PGA moves toward elite field
ORLANDO, Fla. — The PGA Tour is moving toward an elite schedule in 2024 with 16 designated events that will have no more than 80-man fields with no cuts, and a chance for players on the outside to play their way in.
Still to be finalized are which events get the $20 million prize funds and details for how players can earn a spot in the field.
Players were apprised of the changes in a memo Wednesday from PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan in which he wrote, “There is no doubt in my mind that we made decisions that will transform and set the future.”
The Associated Press obtained a copy of the memo, which also indicated the Player Impact Program bonus pool will be cut in half to $50 million to 10 players (instead of 20 players), with the other $50 million going to bonus pools for the Fedex Cup and the Comcast Business Tour Top 10 for leading players in the regular season.
The part likely to cause the most divide among players is the no-cut policy for the designated events (except for the four majors and The Players Championship). One criticism of Saudi-funded LIV Golf has been its 54-hole events do not have a cut.
Eight of the 16 designated events — the exceptions are the majors, The Players and three Fedex Cup playoff events — are guaranteed to have the best players for the entire week.
Monahan had said at the start of the year at Kapalua that he thought a cut “is an important element to this tour” and he felt it was “absolutely an important consideration.”
Rory Mcilroy, the primary voice in player meetings geared toward reshaping the PGA Tour’s future, said precedent has been set for no-cut events such as the former World Golf Championships and events like the CJ Cup and Zozo Championship.
“The only reason no-cut events are a big deal is because LIV has come along,” Mcilroy said. “So there is precedent for no-cut events. Is there maybe going to be a few more of them? Maybe. ... You ask Mastercard or whoever it is to pay $20 million for a golf event, they want to see the stars at the weekend. They want a guarantee that the stars are there.
“So if that’s what needs to happen, then that’s what happens.”