced to three in 2019. The controversial Starting Strokes format was also brought in that year for the finale, the traditional Tour Championship, before being abolished in 2025.

Throughout all the changes, the objective has remained the same - to crown the PGA Tour’s season-long champion.

Since its inception, there have been 16 different winners, with Tiger Woods claiming the first of his two titles in the inaugural edition.

There has been just one other multiple winner of the FedExCup, Rory McIlroy, who took the honours in 2016, 2019 and 2022.

One-time winners include Vijay Singh, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Dustin Johnson and Scottie Scheffler.

As the Playoffs head to their traditional conclusion at East Lake, Tommy Fleetwood defends his title, having memorably claimed his maiden PGA Tour title at last year’s Tour Championship, along with FedExCup honors.

But who else has lifted the famous trophy? Here are all the winners between 2007 and 2025.

FedExCup Winners: 2007-2025

• 2025 - Tommy Fleetwood
• 2024 - Scottie Scheffler
• 2023 - Viktor Hovland
• 2022 - Rory McIlroy
• 2021 - Patrick Cantlay
• 2020 - Dustin Johnson
• 2019 - Rory McIlroy
• 2018 - Justin Rose
• 2017 - Justin Thomas
• 2016 - Rory McIlroy
• 2015 - Jordan Spieth
• 2014 - Billy Horschel
• 2013 - Henrik Stenson
• 2012 - Brandt Snedeker
• 2011 - Bill Haas
• 2010 - Jim Furyk
• 2009 - Tiger Woods
• 2008 - Vijay Singh
• 2007 - Tiger Woods

However, there is far more to East Lake than the big event it hosts, with a long and checkered history that includes a brush with closure, several redesigns, philanthropy and a strong link with one of the all-time greats.

So, what exactly is there to know about the famous layout? Here are eight things about East Lake Golf Club you may not be familiar with...

More Than A Century Of History

East Lake was established in 1904 after the Atlanta Athletic Club, which was formed six years earlier, bought the land.

In 1906, seven holes were completed, with a further two coming later that year.

In 1907, the course was expanded to 17 holes, with the 18th following soon after. It hosted its first significant tournament, the Southern Amateur, that year.

Evidence of its origins can be seen at East Lake today, with the crest of Atlanta Athletic Club - which is now located at Johns Creek - on the front of the clubhouse.

The Home Course Of Bobby Jones

East Lake will forever be synonymous with one of the all-time greats – Grand Slam winner Bobby Jones.

He grew up across the street from the course and is said to have played his first and last rounds of golf there, the latter coming in 1948.

Jones and his father, "Colonel" Robert P. Jones, were also at the grand opening of the clubhouse and 18-hole course in 1908, while at the age of six, Jones won his first tournament at East Lake.

Jones’ father was also the president of East Lake between 1937 and 1942, a role Bobby took on between 1946 and 1947.

The clubhouse has replicas of the four trophies from Jones’s 1930 Grand Slam and a replica of his famous Calamity Jane putter, as well as other memorabilia.

Long-Time Host Venue Of The Tour Championship

East Lake has been the permanent home of the Tour Championship since 2004, but its history with the tournament goes back further.

It first hosted the event in 1998, when Hal Sutton beat Vijay Singh in a playoff. It was also the venue for Phil Mickelson’s win in 2000 and Singh’s 2002 victory.

Could the Tour Championship at East Lake soon become a thing of the past, though? That’s a possibility after the PGA Tour unveiled a new-look Tour Championship to take place across two weeks at different venues.

However, PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp also confirmed East Lake would remain on the radar, saying: “East Lake is very much in the consideration set for future Tour Championship events for sure.”

A Ryder Cup Venue

The Tour Championship is not the only big event hosted by East Lake. Most famously, it was also the venue for the 1963 Ryder Cup, where Arnold Palmer’s US team beat John Fallon’s Great Britain 23-9.

It remains the last Ryder Cup with a playing captain, with Palmer taking on both roles that year.

East Lake was also the host venue of the 1950 US Women’s Amateur and the 2001 US Amateur. In 2015, it began hosting collegiate tournament the East Lake Cup.

Multiple Redesigns

The course’s first architect was Tom Bendelow, but in 1913, five years after the grand opening, Donald Ross redesigned it. One of his changes was to ensure each nine finished near the clubhouse, which is still the case today.

Another redesign took place before the 1963 Ryder Cup, with George Cobb entrusted with making it more demanding.

Then, after a period of decline, Rees Jones restored and modernized the course in 1994 using Ross’ original design as his blueprint.

In 2023, the course underwent its latest extensive redesign at the hands of Andrew Green.

Using an aerial photograph from 1949 and on-the-ground photography from before the Ryder Cup renovation, he reshaped the greens, repositioned bunkers and restored the natural contours.

An Island Green

TPC Sawgrass' island green may be the most famous in the US, but East Lake has one of the oldest.

In fact, it is thought to be the oldest island green still in continuous use after the demise of an older one at Baltusrol.

The green is on the par-3 15th and, like the island green at TPC Sawgrass, it is actually a peninsula.

The green complex dates to Tom Bendelow’s original East Lake course, but as part of Andrew Green's redesign, he removed a bunker on the green, leaving a greater possibility of balls running down the slope and finding the water.

From Decline To Revival

East Lake very nearly disappeared. In the late 1960s, the neighborhood surrounding the course fell into decline, ultimately leading to the Atlanta Athletic Club to sell its No.2 course and relocate to its current home at Johns Creek.

The former No.2 course was developed into a public housing project, but further urban decline hit the area in the 1980s, with the course falling victim to the malaise and all but forgotten.

It was revitalised after local businessman Tom Cousins purchased East Lake in 1993 and set about restoring the course and the surrounding area.

Philanthropic Mission

That ambition is still evident today via the East Lake Foundation, whose work supports public housing projects in the city.

Thanks to Tom Cousins’ vision, profits from the club go to the East Lake Foundation.

That’s something Brian Rolapp doesn’t see changing, even when East Lake is no longer the permanent home of the Tour Championship.

He said: “I would say this bluntly about the East Lake Foundation. Wherever the competitive format in the Championship Series ends up, we are going to continue our support of East Lake Foundation.

"So I think - I'm hoping that with our new model, we are able to do it better and more impactful.”

FedExCup champion of 2023 Viktor Hovland takes a one-shot lead over Ryan Gerard into the final round. They will be the final pairing, off at 1.50pm ET (6.50pm BST).

As the halfway co-leaders, these two had played together on Saturday. The penultimate group is also the same as on Saturday: Ludvig Åberg and Adam Scott. They are three shots off the lead in joint third place with Scottie Scheffler and Chris Gotterup.

Three-time Tour Championship winner Rory McIlroy is five shots off the lead, tied with reigning Players Champion Cam Young. This pair are off at 1.14pm ET.

In this guide, Golf Monthly brings you all the details on how to watch the Tour Championship 2026 online, on TV, and from anywhere in the world.

▶︎ Read More: Tour Championship 2026 Best Bets

Watch Tour Championship 2026 from anywhere

If you are outside your usual country, you can still access the streaming services you subscribe to, even when you're away from home, thanks to a handy piece of software known as a VPN.

Our expert colleagues over at TechRadar have tested loads of VPNs and they reckon NordVPN is the best VPN provider out there right now.

How to watch Tour Championship 2026 in the US

In the US this week, TV coverage for the Tour Championship is spread across ESPN Select, the Golf Channel and CBS.

ESPN Select (PGA TOUR LIVE) is available each day of the tournament showing a combination of the main feed and selected groups and holes.

PGA TOUR LIVE on ESPN Select:
Marquee group:
12:20pm ET (5.20pm BST): Wyndham Clark, Matt Fitzpatrick

Featured groups:
11.02am (4.02pm): Patrick Cantlay, Kristoffer Reitan
11.14am (4.14pm): Hideki Matsuyama, Robert MacIntyre

Featured holes:
15th (par 3), 17th (par 4)

The Golf Channel is also showing the first two days as well as early coverage of Rounds 3 and 4. You can access the channel through cord-cutting services like YouTube TV (free trial), Hulu + Live TV (free trial) and Sling (cheapest monthly option).

CBS will take over full coverage of Saturday and Sunday from 2.30pm and 1.30pm respectively. The best way to access CBS's coverage is via Paramount+ where you will need the Premium Package ($13.99/month)

You can find the full TV schedule below.

How to watch Tour Championship 2026 in the UK

The Tour Championship will be available on Sky Sports in the UK. The action will be shown on the dedicated golf channel, Sky Sports Golf, with some of the play also being shown on Sky Sports Main Event.

Prices start at £22/month for Sky Sports on top of an existing Sky TV plan, while you can also stream all the action on NOW Sports. Prices start at £14.99/day.

Need to know more? Check out our dedicated how to watch golf in the UK page.

How to watch Tour Championship 2026 in Australia

In Australia you can watch the Tour Championship on Fox Sports and Kayo. Fox Sports will carry TV coverage on Fox Sports 503, while Kayo Sports will offer live streaming of all four days.

