Big changes are coming on the PGA Tour, with Brian Rolapp making aggressive moves to improve the product on offer.
With scarcity being the key word for Rolapp, there are set to be far fewer events from the start of the 2028 season onwards.
There will be a sharp focus on quality over quantity, with the ultimate goal being to get the best players in the world competing against each other more regularly throughout the season.
Brian Rolapp is set to make some sweeping changes to the way that the PGA Tour operates in the very near future.
He entered his role as the Tour’s new CEO last year with the mindset that he was not afraid of making big changes, while respecting the traditions of the game.
Rolapp admitted that no-cut events on the PGA Tour were a mistake, and he’s keen to change all of that moving forward.
How PGA Tour players reacted when Brian Rolapp revealed his new plan
Todd Lewis was speaking live on the Golf Channel on Wednesday night, and he lifted the lid on what went down during the Player Advisory Council meeting.
“Brian Rolapp, along with other executives from the PGA tour, were part of that player advisory council meeting here in the Columbus area yesterday afternoon,“ Lewis said.
“And he was there to formally introduce, what is basically the foundation of the new schedule that will likely take effect in 2028.
“The significant change you’re going to notice is there will be 15 or 16 what they call, ‘track one events’.
“Now, these are big purse events, $20,000,000 purses, much like you have here at The Memorial.
“You combine those events with the four major championships, The Players, the playoffs, which, by the way, is likely to go down from three to two, and then, of course, there’s the team events in the fall, that being either the Ryder Cup, or as it is this year, the Presidents Cup.
“You’ve got 23 to 24 events, big events, that make up the PGA Tour schedule.
“Another significant change in these track 1 events is the size of the field. 130 players will be eligible to play in these track 1 events and there will be a cut as well.
“And then there are the track 2 events, smaller purse events. There will likely be around 20 of those events on the PGA Tour.
“Yes, they won’t be playing for as much money, but they have an opportunity to be promoted to track 1 through track 2.
“Now, players in that PAC meeting were very receptive to this, and this has been talked about for a number of months now, but there’s still some details to be worked out.
Whether PGA Tour changes will be ‘pushed through’
Lewis revealed why he believes the proposed changes from Rolapp will be pushed through.
“Once they get the details worked out, then it will be formally presented to the PGA Tour policy board,“ he explained.
“The next board meeting will take place on June 22nd. That is the Monday of the Travellers Championship.
“And considering, as I mentioned, that it has been fairly accepted out here on the PGA Tour, this competitive model, it’s likely to be pushed through.“
The idea of 130-player fields with halfway cuts is hugely appealing. Fans love watching the drama on Fridays when players are fighting for their lives to make the cut.
That has been lost with the recent Signature Event model, and it’s great that Brian Rolapp is determined to bring some jeopardy back to the PGA Tour.
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