'You’re Going To Have To Play Better Golf To Get To The PGA Tour' - Billy Horschel's Positive Verdict On Reported Schedule Changes

According to Billy Horschel, a more slimmed-down PGA Tour will produce a stronger product as players will need to perform better to make the cut.

As chair of the PGA Tour's new Future Competitions Committee, Tiger Woods echoed new CEO Brian Rolapp's new buzzwords of parity, simplcity and scarcity as the cornerstones of impending changes.

It's that 'scarcity' aspect, reducing the number of tournaments, that may worry large portions of the membership, with that limiting the chances of those lower down the standings.

However, Horschel insists it won't mean more of a closed shop, but says that players will just have to up their games to be part of the new PGA Tour.

"If we reduce events or not, the PGA Tour is still going to be the PGA Tour,” Horschel told Sirius XM PGA Tour Radio.

“If you play well, you will still have a place out here. It means you’re going to have to play better than previous times.

“Making it a closed shop and making it impossible to get to, that’s not going to happen and that’s not what the PGA Tour is about."

Both Woods and Rolapp have been keen to point out the parity aspect of the PGA Tour is a big strength - and Horschel insists there will still be opportunities for all even with a stripped down schedule.

Opportunities, though, that can only be taken if players produce good enough golf - which the American thinks will make the new PGA Tour even stronger.

“I still believe opportunities will be part of the PGA Tour," Horschel added. "Instead of shooting a 69, you’re going to have to shoot a 66 now.

“You’re going to have to play better golf to get to the PGA Tour, and there’s nothing wrong with that in my opinion. It just makes it a stronger product.”

Horschel hasn't been involved in any talks about the future, and has been sitting out most of the season following his surgery in June.

"We could reduce events, we might not reduce events, I’ve not been involved," he insisted. "I’ve stayed out of it, I’ve been injured, so I don’t know everything."

Horschel is playing the Hero World Challenge this week - looking for valuable Official World Golf Ranking points in order to secure his spot at The Masters in April.

The former FedEx Cup champion is in 45th in the OWGR with the top 50 at the end of the year receiving an invite to Augusta National.