Kayo Sports plans start at AU$30/month, though you can get a 7-day trial for just AU$1.

How to watch Tour Championship 2026 in Canada

In Canada, live action of the Tour Championship 2026 is being broadcast by CTV 2 and TSN.

CTV 2 is available for free by entering your TV provider login details on Crave.

To access TSN you can either add it to your cable package or stream via TSN+ with subscriptions starting from CA$29.99/month for the Direct streaming package.

Tour Championship Tee Times: Final Round

Times in EDT (BST). Scores to par after 54 holes in brackets.

• 10.50am (3.50pm): Alex Smalley (-3)
• 11.02am (4.02pm): Patrick Cantlay (-4), Kristoffer Reitan (-3)
• 11.14am (4.14pm): Robert MacIntyre (-4), Hideki Matsuyama (-4)
• 11.26am (4.26pm): Akshay Bhatia (-5), Gary Woodland (-5)
• 11.38am (4.38pm): Ryan Fox (-6), Xander Schauffele (-5)
• 11.56am (4.56pm): Tom Kim (-7), Collin Morikawa (-7)
• 12.08pm (5.08pm): Tommy Fleetwood (-7), Alex Fitzpatrick (-7)
• 12.20pm (5.20pm): Matt Fitzpatrick (-8), Wyndham Clark (-7)
• 12.32pm (5.32pm): Si Woo Kim (-8), Justin Rose (-8)
• 12.44pm (5.44pm): Jacob Bridgeman (-9), Sam Burns (-9)
• 1.02pm (6.02pm): Min Woo Lee (-9), Russell Henley (-9)
• 1.14pm (6.14pm): Rory McIlroy (-10), Cameron Young (-10)
• 1.26pm (6.26pm): Scottie Scheffler (-12), Chris Gotterup (-12)
• 1.38pm (6.38pm): Ludvig Åberg (-12), Adam Scott (-12)
• 1.50pm (6.50pm): Viktor Hovland (-15), Ryan Gerard (-14)

Tour Championship 2026 TV Schedule

Sunday 30th August - Round Four:
US (ET): 12pm-1.30pm (Golf Channel), 1.30pm-6pm (CBS)
UK (BST): 5pm-11pm (Sky Sports Golf) & 7.30pm-11pm (Sky Sports Main Event)
Australia (AEST): Monday 1am-8am (Fox Sports 503 /Kayo)
Canada (ET): 12pm-1.30pm (TSN Premium), 1.30pm-6pm (TSN1/CTV2)

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Just 30 names will tee it up at the $40 million event, with Tommy Fleetwood looking to replicate his success from 2025, where he earned a three-stroke victory over Russell Henley and Patrick Cantlay.

Prior to the first tee shot being struck, we crunched the numbers to find out what drivers all 30 players will be using in Atlanta, Georgia and, with multiple brands present, we were interested to find out what irons will be in play for the world's best at the finale.

A mix of brand staffers and equipment-free agents have made the Tour Championship, so check out the full breakdown below...

Every Iron Players Are Using At The 2026 Tour Championship

Top Brands Used At The 2026 Tour Championship

Leading the way is Titleist, which has seven different sets of irons in play among 18 different bags.

As expected, players will often use more forgiving options at the top-end of the set-up, with the T350, T250 and T200 present within the bags of Wyndham Clark, Ludvig Aberg and Adam Scott.

At the lower-end, you'll find more muscle back designs that, although not as forgiving, provide more control and workability in the scoring section.

A total of seven players have Titleist T100 irons in play, while Cameron Young, for example, has his own prototype set of 631.CY irons, which were custom made to his specs.

Speaking of custom models, Rory McIlroy has a set of TaylorMade Rors Protos, with TaylorMade sitting alongside Callaway in terms of featuring in 11 bags apiece.

In total, there are nine different sets of TaylorMade irons in the 11 bags, with five different P Series models - P7TW, P7CB, P730, P760 and P770 - present among the set-ups.

It's not just new models that feature either, as Jacob Bridgeman has a decade-old TP UDI in play, which was used during his Genesis Invitational victory back in February.

Callaway, meanwhile, has seven different sets of irons in the bags of the PGA Tour's best, with the make-up being either Apex or X Forged models.

X Forged can be found at the top order of the bags, while the Apex, such as the MB and TCB, will be found towards the lower order where control and workability is needed.

Not far behind TaylorMade and Callaway is Srixon, which is part of eight different golf bags, including World No.1 Scottie Scheffler's, who has a Srixon ZU85 that dates back to 2018.

Ping has a respectable six in play, with four different sets that range from the brand new i240, all the way to the Ping S55 in Matt Fitzpatrick's bag, a set that is over 13-years-old.

Arguably, the biggest gear story of the year involved Justin Rose and his move to McLaren Golf.

The US Open winner signed with the Formula 1 brand at the end of April, with Rose helping to develop the new irons, which are called the Series 1 and Series 3.

Since moving to the company, he registered a top 10 at the PGA Championship, as well as four other top 25s, including a T11th at the US Open and a T12th at the Memorial Tournament.

Rounding out the remaining brands is Cobra, with Gary Woodland using the King Tour and King MB in his set-up. The American also has a Wilson Staff Model Utility 3-iron.

Chris Gotterup, who has three wins in 2026, is the only player using Bridgestone irons, specifically a set of Tour B 220 MB.

The story was first reported by Golfweek’s Eamon Lynch, and the 55-year-old has released a statement via the PGA Tour, where he admits to “placing small recreational wagers on golf,” in violation of the circuit’s policy.

The statement reads: "In 2024 and 2025, I unknowingly violated the PGA Tour policy by placing small recreational wagers on golf.

"I want to be clear that these wagers were not placed on regular PGA Tour events, PGA Tour Champions events or any tournament in which I participated."

"I would never knowingly violate the integrity of the game of golf. I made an honest mistake and I look forward to playing in 2027 on the PGA Tour Champions."

The violation is covered in section two of the PGA Tour Integrity Program Manual with Betting on Professional Golf Events among the prohibited practices listed.

It describes the violation as "Any Covered Person, directly or indirectly, Betting on the outcome or any other aspect of any PGA Tour Event, any other professional golf competition or any elite amateur golf competition (including Olympic Golf) anywhere in the world (“Professional Golf Event”).

"In this Manual, ”Betting” means placing any money or other thing of value on the occurrence of an uncertain outcome with the expectation of return.

"For clarity, for purposes herein, “Betting” includes betting or trading on any platform that the Tour determines to mimic sports betting (e.g., prediction markets, futures contracts)."

The suspension relates to all PGA Tour-sanctioned events.

Gogel turned professional in 1994 and won six times on the Nike Tour before his one PGA Tour title, which came when he beat Pat Perez by three shots at the 2002 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

In recent seasons, he has been playing on the PGA Tour Champions. Gogel played 18 times on the circuit in 2026, making the cut in each start. He also placed T2 at the ISPS Handa Senior Open, behind winner Jerry Kelly.

His most recent PGA Tour Champions appearance came at last week's Rogers Charity Classic, where he placed T30.

Last year, Tommy Fleetwood claimed his first PGA Tour victory via a three stroke win, with the Englishman taming East Lake Golf Club to produce one of the feel-good stories of the year.

For 2026, Fleetwood returns after finishing ninth in the FedEx Cup standings, with the defending champion one of the headliners in a field that contains Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy.

Like any golf course, to excel at East Lake you need a good all-round game but, interestingly, Fleetwood's victory in 2025 went against the grain in terms of statistics off the tee.

Since 2021, when Patrick Cantlay lifted the coveted title, every player has ranked inside the top five when it comes to Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, with Viktor Hovland and Scheffler leading the statistic for their wins in 2023 and 2024.

When it comes to Fleetwood, though, he bucked the trend with numbers that had him 23rd in the 30-man field.

In fact, over the four rounds in Atlanta, Georgia, the Ryder Cup star lost over a shot off the tee, with the putter saving Fleetwood, as he gained eight shots to rank first in that aspect.

But despite that, driving is still a crucial skill to have at East Lake and will play a key role in success at the Tour Championship, which is why we have taken a look at what drivers the world's best will be using off the tee at the final event of the 2026 season.

Check out the table and full breakdown below...

Every Driver Players Are Using At The 2026 Tour Championship

Top Brands Used At The 2026 Tour Championship

In total, a third of the field will be using Titleist drivers, with the brand not only the most successful during the 2026 PGA Tour season, but also the most popular when it comes to the Tour Championship.

Although 10 Titleist drivers are present, there are a total of seven different heads represented.

The new GTS3 is being used by Cameron Young and Tom Kim, the GT3 by Ryan Gerard and JJ Spaun, while the TSi3, which was released in 2020, is in the bag of Matt Fitzpatrick and Russell Henley.

Rounding out the remaining Titleist drivers are the GTS2, GTS4, GT2 and the TSR2.

TaylorMade and Callaway have six players using its drivers each, with the Qi4D Core and the LS the two TaylorMade drivers of choice for the PGA Tour's top 30.

