PONTE VEDRA BAY, Fla. — Jay Monahan, PGA Tour Commissioner, stated that his mantra is to adapt and evolve. Monahan spoke out about the changes that are coming to the Tour in his State of the Tour press conference on Tuesday ahead of the Players Championship.
He stated, “We looked at all competitive models and it was obvious and possibly obvious that we must show our top performers competing against each other more often.”
He viewed the 47-event PGA Tour season, which he described as a book that had many chapters.
He said, “One chapter is not enough to make a great novel.” It’s the whole story. The ebbs, flows, transitions, and connectivity between them all. This is what makes a book great and what you must do in order to make it a bestseller.
“That’s what our new competitive model is trying to achieve.”
Monahan said that the 2024 Tour schedule would be “significantly different” with a consistent number of full-field and designate events. These players will be able, within this framework, to better complement their schedules with full-field events as they return home to their favorite venues, support their home markets and consolidate their positions at the beginning of the season, as well as before the FedExCup Playoffs.
The Tour schedule will include eight events that are designated with no cuts or reduced fields, as previously announced last week. Add the Players, three FedEx Cup playoff events, and four majors to make 16 events where the best players are likely to play.
Monahan stated, “This is what fans want. This is what they have been asking for.” Here’s a data point. Consider the last five years of the PGA Tour. How many top 10 and top 20 players from the world are competing against each other at major championships? Answer: More than 95 per cent. How about the top players competing at other PGA Tour events together? Answer: It is less than 40%. Let me repeat it. “Less than 40%.”
Monahan also supported the inclusion of no-cut events.
“The PGA Tour has had 72-hole stroke-play events that are limited-field and no-cut. Jack Nicklaus was the winner 17 times in this format. Arnold Palmer won 23. Tiger Woods won 26. He said that the wins and those achievements did not diminish their accomplishments. He also mentioned that qualifying for these events is a cut. “Listen, 75 per cent of our events do not have cuts. To our fans, this is just another form or flavor cut. As I mentioned earlier, if your goal is to enter the Wyndham Championship, or to reach the top 70 in FedExCup, then you will be in a position for getting to BMW. After we finish in Memphis, 20 players will return home and cannot compete in these events. That’s to me a good cut.
Monahan believes that the Tour will continue to be a meritocracy, with players promoted or relegated at comparable levels.
The model currently suggests that approximately 60 percent of top-50 players will keep their positions. More than a third of the top 50 players will lose their position. Monahan stated that this was an important aspect of the changes Monahan is making. All of our modeling supports that. We have had some issues with player fields in the early part of the season. There has been a 20% drop in the number of exempt members who are taking part in certain events. This was something we knew would happen when we brought in the changes last summer.
Monahan noted that players have multiple options to ensure their place in designated events. These events will offer huge purses, reduced fields, and guaranteed paydays.
He stated that every member who wants to compete in the designated events throughout the season has the chance to do so. Will this model work right away? Perhaps not. We may not. However, as we have done throughout our history, using the FedExCup to illustrate, we will listen, learn, and adapt each year to the changing needs of our players and partners.
