Are We Excited By (Or Nervous About) The Potential For Sweeping Changes On The PGA Tour?

Change is almost certainly coming to the PGA Tour. Whether it will be drastic change or modest change - the historic US circuit is set to be altered over the coming years - and the three words any tweaks will be centered around are parity, scarcity and simplicity.

In his pre-tournament press conference recently, Hero World Challenge host Tiger Woods emphasized that while almost nothing is off the table in terms of ideas, the PGA Tour is at pains to ensure fans are put first with players a close second.

Weeks before Woods spoke, Harris English was possibly a little too forthcoming - as far as the PGA Tour was concerned - when revealing potential plans which could arrive as early as 2027.

English shared that Signature Events could make way and the season would include roughly 20 tournaments on the same level outside of the Majors.

In addition, the PGA Tour's schedule may not begin until after the NFL's Super Bowl has concluded in order to ensure professional golf was not losing out on potential viewers during January and early February.

But would a shorter season with a more straightforward FedEx Cup points system be better for the PGA Tour? And would potentially losing more weeks where the top players are likely to compete against each other aid the sport overall?

Some of Golf Monthly's tour experts have shared their individual thoughts below. Let us know what you think in the comments box at the bottom of this article.

Nick Bonfield

I'm definitely excited by the PGA Tour's potential changes as a long-time advocate of 'you can have too much of a good thing' school of thought.

As far as I see it, there's an inverse proportion between how much you have of something and how exciting it is. I love takeaway curry, but would I love it so much if I had it every week? No.

It's interesting the PGA Tour's new CEO, Brian Rolapp, comes from an NFL background, because one of the things the American football league does so well is create excitement and intrigue.

If your team doesn't make the post-season, there are roughly nine months between games. That creates a sense of almost rabid anticipation for the new season. It's one of the reasons why The Masters is so popular, as the previous Major, The Open, takes place nine months before.

I'd love to see a stripped back schedule and hopefully the eradication of Signature Events, which only serve to line to pockets of the already ultra-wealthy.

I like what I'm hearing from Rolapp, and while we have no concrete details at this stage, I'm confident he'll improve a tour that went backwards under Jay Monahan.

Jonny Leighfield

I'm not sure I'm exactly 'excited' by these potential changes, more apprehensive. I didn't like the drop down from 125 to 100 cards, although I certainly understood it. But there are a couple of rumored tweaks I neither like nor understand.

There are aspects which I am certainly enthused about - perhaps the biggest being the possible removal of Signature Events to be replaced by an equal schedule of 20 $10 million tournaments, for example.

I also agree that the FedEx Cup points system could be an awful lot easier to comprehend. The current system makes enough sense, but I definitely feel it could be more streamlined.

But what I don't love is the thought of possibly starting the season after the Super Bowl, and not just because I'm a Bengals fan so I've barely given any thought to playoff football of any kind anyway.

Golf has never been more popular. I cannot understand how, at the highest point of its popularity, those in charge of the PGA Tour think the best way forward is to just roll over and have its tummy tickled by the NFL.

Then there are some of the most eye-catching tournament-host locations which would be lost as a result. If they can be moved to replace a couple of other so-so tournaments, fine, but it sounds like they're going to be taken out completely.

For me, it feels like the PGA Tour wants to do too much. Some changes are definitely necessary for the long-term benefit of the tour, but very few of the ones which have been proposed sound like the answer to me.

Elliott Heath

I agree with much of what Nick has said about Brian Rolapp. He seems to be a strong figure who is not afraid to address the PGA Tour’s problems. He is also a money man who will know the best way to make the tour more cash is to make it as good as possible for fans.

Tiger Woods’ recent press conference gave us a good idea that big changes could well be on the way, and the reports of a February start with fewer and more meaningful tournaments does sound promising.

I was initially a little worried when hearing a big upheaval was on the way, as I have not loved many of the PGA Tour’s recent changes since the inception of LIV Golf, including the introduction of no-cut (on the most part at least), limited-field Signature Events, but perhaps under Rolapp things will be different.

The men’s professional game is a mess at the minute and is difficult to follow for the casual fan, so there is plenty of simple tweaks that would make the tour better.

I am hopeful Rolapp, Woods, SSG and everyone else making the decisions will be able to produce something significantly more meaningful and entertaining, so yes I am excited for what Rolapp can do.

Matt Cradock

On the whole, yes, I am excited by the changes that could happen to the PGA Tour, especially as right now I do feel there's too much golf being played and the addition of no-cut Signature Events hasn't really helped the product.

I'm not an NFL fan, but from what I've heard from those who follow the sport, it seems that he did a great job there. If he puts the fans first and introduces a more limited schedule, that actually puts an emphasis on results, then fingers crossed it will go hand-in-hand.

For a long time there have been too many meaningless tournaments and, unless you're a regular follower of the game, it can be difficult to keep up with the state of play.

Certainly now and for a while, it almost feels like the PGA Tour has somewhat lost its identity since the introduction of LIV Golf, making panicked decisions that don't benefit anyone but the top order.

Rolapp appears to want to make his mark on the professional circuit and, given the recent changes before his tenure haven't been successful, why not mix things up and implement something new...