Callaway, interestingly, have four different heads in play, ranging from the brand new Quantum Triple Diamond, all the way to the Rogue ST, which Akshay Bhatia has had in his set-up since 2022.

Ping's G440 LST and Max models are used by five players, while Srixon's ZXi RKT LS+ is in the bag of two players - Hideki Matsuyama and Ryan Fox.

Cobra rounds out the last brand represented in East Lake, as Gary Woodland wields the Cobra OPTM Max K.

What Is The Most Popular Driver Model At The 2026 Tour Championship?

Titleist may be the most popular brand, but it's the TaylorMade Qi4D Core that is the most popular model, as Scheffler, McIlroy, Wyndham Clark and Jacob Bridgeman use the driver.

Callaway's Quantum Triple Diamond is used by three players, while the Ping G440 LST is also used by the same number.

Details of the revamp were announced ahead of this week’s event at East Lake, with the new-look event to take place in a match play format over two weeks and at different venues.

He said: "I think the PGA Tour and the Future Competition Committee and Brian [Rolapp] and everyone involved have really taken on board what the fans have been calling for and have wanted, which is match play.

"Brian took me through the plan last week for the first time. I didn't really know anything about it.

“It's certainly different. Two weeks, two different venues. But it's cool. I think they've taken a big swing, and conceptually, I think I really like it.”

In total, 32 players will qualify for the Tour Championship via the season-long points list, with half progressing to week two.

McIlroy added: “The first week will be great trying to get into that top 16, and then the second week, I think for me, one thing I said to Brian is you really want to win a few matches in that second week.

“It's going to be hard for some guys to be playing match play and playing for 14th position or whatever it is.”

Under a wider PGA Tour revamp, which will see tiers introduced with the top-level Championship Series and the Challenger Series, the season-long winner will be recognized at the event before the Tour Championship.

That will be at the PGA Tour Championship Series Finale, which McIlroy also likes the sound of.

He added: “I think all the incentives are there, and the regular season champion is going to be adequately rewarded after that final stroke-play event, and then the Tour Championship match play is going to be completely different.

“But I think it's sort of a departure from what we've had the last few years, but I do think it'll be a great thing.”

The new-look PGA Tour schedule is likely to have knock-on effects for other circuits, not least the DP World Tour, and McIlroy believes it offers an opportunity to help incentivize players to compete on the Europe-based circuit.

He explained: “I think if the PGA Tour are going to play from February through to August, the DP World Tour have five months where, with the help of the PGA Tour and maybe some others, can really shine and really shine a spotlight on international golf and put on some of the biggest sort of international events in golf.”

Later, he went into more detail, adding: “I think with what the PGA Tour has been through with changing its competitive model and its structure, I think if the DP World Tour could do something similar, where you host all of your best events in that five-month time frame.

“It would allow guys to take up membership, to then have something to play for at the end of the DP World Tour season, if they choose to do that.

“Because this Tour is not starting until February it looks like in 2028, that means you could put the final events of the DP World Tour season in January.

“So people could actually go over, whether it's to the Middle East or elsewhere, to play those final two events, if that was something that was interesting to them, and then also could be at their first couple of events of the season to make sure they're ready to go for the Championship Series in 2028.”

Of course, McIlroy has a foot in both camps, which has limited his PGA Tour involvement in 2026, something he doesn’t envisage changing.

He said: “I think the thing is I play at least 22 times around the world in a calendar year, which is as much if not more than some of the other top players in the world.

“It's just that I limit my schedule in the US because I have a heavy schedule in the fall internationally.

“I would like to keep that number around that same mark, like 20 to 22 events. That seems to be a good number for me.

“If I'm committed to playing that sort of heavier schedule in the fall to go over to the DP World Tour and support that, then yeah, my schedule on the PGA Tour is going to be quite light compared to some others.”

‘Leave Amateurs Alone. Bifurcate. I’m All For Bifurcation’

McIlroy also touched on a subject never top far from rearing its head: the golf ball rollback.

Initially, plans were in place to ensure elite-level golfers used conforming balls by January 2028, shortly before the new-look PGA Tour is scheduled to begin.

However, in June it was confirmed a rollback will not be introduced at any level of the game before January 2030.

Regardless, McIlroy believes regulation of the equipment is needed, in whatever form that may take.

He said: “Yes, it may take a couple extra years to figure out what the need is, but I think everyone agrees that the equipment needs to be regulated. It needs to be regulated. It just can't keep carrying on at the rate it's going. Not at the elite level.

“Leave amateurs alone. Bifurcate. I'm all for bifurcation.

"But I think at this level, to keep some of those golf courses relevant that we want to go to and we're talking about, I think equipment, whether that's ball, whether that's club, whatever that means, I think it has to be regulated to a higher degree than it is at the minute.”

The PGA Tour continues to drip-feed announcements over its new-look 2028 season, where there will be a two-tier system with the Championship and Challenger Series, and the latest update was a big one.

The circuit confirmed its season-finale Tour Championship will be a two-event match play shootout in 2028, following the 'Championship Series' winner confirmed at the final regular season event.

Stage one of the revamped 'postseason' will see 32 players, in eight groups of four, compete one-on-one in in match play, with the top two from each group, so 16 players in total, progressing to the following week's finale.

There, the season finale will be a four-round event with the players competing in each round - so not standard knock-out.

Players advance through the bracket based on their win-loss record, with the final two undefeated players battling to be crowned 'Tour Champion' and the other players competing to determine the final championship standings.

Thanks to smaller fields, the PGA Tour says it can rotate the two-week Tour Championship around "prestigious venues, including courses the modern PGA Tour has not traditionally been able to feature."

It all sounds promising, so what do our tour experts think? And what do you think? Let us know in the comments section. Below, our writers give their initial verdicts...

I've been crying out for match play to return to the professional circuits and, finally, it has been delivered!

For me, the changes in 2028 sound good and were certainly needed, given that the current format is stale and doesn't work whatsoever.

Time will tell as to what venues will be used, which will obviously be a big factor in the success of the new format and, like anything new, there will be positives and negatives.

In my opinion, though, I've never really seen the point of the Playoffs, as it always feels like manufactured drama. At least now we have a different format to the 72-hole stroke play event that we see week in, week out.

If I were to nitpick, I'd say the eight groups of four could be slightly anticlimactic. There's a chance of some dead rubber games that don't mean anything.

This could be the English football (soccer) fan coming out in me, but I think a random draw among the 32 would add intrigue. It would be a bit like the FA Cup, a competition where you don't know who will face who and there are opportunities for some headline matches or huge upsets.

This change is a big step in the right direction though, and I can't wait to see it in play when it comes round to 2028.

My initial take is one of apathy, if I'm honest.

I'm not sure I fully understand the reimagined Tour Championship concept right off the bat, and if I do, I'm not sure I'm really in love with it.

It's certainly a positive that participation in the Championship Series Finale is mandatory to gain all the relevant rewards, but why would players want to compete in the standalone two-week match play tournament afterwards unless there's a ridiculous payout on the line?

On a similar note, I hope the Championship Series Finale doesn't offer silly points to dramatically change the order of the season's rankings based off one week.

If the points and payout are similar to a Major, fine. But I don't want them to be significantly higher so that someone who's only had a few good weeks ends up usurping the most consistent player just to create a bit of inauthentic drama at the last.

If Scottie Scheffler has run away with the title long before that, so be it. That's sport.

Moving on, the match play version of the Tour Championship seems a touch complicated in the second week when surely straight knockout would be simpler?

It's likely been formulated this way to satisfy TV coverage, which I understand, but I don't think it backs up the PGA Tour's claim the season-ending structure will be easier to follow.

Overall, this concept doesn't seem to strike the right chord with me.

Perhaps when I see it take place I will change my mind somewhat, but at this stage two years out, I don't think I love the look of the new season-ending structure...

My original reaction to the new Tour Championship format is a cautious one.

I'm pleased to see an element of match play coming in, but with all of this talk of going to famous venues, I wonder how famous we are talking here?

Pine Valley level famous? Or will it be Liberty National or Quail Hollow and leave us all disappointed?

As for the format, they may well have nailed it.

A separate Tour Championship trophy and FedEx Cup/season-long trophy should have always been the way to go.

The Tour Championship will now be an exciting match play tournament but the points winner rightfully wins the overall season championship - Patrick Cantlay might win both this week, which would be as hilarious as it would feel wrong.

I'll let my thoughts marinate over the rest of the week as I digest more viewpoints, but all-in-all, I'm feeling cautious optimism.

My initial reaction is that I can't really fault what the PGA Tour has announced today.

I love that the Tour Championship will be played over two weeks. I think that's potentially a really clever idea and allows for a narrative to build and some real anticipation for week two.

The four-man groups should make for plenty of entertainment with genuine implications as only the top two make it through.

There will be playoffs where necessary, which will be very dramatic.

