The Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) Tour is set to revolutionize its season finale, introducing match play to crown its champion starting in 2028.
PGA Tour Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Brian Rolapp announced on Wednesday that the tour will conclude its season with a match play tournament beginning in 2028, marking a significant shift in the tour’s format.
The 2028 season will usher in a new era for the PGA Tour, splitting competition into two tiers: the Championship Series for top-ranked players and the Challenger Series for the rest of the field.
The Championship Series will feature stroke play events during the regular season, with the top 32 players in the final standings advancing to the match play finale.
This two-week match play extravaganza will kick off with a group stage, where players are divided into eight groups of four for head-to-head battles. The top two from each group will move on to the next round.
The action then shifts to a new venue for week two, where the remaining 16 players will compete in a knockout-style tournament to determine the ultimate Tour Champion.
Unlike the traditional four-day stroke play format, match play pits players directly against each other, with victories determined by winning the most holes rather than total strokes.
While match play is a staple of team events like the Ryder Cup, this marks its debut in the PGA Tour playoffs.
The current playoff system consists of three stroke play tournaments to crown the champion.
Waugh emphasized that this change offers a unique opportunity to captivate both golf enthusiasts and fans of other sports, showcasing the world’s elite golfers through an exciting and distinctive competitive format.
Golf legend Tiger Woods, who previously chaired the PGA Tour Reform Committee, took to social media to praise the announcement. He hailed it as a testament to the players’ dedication and passion, expressing enthusiasm for the dawn of a new era in professional golf.
World No. 2 Rory McIlroy commended the bold move but raised concerns about properly rewarding regular-season champions and maintaining motivation for players eliminated early in the match play stage.
