PGA Tour sets out 2028 plan built around promotion and relegation

The PGA Tour plans to introduce promotion and relegation from 2028 as part of a new two-tier structure. The approved model separates an elite Championship Series from a lower Challenger Series, with player status tied more directly to season performance.

Tiger Woods, chair of the tour’s Future Competitions Committee, helped present the changes before the Travelers Championship. The Championship Series is expected to feature 120-player fields, 23 or 24 events from January to August including the majors, minimum purses of $20m, and status protection for the top 90 at season’s end.

The Challenger Series would run at the same time with minimum purses of $4m. Players could earn immediate promotion by winning two Challenger events in one season, while around 20 players are expected to move up after the season; autumn events may also give those at risk of relegation a final chance to stay in the top tier.

Several major questions remain unresolved, especially the future role of the DP World Tour and whether current pathways from the Race to Dubai will continue. Rory McIlroy has raised concerns about how attractive the lower tier will be without top names, but he also supported the idea of giving historic international events a bigger place in the calendar.