The Player Advisory Council (PAC) of the PGA Tour is considering modifications for the 2026 season, which may involve smaller fields, relegation, and majors on the Korn Ferry Tour.
In sentiments expressed to Golfweek, some members of the council shared their ideas about these adjustments. Kevin Streelman said: “We started talking and spitballing ideas about what things could look like. There were some ideas that seemed very good and would bring some consistency and true competitiveness to the top players in the world and still give a soft landing and a hopeful resurgence and opportunity if you fall off.”
The proposed changes
One proposed change is to decrease field sizes from 156 to 120, regardless of whether the event is regular or signature-based. To do that, the number of exempt players would need to be lowered from 125 to as low as 100. Speaking about the proposed change, PAC member Lanto Griffin remarked: “I think it’d be gradual, so that’s 125 to 120, 120 to 115 to slowly push lower and have less Q-School and Korn Ferry graduates.”
According to Griffin, the schedule needs to be designed to give all exempt players an equal opportunity to compete while also ensuring that the best players continue to face off against one another. He pointed out that alumni of the Korn Ferry Tour and Q-School are clearly at a disadvantage in the current system.
Moreover, if certain events were created as majors on the Korn Ferry circuit, there would also be a chance for in-season promotion to the Tour.
“In an ideal world, the PGA Tour should be 20-22 tournaments from January to August… Then have some tournaments go to the Korn Ferry Tour; just throwing random names – (Cognizant), a Valero, a Dominican, those are Korn Ferry majors. You win one of those and you get promoted (in-season). It’s just an idea of having it where two signature events in a row, week off, three on, whatever it needs to be to where the top guys don’t have to play every week,” Griffin added.
Steelman also declared: “I’d say we’re diligently working to try to appease the top players, our marketing partners, our fans and the integrity of the Tour and their competitions to deliver the greatest product and highlight the best players week after week.”
Peter Malnati, a player director on the Tour policy board, confirmed that these deliberations have reached the board level and that they are still in the early stages of discussions on what will happen.