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PGA Tour Announces 2028 Two-Tier Model, $20M Championship, $4M Challenger

6/23/2026

Summary

Rolapp Announces Two-Tier

PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp announced a two-tier model starting in 2028.
Championship Series will have 23-24 events Feb-Aug, 120-player fields, $20 million purses and a rotating Tour Championship.
Challenger Series will hold 20 events, 144-player fields, $4 million purses and promotion after two wins.
The system includes about 90 of 130 Championship players retaining spots, 20 Challenger players promoted, and a fall “last-chance” series for players to regain status.

Summary

Rolapp Introduces Tier

Separate points systems will be introduced for each tier, keeping values consistent and intuitive.
Q-School will continue, offering a path to Challenger and Championship Series, though card numbers are undecided.
Korn Ferry Tour will stay largely unchanged for 2027, with changes only after 2028.
Challenger Series events will air on Golf Channel while the two-tier model preserves DP World Tour alliance and PGA Tour University pathways, with eligibility set before 2027.

History

Historical Context

Facing an anticlimactic season finish in the 2000s, the PGA Tour created the FedEx Cup in 2007, letting the top 125 players enter a four-event playoff that reshaped incentives and TV revenue. Rolapp’s 2028 proposal builds on that model, dividing the Tour into a Championship Series and a Challenger Series with promotion paths through the Korn Ferry and DP World Tours.

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Rolapp Announces Two-Tier

PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp announced a two-tier model starting in 2028.
Championship Series will have 23-24 events Feb-Aug, 120-player fields, $20 million purses and a rotating Tour Championship.
Challenger Series will hold 20 events, 144-player fields, $4 million purses and promotion after two wins.
The system includes about 90 of 130 Championship players retaining spots, 20 Challenger players promoted, and a fall “last-chance” series for players to regain status.

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