With only the circuit's top 32 advancing, and then just 16 making it to the finale, it will find the PGA Tour's best players over the season who are in form and have shown they excel in both the stroke play and match play formats. I love it.

Making a big deal out of the 'regular season' champion means the circuit can celebrate its no.1 player throughout the season and the 'postseason' winner separately, and I think that works far better than how it currently does.

And to make it even more exciting, the idea of prestigious, famous courses sounds excellent.

I was sceptical about the initial claim, but with just 32 or 16 men, and no need to worry about par or huge tournament builds, I think we could actually see the likes of Pine Valley, Cypress Point and some of America's elite courses. The USGA manage it for their events, so why can't the PGA Tour?

Maybe I'm being a bit too optimistic there? I guess we'll find out.

Brian Rolapp has come in and quickly realized that the Playoffs are broken, and he may well have fixed them. I am impressed.

What do you think about the PGA Tour's new 2028 Tour Championship plans? Join the conversation below.

The PGA Tour's best 30 players are in town and will be going head to head from a blank slate in 2026 with points reset and no starting strokes once again.

Whoever follows in Tommy Fleetwood's footsteps will earn themselves a cool $10 million (before tax) while also being able to call themselves the FedEx Cup champion.

But that's all in the future. What has already been decided is a whole heap of cash. After Wyndham Clark's victory at the BMW Championship, almost $90 million was awarded to the PGA Tour's top 50.

Just over $67 million ($67,175,000) will head towards those pro golfers in the immediate future while a notch over $20 million ($20,250,000) has been deferred.

Scottie Scheffler's win at the FedEx St Jude Championship in the opening round of the FedEx Cup Playoffs ensured he took home around a quarter of the overall figure.

Meanwhile, Matt Fitzpatrick wrapped up second place and the $13 million that goes with it. Clark, buoyed by his recent success, took third and a bonus of $8 million.

Following the BMW Championship, instant payouts of at least $50,000 found their way to each of the top 50 while the PGA Tour’s restructured FEC bonus system means that everyone from Matt McCarty upwards will enjoy a deferred payment of more than $225,000.

In addition, PGA Tour members who finished between 51st and 125th in the FedEx Cup points list earned no more than $195,000 but at least $100,000, taking the overall bonus payout to almost $100 million.

Below is the full breakdown of FedEx Cup bonus-pool payouts for each player inside the PGA Tour's top 50 in 2026.

FEDEX CUP BONUS MONEY PAYOUT 2026

There, he addressed a wide range of issues, from the chances of LIV Golfers making an immediate return to the PGA Tour to TV viewing figures and the revamped Tour Championship.

Here are six big talking points from Rolapp’s Q&A.

Continued Uncertainty For LIV Golfers

Rolapp confirmed there are no plans to revive the Returning Member Program, which was first introduced ahead of the 2026 season.

It offered the chance for certain LIV Golfers to resume their PGA Tour careers immediately, rather than face a 12-month suspension after their last LIV Golf start, with Brooks Koepka taking up the opportunity.

Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Smith were also eligible, but opted to stay on LIV Golf.

Much has changed in the eight months since the program was introduced, with the future of the circuit up in the air. However, Rolapp doesn't have plans to extend an olive branch a second time.

He said: “No, currently there's no current plans for Returning Member Program like you saw earlier this year.”

Rolapp was also non-committal on potential pathways for LIV Golfers to return to the PGA Tour, but confirmed they’d need to be clear of contractual obligations even to be considered.

He added: “We've been consistent. Anyone who's interested in coming to the PGA Tour needs to demonstrate that they are relieved of their contractual commitments or any tail obligations they might have in that legacy model."

Rory McIlroy’s PGA Tour Exemption

There have been some doubts over Rory McIlroy’s PGA Tour status, because, even after the Tour Championship, he would fall one start short of the minimum needed to retain his exemption.

However, Rolapp hinted that it is unlikely to hinder his future on the circuit.

He said: “I think in my position, I have a fair amount of discretion on this matter in the bylaws. I think having Rory participating in Memphis [for the FedEx St. Jude Championship] was great, and he continues to be here at the Tour Championship.

“I think the rule itself, which was your question, I think we are questioning looking at it. It's a rule that applies just to dual members. It's questionable if it even has a place in our new competitive model.

"I think it's one of many rules and regulations we will look at as we change the competitive model.”

All Change For The Tour Championship

Rolapp’s press conference came soon after the PGA Tour unveiled its new-look match play format for the Tour Championship.

From 2028, the Tour Championship will be held over two weeks at different venues, but Rolapp revealed its current home will still be on the radar.

He said: “East Lake is very much in the consideration set for future Tour Championship events for sure. We've had conversations with them. We'll have more meetings this week.”

He also answered a question on whether prize money will be awarded at the first of the two Tour Championship events.

“I think we're going to determine that," he said. "I think the one thing which I think will probably be determined closer to our November board meeting is the compensation model for the new model and for the new Tour Championship.”

Sponsor Interest In Revamped PGA Tour

The Tour Championship will come after the season-long PGA Tour Championship Series, the top tier of PGA Tour events.

Rolapp offered an update on how that is shaping up, saying: “We plan to announce the full 2028 PGA Tour Championship Series schedule on February 22nd at a new televised event hosted at our headquarters in Ponte Vedra Beach.”

He also said that, in addition to the seven confirmed Championship Series events, four more have been identified, which will be announced in the coming weeks.

Rolapp revealed the remaining four of the 15 events have plenty of interest from potential sponsors, saying: “We are currently in active discussions with 14 prospective partners.

Expanding on that interest, he said: “Well, it's a high-class problem. We're glad we have it. But I think it's not just financial, although that's a factor, of course.

“It's the quality of the golf course. It's the quality of the sponsor, what they can do for not only the tournament but the PGA Tour and how they continue to promote the sport and the Tour.

“I think it's the community; can they support a tournament. It's the charitable aspect of it; do we have that lined up right. So I think it's a portfolio of things.”

Good Good Commercial Controversy

Good Good has been facing a backlash following the publication of a controversial commercial for a Callaway driver, which saw Garrett Clark barging Alexis Miestowski to the ground.

The brand issued a statement apologizing for the commercial, with CEO Matt Kendrick later addressing the controversy in an interview with the Wall Street Journal.

The PGA Tour hosts the inaugural Good Good Championship in November, and Rolapp doesn’t think the brand responded quickly enough to the backlash, at least initially.

He said: “I think what we saw was concerning and is clearly not aligned with PGA Tour values. We take it very seriously. I think their initial response was disappointing.

“It was a bit defensive and late. But I think the responses are getting better.

“I think we've seen some things this morning, we've had some conversations with them, so we'll continue to monitor and work with them going forward. But no, we were disappointed with what we saw.”

PGA Tour On The Up

As well as striking an optimistic tone on the revamped PGA Tour, Rolapp was also upbeat on the here and now, specifically with regards to TV viewing figures and on-site attendance.

He said: “On television, this year was the most-watched regular season on the PGA Tour since 2018, with ratings up 19 percent year over year, and 40 percent higher than 2024.

“On-site attendance at PGA Tour events was up eight percent versus last year, marking our highest attendance in recent history, with at least seven events, including The Players Championship, hosting record attendance.”

The changes, which will come into effect from 2028, will conclude the new top tier of events, the Championship Series.

As previously confirmed, throughout the Championship Series, tournaments will feature 72 holes of strokeplay with a cut, with players accumulating points in each.

The top 90 on the season-long points list, who will retain their PGA Tour cards, will then progress to the PGA Tour Championship Series Finale.

It will follow the same format as the previous events in the season and will finalize the points list, where the season-long winner will be recognized. It will also set the field for the Tour Championship.

Only the top 32 players on the season-long list will progress to the Tour Championship, which will look very different from the familiar 72-hole strokeplay “starting strokes” format.

Instead, for the first time since the 2023 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, match play will be seen on the PGA Tour, with the Tour Championship being held over two weeks at different venues.

Currently, the tournament is held exclusively at East Lake, but from 2028, it will rotate between prestigious venues that have yet to be confirmed. However, per the PGA Tour release, it will include "courses the modern PGA Tour has not traditionally been able to feature.”

The first week will feature a three-round group stage with the 32 players in eight groups of four. The top two players from each group will advance to week two, with playoffs in the event of ties.

Week two of the Tour Championship will feature a four-round, match-play bracket to determine the Tour Champion. All 16 players will compete in all four rounds.

Players will advance through the bracket based on their win-loss record, with the final two undefeated players competing to be named Tour Champion.

The records of players over all four rounds will determine the final championship standings.

For details of the full schedule and venues for the Championship Series and Tour Championship, we will need to wait almost six months, with the courses to be confirmed on February 22nd 2027.

PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp said: "From the beginning, the goal of the Future Competition Committee was to create an easier-to-follow competitive model for our fans with greater consequence and a stronger season-long narrative.

"Throughout this process, we listened carefully to our fans, players and partners. One message came through clearly: the culmination of our season should be worthy of the journey it takes to get there.

“The result is a season-ending structure that rewards excellence over the course of the year while building toward a reimagined Tour Championship.

