PGA Tour To Overhaul Off-Season In Direct Response To LIV Golf Threat

The PGA Tour is reportedly considering a complete overhaul of its off-season amid the ongoing threat of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series.

A report from Golf Digest's Dan Rapaport from today's PGA Tour player meeting at the Travelers Championship states that the Tour may be launching an eight-event 50-man field series with purses of $20m. To compare that to LIV, the inaugural LIV Golf Invitational Series features eight events with 48-man fields and $25m purses for the first seven events before a $50m finale.

The fields would be made up of the top 50 in the FedEx Cup points rankings, with all other PGA Tour players competing in other events to secure their status and cards for the next year.

The FedEx Cup concludes in August where this year's winner will walk away with $18m - up from $15m last year. The Tour then transitions straight into the new season, also known as the 'fall series' or the 'wraparound season.' This is where the big US names tend to take time off and the Europeans, and some Americans like Collin Morikawa last year and Patrick Reed in the past, come over to compete for the Race to Dubai title, which is awarded at the DP World Tour Championship in November.

The bulk of the 'main' PGA Tour season takes place from January to August with legacy sites including the likes of Torrey Pines, TPC Scottsdale, Riviera, Bay Hill, TPC Sawgrass and Muirfield Village hosting events around the Majors before the FedEx Cup Playoffs in August.

The PGA Tour is also reportedly considering a return to a season aligned with the calendar year, which it went away from in the 2013-14 season.

At the players meeting, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan reportedly said the Tour is “under attack” from LIV Golf but is said to have assured players that they are “strong when we are united.”

The PGA Tour will have been boosted by Collin Morikawa pledging his future today, with big names including Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas and Jon Rahm all publicly supporting the US circuit.

Jay Monahan is set to hold a press conference on Wednesday at the Travelers Championship, with a meeting set to take place today involving the DP World Tour. Golf Monthly recently learned that the PGA and DP World Tours were in "advanced negotiations" around a deal that could see them grow closer.