Could The PGA Tour Playoffs Be Changing? Recent Reports Claim It Might Be
The PGA Tour season has started and, according to a recent report by The Athletic, its season finale could be changing to a bracket-style system


The FedEx Cup Playoffs are the most lucrative in professional golf, with a hefty prize purse up for grabs at the season finale. However, in recent times, much has been made of the format for the event.
Currently, the format is a staggered start whereby the position you're in going into the Tour Championship determines your starting score. Essentially, it was introduced to try and provide drama and captivate television audiences.
Now though, in a report by The Athletic, that could all be changing, with it being reported that a matchplay/bracket-style format is amongst the possibilities to crown the FedEx Cup champion.
According to the report, one of the options would be a strokeplay event to narrow down the 30 players, with a number of matches following that would be decided via head-to-head strokeplay.
As of writing, the PGA Tour has no matchplay style tournaments on its schedule, with the WGC Dell Technologies Match Play being scrapped back in 2023. What's more, TV networks have been reportedly hesitant to make the Playoffs a matchplay format due to the possibility of games finishing early, as well as there being fewer matches televised the longer the competition goes on for.
In regards to when the bracket-style format, or indeed any new format could be implemented, it could be as early as this year but, according to the reports, it would likely be next season.
The WGC Dell Technologies Match Play ran for 24 years and the only matchplay event on the PGA Tour
Outside of the PGA Tour, the DP World Tour follows a similar playoff format but, instead of the staggered start in the final event, all players begin on equal grounds at the DP World Tour Championship.
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If you are searching for a circuit that does use matchplay in its season ending event, LIV Golf uses a mix of it and strokeplay in its Team Championship. Matchplay is used on the first two days, with four teams making it through to the final. From there, all four players' scores count in a winner-take-all event.

Matt joined Golf Monthly in February 2021 covering weekend news, before also transitioning to equipment and testing. After freelancing for Golf Monthly and The PGA for 18 months, he was offered a full-time position at the company in October 2022 and continues to cover news and social media.
Taking up the game when he was just seven years of age, Matt made it into his county squad just a year later and continues to play the game at a high standard, with a handicap of around 2-4. To date, his best round came in 2016, where he shot a six-under-par 66 having been seven-under through nine holes. His favorite player is Rory McIlroy, despite nearly being struck by his second shot at the 17th during the 2015 BMW PGA Championship.
Matt’s current What’s In The Bag?
Driver: Honma TW747, 8.75°
Fairway Wood: Ping G430 LST 15°, 19°
Irons: TaylorMade P.7CB
Wedges: Cleveland 588 RTX 2.0 Tour Satin, 50°, 56°, 60°
Putter: Cleveland TFI 2135 Satin Cero
Ball: Titleist Pro V1
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