“We are creating something different, something distinct within professional golf that can resonate far beyond it."

Tiger Woods was one of the first to react to the news, with the 15-time Major winner writing on X: "The conclusion of the season should be worthy of the journey it takes to get there.

"Today’s announcement is a result of the hard work and passion of our players. Excited to usher in a new era of match play on the @PGATour."

What do you think of the new-look Tour Championship? Let us know in the comments.

The Tour Championship was first introduced in 2007 and, with a $40 million prize purse up for grabs, the very best of the PGA Tour will be battling it out for the victory.

Last year, Tommy Fleetwood claimed his maiden PGA Tour win via a thrilling final day, with the Englishman returning to defend his title after finishing ninth in the FedEx Cup standings.

For 2026, he will be paired alongside fellow European Ryder Cup player Ludvig Aberg, who finished 10th in the standings after a solid season that included eight top 10s.

Unlike other PGA Tour tournaments, only the first round tee times have been released, due to the fact that, for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, players will go out in scoring order.

Thursday's tee times are based off a player's position in the FedEx Cup standings, meaning Scottie Scheffler and Matt Fitzpatrick will bring up the rear after finishing first and second following the regulation season and Playoffs.

In terms of the pair, the Major winners get underway at 2pm local time (EDT), with plenty of eye-catching duos getting their rounds underway on Thursday.

Wyndham Clark and Cameron Young begin at 1.48pm, while multiple-time Major winners Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele tee off at 12.54pm.

Between those pairings, Fleetwood and Aberg are out at 1.12pm, Collin Morikawa and Sam Burns head out at 1.24pm, while Si Woo Kim and Chris Gotterup tee of at 1.36pm.

Because of what's on offer, the winner of the event at East Lake Golf Club will pocket the $10 million first prize, which is the largest paycheck for a single event in the golfing calendar.

Check out the full first round tee times for the PGA Tour's Tour Championship below.

Tour Championship Tee Times: Round One

All times EDT

• 11.00am: Tom Kim, Ryan Fox
• 11.12am: Justin Rose, Adam Scott
• 11.24am: Robert MacIntyre, Viktor Hovland
• 11.36am: Alex Smalley, Alex Fitzpatrick
• 11.48am: Min Woo Lee, JJ Spaun
• 12.06pm: Patrick Cantlay, Kristoffer Reitan
• 12.18pm: Ryan Gerard, Gary Woodland
• 12.30pm: Akshay Bhatia, Hideki Matsuyama
• 12.42pm: Jacob Bridgeman, Russell Henley
• 12.54pm: Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele
• 1.12pm: Tommy Fleetwood, Ludvig Aberg
• 1.24pm: Collin Morikawa, Sam Burns
• 1.36pm: Si Woo Kim, Chris Gotterup
• 1.48pm: Wyndham Clark, Cameron Young
• 2.00pm: Scottie Scheffler, Matt Fitzpatrick

The BMW Championship produced an exciting Sunday as Wyndham Clark took down Rory McIlroy to win his third title of the year, but for 20 players it marked the end of their campaigns.

The top 50 made it to Bellerive for the BMW, but only 30 advanced with Scottie Scheffler leading the standings heading into the Tour Championship.

FedExCup Playoffs: Who moved in and out?

Three men managed to play their way into the season finale and three dropped out, with Patrick Cantlay making the biggest move.

The two-time BMW Championship winner recorded his best finish of the season with a runner-up at Bellerive to jump from 43rd all the way up to 19th.

The 2021 FedExCup champion will now head to a happy hunting ground, having also finished T2nd last year at East Lake.

Robert MacIntyre also made it in, moving from 36th to 25th courtesy of a T7th finish. Gary Woodland was the third man to progress, with his T4 moving him from 31st to 18th.

There were three players to drop out, with the trio ranking 28th, 29th and 30th at the start of the BMW Championship losing their spots.

Rickie Fowler knew he was at risk starting to the week in 30th, and he fell to 34th following his T37 finish.

Bud Cauley was 29th at the start of the tournament but dropped outside to 34th after ending T44th, while Kurt Kitayama went from 28th to 31st despite a mid-field finish of T26th.

They were among the 20 players eliminated, with big names like Justin Thomas (43rd), Sungjae Im (37th), Jake Knapp (38th), Aaron Rai (39th), Sepp Straka (40th) and Ben Griffin (41st) also missing out.

Here's a full look at the 20 players eliminated from the FedExCup at the final hurdle...

FedExCup standings: the bubble and eliminated players

• 25th: Robert MacIntyre
• 26th: Viktor Hovland
• 27th: Justin Rose
• 28th: Adam Scott
• 29th: Tom Kim
• 30th: Ryan Fox
• CUT OFF FOR TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP
• 31st: Kurt Kitayama
• 32nd: JT Poston
• 33rd: Rickie Fowler
• 34th: Bud Cauley
• 35th: Nicolai Hojgaard
• 36th: Alex Noren
• 37th: Sunjgae Im
• 38th: Jake Knapp
• 39th: Aaron Rai
• 40th: Sepp Straka
• 41st: Ben Griffin
• 42nd: Maverick McNealy
• 43rd: Justin Thomas
• 44th: Michael Thorbjornsen
• 45th: Nico Echavarria
• 46th: Michael Brennan
• 47th: Ryo Hisatsune
• 48th: Sahith Theegala
• 49th: Eric Cole
• 50th: Matt McCarty

FedExCup Standings: Top 30 heading to East Lake

The format is simple this week, whoever shoots the lowest score over four rounds at East Lake wins. The champion will earn an official Tour Championship victory as well as the season-long prize and $10m.

Here are the 30 men teeing it up in Atlanta:

• 1st: Scottie Scheffler
• 2nd: Matt Fitzpatrick
• 3rd: Wyndham Clark
• 4th: Cameron Young
• 5th: Si Woo Kim
• 6th: Chris Gotterup
• 7th: Collin Morikawa
• 8th: Sam Burns
• 9th: Tommy Fleetwood
• 10th: Ludvig Aberg
• 11th: Rory McIlroy
• 12th: Xander Schauffele
• 13th: Jacob Bridgeman
• 14th: Russell Henley
• 15th: Akshay Bhatia
• 16th: Hideki Matsuyama
• 17th: Ryan Gerard
• 18th: Gary Woodland
• 19th: Patrick Cantlay
• 20th: Kristoffer Reitan
• 21st: Min Woo Lee
• 22nd: JJ Spaun
• 23rd: Alex Smalley
• 24th: Alex Fitzpatrick
• 25th: Robert MacIntyre
• 26th: Viktor Hovland
• 27th: Justin Rose
• 28th: Adam Scott
• 29th: Tom Kim
• 30th: Ryan Fox

With 18 holes to play in the BMW Championship, Wyndham Clark seemed poised to ease to his third title of the year.

The American has bounced back to his best form in style this season, putting the disappointments of 2025 firmly behind him with victories at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson and the US Open.

After 54 holes at Bellerive, Clark was firmly in control of proceedings again, leading by five with his sixth PGA Tour win looking like a formality.

In the end, Clark saw off the challenge of Patrick Cantlay by three, but that doesn’t tell the full story of a fascinating final round in Missouri.

In fact, until late on, Clark was nowhere near his best, and that allowed his playing partner Rory McIlroy the chance to close the gap.

The signs it may not be straightforward for Clark came early, when he made a bogey at the first as McIlroy made a birdie, reducing the deficit to three.

That was down to two at the turn after both McIlroy and Patrick Cantlay went out in one under, with Clark two over for the day.

Cantlay piled more pressure on Clark with a birdie at the 10th to move solo second, just one back of the lead, and when Clark bogeyed the 10th, he appeared to have lost all momentum.

However, further on, Cantlay gave him a reprieve, finding the water at the 11th, which led to a double bogey that moved McIlroy into solo second at 13 under, one back of Clark.

When Clark failed to make his first birdie of the day at the 11th, playing partner McIlroy made no mistake and the two co-led.

That’s how things stayed until the par-3 16th, when McIlroy missed his birdie chance and Clark’s putter finally began running hot, draining a 17-footer to break the deadlock.

Even then, with a par-5 next, McIlroy couldn’t be discounted, but rather than making the eagle or birdie he'd have craved, he got it all wrong.

First, McIlroy landed in the rough with his tee shot, then into a bunker with his second. Incredibly, it got even worse, with McIlroy finding another bunker with his third before leaving a difficult putt for par.

He missed it to gift Clark a two-shot lead, which became three when he made his second consecutive birdie to head to the 18th with a three-shot cushion.

That became two when Cantlay birdied the 18th, securing his place in the Tour Championship field in the process, but Clark was unmoved by the added pressure heaped on his shoulders.

In fact, Clark finished in style, wrapping things up with another birdie to win by three and keep him firmly in contention not only for the FedExCup, but PGA Tour Player of the Year honors.

Following the victory, Clark said: "It's hard to win. It's obviously hard too when you're up by five. You feel like the only thing you can do is blow it, essentially, unless someone shoots something really low."

