The PGA Tour released membership categories for the new Championship Series and Challenger Series on Tuesday.
An emphasis on making the cut, ranked finishes and victories are the foundation of the new points system and Tour CEO Brian Rolapp’s goal of a transparent meritocracy leading to a season champion.
“From the beginning, we set out to preserve the meritocracy that makes our sport unique by creating a system where performance dictates opportunity,” Rolapp said in a statement Tuesday. “Through new eligibility criteria and supporting pathways into the PGA Tour, the new competitive model is designed to reward excellence and ensure there is always a clear path for top performers at every stage of their career.”
In 2028, two concurrent series will hold tournaments: the PGA Tour Championship Series and a pathway series known as the Challenger Series. Golfers cannot compete in tournaments on both series.
The top 70 golfers in the final 2027 FedEx Cup points list as of the Tour Championship are guaranteed Championship Series membership for 2028, as do the top 95 players in the final points list.
The top 90 players retaining their Championship Series membership and 20 golfers promoted from the Challenger Series will be eligible for Championship Series events along with any two-time Challenger Series winner. Exemptions will be granted to players who don’t meet those qualifications but win one of the four majors, The Players and select Championship Series tournaments.
Within the new points system, winners of receive 300 points, runners-up get 200 and third-place finishers earn 150. The same points are awarded for Championship Series events, the four majors and The Players.
“For fans, this means a clear understanding of what is at stake during each PGA Tour competition, whether that is at an event or across a season,” Rolapp said.
The field size of Challenger Series events will be 144 golfers. The top 20 finishers on the Korn Ferry Tour receive two-year membership to the Challenger Series.
Starting with the 2028 season, 20 golfers can be promoted from the Challenger Series with automatic elevation to the Championship Series for players with two Challenger Series wins, winners of any Championship Series events, including The Players and four majors, who will receive exemptions for the current season and next two seasons.
Golfers can be relegated from the Championship Series to the Challenger Series. However, a four-year exemption on the Challenger Series would be granted to any player who wins a Championship Series event.
The PGA Tour also plans to grant a single-use exemption for 2028 only for players who finish 2027 in the top 50 on the PGA Tour career money list at the end of the season. To be eligible, however, a winner must have played at least 15 tour events in 2027.
New end-of-season “last chance” events offer an opportunity for players to secure one of three available cards for the next Championship Series season. At least four tournaments are planned in this late fall format, according to Rolapp.
Feeder programs to the Challenger Series remain intact.
PGA Tour University’s No. 1 golfer after the NCAA Championships will be eligible for the Challenger Series for the upcoming and following seasons. And the top five finishers from Q School qualifying earn a spot on the Challenger Series.
–Field Level Media
