It’s official - Match play is coming to the Tour Championship in a new-look season finale beginning in 2028, PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp announced Tuesday morning.
Breaking down how the @TOURChamp is changing in 2028, with @_SportsBall_. pic.twitter.com/VTPDfArdxa
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 25, 2026
The goal of these changes is simple: Identify the best player in the world through a re-imagined, standalone competition that will emerge as one of the most difficult tournaments to qualify for and win.
The top 90 players on the season-long points list will retain their Tour cards and advance to the PGA Tour Championship Series finale, a 72-hole, stroke play event that will crown a tournament champion and the No. 1 finisher on the season-long points list. The top 32 players in the event will qualify for the Tour Championship.
Week 1 will consist of a group stage, where players will compete in eight groups of four. The top two from each group, 16 total, will advance to Week 2, consisting of four rounds of match play at a different course. Advancement will be based on a player’s win-loss record. The player who goes undefeated will be crowned the Tour Championship winner, and the full championship standings will be based on individual player records.
“One message came through clearly: the culmination of our season should be worthy of the journey it takes to get there,” Rolapp said. The result is a season-ending structure that rewards excellence over the course of the year while building toward a reimagined Tour Championship. We are creating something different, something distinct within professional golf that can resonate far beyond it.”
Among those enthusiastic about these changes is Tiger Woods, who took to X to share his reactions to the announcement.
The conclusion of the season should be worthy of the journey it takes to get there.
— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) August 25, 2026
Today’s announcement is a result of the hard work and passion of our players.
Excited to usher in a new era of match play on the @PGATOUR https://t.co/on71rygzhe
This will mark the first time match play is used at the Tour Championship, and the first time the format has been contested on Tour since the 2023 WGC-Match Play event.
The current FedExCup Playoffs are contested over three weeks. The top 70 players in points at the end of the regular season qualify, with the field getting cut to 50 and 30 for each in traditional stroke play events. The man at the top of the leaderboard at the conclusion of Sunday at East Lake is crowned the winner.
This shift marks a significant step in the PGA Tour doubling down on its level of competition and optimism for the future. Among the notes in Rolapp’s press conference were the emerging talents of young players like Jackson Koivun, Michael Thorbjornsen, and Michael Brennan, alongside the stars of Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy. The quality of competition remains as strong as ever, with 26 of 36 events this season being decided by two strokes or fewer.
The format also provides the PGA Tour with opportunity to explore new, high-stakes venues. Rolapp added that conversations are underway with prospective hosts.
“We are encouraged by the enthusiasm we are seeing for the future of the Tour Championship,” Rolapp said.
The PGA Tour will announce more details regarding dates and venues for the 2028 PGA Tour Championship Series during a live broadcast event on Feb. 22, 2027.