Asked what his latest title proved, he said: "Well, man, I think it shows that I'm one of the best players in the world. I think - I know everyone maybe gives me a hard time and roots for other people, but I feel like I've kind of come into my own."

The final leg of the FedExCup Playoffs comes at next week's Tour Championship at East Lake, where just 30 will tee it up.

Aside from Cantlay, those who made it having begun the week outside the top 30 in the FedExCup standings, were Gary Woodland, thanks to his T4 and Robert MacIntyre, who placed T7.

BMW Championship Leaderboard

• 1st -17 Wyndham Clark
• 2nd -14 Patrick Cantlay
• 3rd -13 Rory McIlroy
• T4 -12 Gary Woodland
• T4 -12 Collin Morikawa
• T4 -12 Chris Gotterup
• T7 -10 Robert MacIntyre
• T7 -10 Maverick McNealy
• 9th -9 Jacob Bridgeman
• T10 -8 Michael Brennan
• T10 -8 Sungjae Im

The last of the Playoffs, which comes from East Lake, will feature just the top 30 in the FedExCup standings following the BMW Championship.

At the start of the week, 50 players were in the field at Bellerive, with the likes of Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay, Robert MacIntyre and Aaron Rai among the big names in danger of missing the FedExCup finale.

While the stakes are understandably high given the prestige and $40m purse that will be available in the final event of the Playoffs, there is some serious money on the table in Missouri this week, too.

In total, $20m will be available at the event, the same figure that was offered at the opening tournament of the Playoffs, the FedEx St. Jude Championship.

As a no-cut event, every player who completes all four rounds will earn prize money, making it one of the most lucrative tournaments of the PGA Tour season.

The winner will earn $3.6m, the same figure Scottie Scheffler banked last year, after he saw off the challenge of MacIntyre by two.

Any player finishing solo second will also earn a big payout, with $2.16m going to the runner-up - more than the winner earns at this week's LIV Golf Louisiana, which had its prize money dramatically reduced ahead of the event.

With just one round to play of the BMW Championship, Wyndham Clark had taken control of proceedings, leading by five as he closed in on his third win of the season and the $3.6m first prize.

Even for those with no realistic chance of making an impact towards the top of the leaderboard on Sunday, substantial payouts will be made. For example, the player finishing bottom of the leaderboard will receive a check for $66,000.

Below is the prize money payout for each position at the BMW Championship, before taking into account ties and how much each golfer will really see due to a variety of factors.

BMW Championship Prize Money Payout

A week ago, Scottie Scheffler dominated the FedEx St. Jude Championship to win by eight, and at the BMW Championship, Wyndham Clark leads Rory McIlroy and Patrick Cantlay by five shots at the 54-hole stage.

The US Open champion shot a 65 in the third round to take control of proceedings at 17 under as he closes in on his third win of the season. Clark is grouped with McIlroy in the final round, wth a tee time of 1.50pm EDT (6.50pm BST).

Unlike Clark and McIlroy, Cantlay began the week outside the top 30 in the FedExCup standings, leaving him work to do to ensure he reaches the Tour Championship.

The two-time winner of the BMW Championship needs to finish no worse than T7, and he shot a 66 in the third round to leave him on 12 under in T2. He will play alongside Chris Gotterup, on 11 under, in the final round. The pair begin at 1.39pm EDT (6.39pm BST).

Gary Woodland is also on 11 under, and he's grouped with Collin Morikawa in the final round, with the pair teeing it up at 1.28pm EDT (6.28pm BST).

Sungjae Im needs nothing less than solo eighth at Bellerive to make his way to East Lake for the Tour Championship, and with 18 holes left, he's seventh on nine under. He'll tee it up alongside Eric Cole, with the pair beginning at 1.17pm EDT (6.17pm BST).

Check out all the tee times for the final round here.

BMW Championship Tee Times: Final Round

All times EDT (BST)

• 9.06am (2.06pm): Jake Knapp, Nico Echavarria
• 9.17am (2.17pm): Ryan Fox, Tommy Fleetwood
• 9.28am (2.28pm): Sahith Theegala, Min Woo Lee
• 9.39am (2.39pm): Bud Cauley, Hideki Matsuyama
• 9.50am (2.50pm): Alex Fitzpatrick, Justin Rose
• 10.06am (3.06pm): Rickie Fowler, Si Woo Kim
• 10.17am (3.17pm): Tom Kim, J.T. Poston
• 10.28am (3.28pm): Nicolai Højgaard, Ben Griffin
• 10.39am (3.39pm): Kurt Kitayama, Kristoffer Reitan
• 10.50am (3.50pm): Xander Schauffele, Michael Thorbjornsen
• 11.06am (4.06pm): Matt McCarty, Adam Scott
• 11.17am (4.17pm): Viktor Hovland, Alex Smalley
• 11.28am (4.28pm): Sam Burns, Matt Fitzpatrick
• 11.39am (4.39pm): Sepp Straka, Aaron Rai
• 11.50am (4.50pm): Akshay Bhatia, Justin Thomas
• 12.06pm (5.06pm): Ludvig Åberg, Ryan Gerard
• 12.17pm (5.17pm): Scottie Scheffler, Cameron Young
• 12.28pm (5.28pm): Alex Noren, Robert MacIntyre
• 12.39pm (5.39pm): Russell Henley, Jacob Bridgeman
• 12.50pm (5.50pm): J.J. Spaun, Michael Brennan
• 1.06pm (6.06pm): Ryo Hisatsune, Maverick McNealy
• 1.17pm (6.17pm): Sungjae Im, Eric Cole
• 1.28pm (6.28pm): Gary Woodland, Collin Morikawa
• 1.39pm (6.39pm): Patrick Cantlay, Chris Gotterup
• 1.50pm (6.50pm): Wyndham Clark, Rory McIlroy

The US Open champion shot a 64 on Friday to lead the way as he looks for his third win of the season.

After completing an inspirational comeback to win the Texas Children's Houston Open in April, Woodland is in the hunt for his second title. The pair tee it up at 1.50pm EDT (6.50pm BST) in the third round.

The penultimate group features JJ Spaun, who is two back of Clark on 10 under, and Chris Gotterup, who begins Moving Day on nine under. They begin at 1.39pm EDT (6.39pm BST).

One of the big names still firmly in contention is Rory McIlroy. He co-led after the first round, but a one-under 69 on Friday wasn't enough for him to maintain that pace.

Still, on seven under, he's far from out of it. He'll play alongside Michael Thorbjornsen on Saturday, with a tee time of 1.17pm EDT (6.17pm BST).

Only the top 30 in the FedExCup standings make it to the Tour Championship. One of the players with work to do is Patrick Cantlay, who was 31st in the standings after the second round.

He's giving it a good go, though. Heading into the third round, two-time champion Cantlay was T6 on eight under. He'll play alongside Sungjae Im in the third round, with a tee time of 1.28pm (6.28pm).

Check out all the tee times for the third round here.

BMW Championship Tee Times: Round Three

All times EDT (BST)

• 9.06am (2.06pm): Sahith Theegala, Nicolai Højgaard
• 9.17am (2.17pm): Bud Cauley, Nico Echavarria
• 9.28am (2.28pm): Ben Griffin, Tom Kim
• 9.39am (2.39pm): Min Woo Lee, Sepp Straka
• 9.50am (2.50pm): Ryan Fox, Hideki Matsuyama
• 10.06am (3.06pm): J.T. Poston, Kurt Kitayama
• 10.17am (3.17pm): Alex Noren, Rickie Fowler
• 10.28am (3.28pm): Aaron Rai, Si Woo Kim
• 10.39am (3.39pm): Sam Burns, Jake Knapp
• 10.50am (3.50pm): Jacob Bridgeman, Alex Fitzpatrick
• 11.06am (4.06pm): Alex Smalley, Tommy Fleetwood
• 11.17am (4.17pm): Matt Fitzpatrick, Matt McCarty
• 11.28am (4.28pm): Robert MacIntyre, Scottie Scheffler
• 11.39am (4.39pm): Justin Rose, Cameron Young
• 11.50am (4.50pm): Adam Scott, Ludvig Åberg
• 12.06pm (5.06pm): Xander Schauffele, Ryan Gerard
• 12.17pm (5.17pm): Akshay Bhatia, Eric Cole
• 12.28pm (5.28pm): Michael Brennan, Ryo Hisatsune
• 12.39pm (5.39pm): Justin Thomas, Kristoffer Reitan
• 12.50pm (5.50pm): Collin Morikawa, Viktor Hovland
• 1.06pm (6.06pm): Russell Henley, Maverick McNealy
• 1.17pm (6.17pm): Michael Thorbjornsen, Rory McIlroy
• 1.28pm (6.28pm): Sungjae Im, Patrick Cantlay
• 1.39pm (6.39pm): J.J. Spaun, Chris Gotterup
• 1.50pm (6.50pm): Wyndham Clark, Gary Woodland

The proposed new investor in the league has been given a full briefing but some public details are still a bit sketchy about just what form this LIV Golf 2.0 will take.

