PGA Tour changes schedule in 2028. How will two-track system work?
· Yahoo Sports
For years, the Florida Swing has been ingrained into the PGA Tour calendar. But now, there are questions about how the calendar will roll out, beginning in 2028.
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That's when monumental changes are coming to the PGA Tour, and included in those is a new promotion and relegation system that will have players trying to maintain eligibility in the Championship Series while those in the Challenger Series work to move their way up.
The Championship Series and Challenger Series will utilize separate points lists, with each rewarding winning, top finishes and prioritizing making the cut. Players will earn points only within the series for which they are eligible.
The Championship Series will utilize a single points system across every event, unlike it is today with four types of events offering different point allocations. The Challenger Series will award points in a consistent manner, with elevated points offered for majors as well as events played during Championship Series off weeks. Championship Series players will not be eligible for Challenger Series events.
But how will promotion and relegation work? Let's break it down:
PGA Tour Championship Series promotion
Twenty additional spots, at a minimum, will go to the top finishers from the Challenger Series, players who distinguish themselves across a schedule of at least 20 events.
Challenger Series players who finish inside the top 20 in the season-long points race will have Championship Series membership for the entire subsequent season. Those players will have guaranteed entry into every regular season event outside of the majors and the Players, which may maintain their own eligibility. Championship Series eligibility is the same for each event, so players on the Championship Series are guaranteed access to every event. Criteria for additional spots on the Championship Series will be announced at a later date but will include tournament winners, medical extensions and career milestones.
Challenger Series players who finish outside the cutoff for promotion will still have an opportunity for promotion via the “last chance” series, a collection of four to six events played in the fall with a limited number of Championship Series spots available to top finishers.
In-season promotion
The other in-season promotion option is winning a major championship. Entry criteria for each major will be determined by the respective organization, meaning that Challenger Series participants could qualify for majors despite those events appearing on the Championship Series schedule. Should a player who is not a Championship Series member win a major, he would earn an immediate promotion to the Championship Series. Additionally, if a Challenge Series player wins two events, he will automatically be promoted to the Championship Series.
Relegation to Challenger Series
The top-90 players from the season-long points list (out of about 130 players) will retain Championship Series membership. Those who fail to retain membership could retain it via the “last chance” series. Eligibility for those events will include players relegated from Championship Series, Challenger Series players and other categories to be determined.
Championship Series players who fail to regain their status via the “last chance” series will be eligible for the Challenger Series the following year.
Challenger Series promotion
The PGA Tour’s annual qualifying tournament, known as Q-School, will conclude prior to the beginning of the “last chance” series and will offer the opportunity for players to earn access to the Challenger Series in addition to pathways developmental properties.
There will also be relegation out of the Challenger Series, the details of which will be released at a later date.
Cameron Jourdan is an assistant editor of Golfweek, covering college and amateur golf, the PGA Tour and plenty more. Follow Cameron on X/Twitter (@Cam_Jourdan) or Instagram (@GolfweekJourdan).
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: PGA Tour schedule 2028 changes: Championship Series, relegation info