There's also the answers to some burning questions that both the golfing public want to know and current LIV players will need to know in order to sign up to the new version of the team golf league.

So let's get down to it, what exactly do we know about LIV 2.0 and what are the unanswered questions still facing the league?

What do we know about LIV Golf 2.0?

The LIV Golf 2027 schedule

The plan floated so far is for 10 events to make up the 2027 LIV Golf schedule, with half being team events played internationally and five other tournaments played mainly in the USA.

The timing of these has also been hinted at, with a focus on having them in and around the Majors to ensure LIV players have a warm-up.

Scott O'Neil said recently: "Our vision is five marquee Team Championships on each of the five continents we play along with five team Signature Events predominantly in the US and positioned around Major championships, to make sure that our players who are playing in the majors have a proper place to prepare."

A focus on national teams

"This next chapter, we certainly are going to lean more into teams, lean into teams and the national identity," said O'Neil, who cited the huge crowds in Australia and South Africa cheering on their home teams Ripper and Southern Guards.

O'Neil also spoke about the Ryder Cup and the FIFA World Cup as examples of that national pride that LIV 2.0 will try and make the most of in its international events.

Along with Australia and South Africa, there are currently teams soley representing England, USA, Korea and Spain and expect LIV 2.0 to try and create more single-nation squads to help with building fanbases.

Where will LIV 2.0 international events be?

O'Neil says there'll be one event on each of the five continents they play, and according to the presentation deck shown to the league's proposed new investor we know where they'll be.

Australia and South Africa are no-brainers and the UK event has also been a great success so that will stay on the schedule alongside Mexico. The Far East event that will complete the five will be played in Hong Kong.

A focus on harmony with competitors

O'Neil accepts that the early years of LIV Golf under Greg Norman were "disruptive and at times divisive" but he's now preaching harmony and hopes to work with the PGA Tour and DP World Tour moving forward.

His aim is to strike deals that will allow his players to play on those two main tours as well as LIV, without fines, sanctions or restriction.

"We shouldn't live in a world where one group of golfers is uniquely restricted from playing elsewhere," said O'Neil. "Our goal isn't to replace or restrict any tour. Our mission is to bring something distinctive to the ecosystem that elevates it and makes the whole game better."

LIV will use 'feeder' tours to create more events

If O'Neil can't strike a deal to help his players supplement the 10 LIV events with added tournaments, he has a simple solution - build more of his own.

"It's pretty simple," he said. "If you look at some of the feeder tours and what their prize money is, it's simple enough for us to build events around our events and host them and bring people in.

"We just want to make sure we have enough events for our players to play a full schedule."

Players will have ownership

LIV prides itself in player involvement, and that will go a step further in the new 2.0 version of the legaue with players owning equity in the new business.

We don't know the exact amounts or how it will work, but players owning a slice of the pie is how LIV will remain an attractive place to play golf.

Players get NIL rights

It's not just ownership of the league that players will get either, as they'll have their NIL rights backs after previously been owned by the league.

This was one of the big reasons Phil Mickelson had for leaving the PGA Tour in the first place, and popular players and business savvy ones such as Bryson DeChambeau will like this one.

Prize funds will be competitive

Although there has to be a big cut in prize money for LIV 2.0 they will still remain lucrative events - with expected purses due to be $10m, down from £30m this season.

However, that still puts it on par with the DP World Tour's season-ending DP World Tour Championship and higher than any other event on that circuit, and competitive with the larger non-Signature Events on the PGA Tour.

Unanswered questions for LIV Golf 2.0

When are the deadlines for players & investor deal?

"We have a very compressed timeline to get the deal done," said O'Neil, who wouldn't reveal when the deadline was.

He did admit that getting players signed up was key to the deal being done, but that deadline is also unknown and there's a hint of chicken and egg here as players don't like uncertainty but they have to commit their futures to help secure the investor.

Which players will they have?

O'Neil is confident he has a "critical mass" of players committed, but Jon Rahm doesn't look like being one of them if rumors are to be believed. The Spaniard hasn't come out and said he's staying, and O'Neil has been coy on his future.

Bryson DeChambeau could be the cornerstone to the entire league's survival and he's been more bullish about the future, but he's out of contract and O'Neil also hasn't be able to say if he's staying put or not.

And if DeChambeau was all-in then you bet O'Neil would rightly be shouting it from the rooftops. This could be the biggest question to answer of them all.

Is bankruptcy an option?

In short, yes. That may not be such a bad thing as it would clear the decks somewhat and help with contracts and money owed but may not sit well with the PIF.

Where will events be in the USA?

We think we know the global schedule, but what about in the USA? LIV has been around a few places in the United States from Portland to Miami so there are plenty of options.

President Donald Trump is a fan so LIV could lean on playing his courses, but there could also be a hint of trepidation for potential venues considering LIV had to cancel two events this year.

The Team Championship in Michigan was only cancelled at late notice, while the event in Louisiana scheduled for June was mysteriously scratched as well. In fact, just what happened in New Orleans is a big question in itself.

Will LIV 2.0 have OWGR points?

Not this again! We had plenty of this talk before LIV eventually got recognition, and O'Neil says he's "100 percent" certain LIV 2.0 will retain it's position.

However, there must be a big question mark here with just 10 events in the season, and who knows how the promotion and relegation will work on a slimmed down league.

And what about players holding equity in the business and teams being built purposely based on nationality? That just adds to the confusion. And you can be sure players who stay will be furious if OWGR points are revoked.

And the big one, will it even happen?

This one is impossible and anyone who tells you they know the answer for certain is probably guessing - as nobody can really know for sure. Until that investment deal is signed, sealed and delivered it's still hanging in the balance.

All the talk of schedules, ranking points, team line-ups and the like are all pretty much pointless until that source of funding is secured. Players are talking positively but plenty are also lining up DP World Tour appearances and looking at other options.

If positivity and energy will help, then O'Neil will succeed but the future of LIV Golf may not be in his hands, and could all depend on what the likes of Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau decide.

The top 50 players in the standings will be cut to 30 leading into the Tour Championship next week.

What stands between the players and extending their season for one more event is a monstrous 7,448-yard golf course steeped in history and unforgettable moments.

Here are five things to know about Bellerive Country Club...

History

The long and brutish layout that can be seen this week at the BMW Championship has not always been the same at Bellerive Country Club.

When it was founded in 1897, the original course was just nine-holes in a completely different location, before members moved in 1910 to land in Normandy, Missouri, capable of holding a full 18.

When in Normandy, the club hosted the 1953 Western Open, which is still running today under the guise of the BMW Championship.

In 1960, the club moved once again and was shaped into the course that we see today by Robert Trent Jones

The golf club is named after the last French commander in North America, Louis St. Ange Bellerive, as parts of Missouri were colonised and governed by the French in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Architect

The current course we see at Bellerive Country Club was designed in 1959 by renowned architect, Robert Trent Jones, before opening in 1960.

One of Jones' guiding philosophies was that a golf course should pose a "hard par, easy bogey" - a principle that can be seen throughout Bellerive's challenging layout .

Golf fans will get another glimpse of Jones' work next year when the 2027 Ryder Cup heads to Adare Manor in Ireland.

Grand Slam

Bellerive Country Club is part of an exclusive club, being one of only five courses to crown a Grand Slam champion.

Winning the US Open here in 1965, Gary Player became the third player, at the time along with Gene Sarazen and Ben Hogan, to achieve the feat.

He completed the slam in an 18 hole playoff after seeing a three-stroke lead slip in the last three holes on Sunday.

The only other venues to crown a Grand Slam champion are Augusta National (Gene Sarazen and Rory McIlroy), Carnoustie (Ben Hogan), St Andrews (Tiger Woods) and Muirfield (Jack Nicklaus).

2018 Drama

This week's BMW Championship is the first PGA Tour event the venue has hosted since Brooks Koepka won his first of three PGA Championship titles in 2018.

Koepka birdied two of the last four holes during his final round, memorably holding off Tiger Woods, who finished two back in second and shot a six-under-par 64, from completing the miracle comeback story that he would go on to complete a year later at the Masters.

During the tournament, Koepka broke the record for the lowest ever 72-hole aggregate score in the PGA Championship with 264. The record has since been broken by Xander Schauffele as he shot 263 at Valhalla in 2024.

2030 Presidents Cup

It was announced in November 2025 that Bellerive Country Club will host the 2030 Presidents Cup for the first time.

It adds to the storied history of events held here that include three Major championships, the US Mid-Amateur, the US Senior Open and the Senior PGA Championship.

The Presidents Cup heads to Medinah Country Club in September, a course that will be remembered for very different reasons by European and American fans after the 2012 Ryder Cup.

Spaun tied for the lead at the second FedExCup Playoff event after sinking seven birdies and just one bogey in his first round at Bellerive Country Club in St Louis.

The 2025 US Open champion says he's gone back to the L.A.B. putter he used to drain that monster winning putt at Oakmont last year after giving it a "timeout" for not behaving as it should.

Spaun switched putter brands recently, but after a T34 at the FedEx St Jude Championship on Sunday he went back to the flat stick that brought him his Major championship glory.

"I putted really nice. Put the old faithful back in, my old L.A.B. putter," Spaun confirmed after his first round at the BMW Championship.

"So it was on timeout for about two months and, you know, kind of like kids when they're not behaving, you put them in timeout for a little bit and then they start listening better and cooperating.

"So I think it learned its lesson being in timeout."

Spaun explained that he "needed a little bit of change" after Memphis following his couple of months with a new putter, saying that work he put in on his stroke leaned more into a return to the L.A.B.

"I think the things that I worked on on my stroke really helps with the technology of the L.A.B. So I think my stroke's in a better place. I think that's kind of what happened to me last year, so proved today that I was rolling it nice."

Spaun stars on greens at BMW Championship

Spaun ranked third in the field in Strokes Gained: Putting with 3.303 after making 132 feet of putts at Bellerive with the very same putter that provided the catalyst for his stunning US Open success.

"It's the same one. Same one that I used at Oakmont last year," he confirmed. "All of last year and most of the year this year.

"I've been through two," Spaun added about his putters since Oakmont. "I went to like an OZ, the OZHS OZ1 [OZ.1i HS] or something, and that's the L.A.B. heel-shafted one.

"And then after that then I went to a completely different brand and had a putter with toe swing. So if you want to feel some toe swing, L.A.B. doesn't really make those, so I had to go to a completely different brand.

"I had a really good honeymoon phase with the toe-swing putter and gained a lot of strokes at Travelers and wherever, Scotland and stuff, so I putted well there. But it was nice to feel some comfort and confidence in my old putter today."

Spaun says he started "feeling very uncomfortable over three-footers" with his other putter, and was happy to dial back in his old faithful again.

"I just went back to kind of like my old practice structure and hitting more close range putts. I kind of got wrapped up into other things, aspects of my putting. So I put in a lot more work on short range distances last few days."

McIlroy questioned what value LIV players would bring if returning to the PGA Tour, a sentiment that Scottie Scheffler disagreed with as he insisted there were a few players who "would provide a lot of value to the Tour" should they come back.

As we've seen before with Sir Nick Faldo's 'strategy' criticism, DeChambeau hears everything and he responded at The Open with an interview filled with strategy comments.

DeChambeau this time spoke at LIV Golf Indianapolis and along with voicing his hope for the future, added: "I hope people can see that we actually bring value to the game of golf."

That's more than likely in response to McIlroy's comments ahead of the BMW Championship in the FedEXCup Playoffs, when he asked "Have they brought value to LIV?" when responding to the question of whether returning LIV players would bring value to the PGA Tour.

Following the cancellation of the Team Championship in Michigan, LIV Golf Indianapolis is now the final event of the season - and is taking place with still a huge amount of uncertainty about the future.

An investor has been found but CEO Scott O'Neil admits he's on a deadline to get it over the line, with DeChambeau acknowledging it's a tough road ahead.

"It's not easy. We definitely have a lot against us," DeChambeau said after his opening round of 65 in Indianapolis.

"But I think behind the scenes we've got a lot of people that are working hard to make this possible for not only all the players that are out here but all the fans that have come out to these events and the economic impact that we've made in all these places, whether it's South Africa, here in Indy or Australia, numerous places across the world, the UK, all the different places we've been in the US.

"Even Nashville when we played a few years ago was unbelievable."

Some LIV players are considering their futures though, with DeChambeau himself a huge part of discussions as his contract will expire after this season and negotiations over a new deal are entwined with LIV's future.

The two-time US Open winner has confirmed an appearance at the Nedbank Challenge on the DP World Tour, and that's an avenue plenty of LIV players are looking to explore.

DeChambeau was in philosophical mood when discussing if he thinks LIV Golf will survive, and sent out a plea for everyone to give the league one more chance.

"I think we just have a bit of a responsibility to continue to show this," he added. "If it works, it works; awesome. If it doesn't, we'll figure things out.

"Time will move on, and I would say that time heals things. I hope people can see that we actually bring value to the game of golf.

"My wish is that people give us one more shot and be open minded."

Fitzpatrick understands that playoffs are huge in American sports, with the NFL culminating in the Super Bowl and the NBA, MLB and NHL all having similar playoffs meaning teams that finish with the best record don't always walk away with the trophy.

Things in Europe and the UK can be different, with the Premier League title and similar soccer leagues around the continent being decided by who finishes top of the table at the end of the season.

And Englishman Fitzpatrick feels that's a better way to decide the top player on the PGA Tour - with a focus much more on the overall season-long performance than getting hot over three weeks of playoffs.

"I understand the playoffs in the US are a very big thing in other sports, and it's obviously hard to do that with golf because of the format of golf," said Fitzpatrick ahead of the BMW Championship.

"I think the player who has played the best all year from January to next week deserves to be the FedExCup champion, the guy who has made the most points, which is going to be Scottie Scheffler pretty much. And that's how it should be."

The FedExCup has taken various forms during its short history, with even a weighted Tour Championship starting leaderboard aimed at giving the points leaders an advantage at East Lake.

Points weightings for the three playoff events have been reduced recently and prize money distribution has been changed from times when the winner at the Tour Championship got the lot.

Scottie Scheffler received $10m for finishing the regular season top of the standings and will get another $23m for topping the FedEx points list after the BMW Championship.

FedExCup Playoffs 'really weird' says Fitzpatrick

Rewarding season-long excellence and reducing the volitility of finishes in the playoffs is the right way forward, according to Fitzpatrick, which also seems to be the emphasis for the new PGA Tour changes coming up under Brian Rolapp's charge.

"I feel like if you look in the past with the playoffs I think it was sensible to reduce the points now for these two events because, no offense to people, but you could have like one good week and jump a ton of spaces, and that's not really deserving of someone who's played so well over the season," added Fitzpatrick.

"I think obviously it looks like we're heading more that way to rewarding people who played the best over the long season. So I much prefer it that it's going down that road."

Even the current format puzzles Fitzpatrick somewhat, with those already locking up top 50 or top 30 spots able to relax at or even skip the first playoff event at the FedEx St Jude Championship - as Rory McIlroy did last year.

"I do feel like it is a bit weird," Fitzpatrick explained. "As Rory's already pointed out, it's kind of like, you just need to be top 50, you can kind of get yourself settled before even last week and you wouldn't even have to turn up until next week for some players."

Fitzpatrick doesn't have an answer for an alternative format, but wonders whether a playoff system is even needed on the PGA Tour.

"So it is really weird, but I don't have the answer to what that is," he said. "Other than, from someone who is English, do we really need playoffs in golf? Like, it's just not really a thing in the UK."

Scheffler has Player of the Year sewn up

Fitzpatrick puts more weight on the PGA Tour Player of the Year award, which he says is more of a barometer of how someone has played over the full course of the season.

With Scheffler adding a second win of the season last week though to another superb statistical campaign filled with top finishes and dominant strokes gained numbers, that's also a one-horse race.

"I think a certain someone's sewn it up last week, if I'm honest," Fitzpatrick said of Scheffler winning Player of the Year.

"I think it will be obviously a great opportunity to play well this week and next week to try and put my name back in the hat, but yeah, definitely a lot of weight on that for sure.

"But my guess would be most guys will say Scottie. He's leading the FedExCup by a lot of points, I've just made a point that the guy who's played the best the whole season deserves to be the best player. And right now that is him.

"So I can't contradict myself, but that is the truth. I will say that I do believe, I know Paul McGinley made a point the other week, but it's very, it's like the PGA Tour Player of the Year, it's not necessarily the world Player of the Year.

"I know Rory's kind of probably missed out on that a couple times. So obviously there is a little bit of that in there as well. But like I say, the guy who is leading the FedExCup right now is deserving of that as those things stand I would say."

The World No.1 does add that there should be penalties for any LIV Golf stars returning to the PGA Tour, but insisted some top guys "would provide a lot of value to the Tour" should they come back.

LIV Golf has a new potential investor lined up, but CEO Scott O'Neil has amitted he's on a deadline to try and get enough top players signed up to ensure the deal goes through.

There's plenty of specualtion about the future of top players, especially Jon Rahm with rumors of him seeking a PGA Tour return, so the topic of players returning is again a hot one.

McIlroy questioned whether LIV golfers added any value to their own tour, while warning the likes of Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau that it'd be a tough road back to the PGA Tour.

But Scheffler can see quality in the likes of Rahm, DeChambeau, and possibly players such as Tyrrell Hatton and Joaquin Niemann among others - and also would like the chance to compete aginst them again more regularly.

"When we talk about the best players, LIV has a few players that are really good," Scheffler said at the BMW Championship

"I think the depth that we have on our Tour is bit unmatched, but I think when you look at the higher levels of LIV Golf there's definitely some players that would provide a lot of value to the Tour, and guys that I love competing against as well.