PGA Tour introduces 32-player match play format for Tour Championship starting in 2028
The PGA Tour will overhaul its season-ending playoffs in 2028, introducing a 32-man match play Tour Championship across two weeks following a 90-player stroke play opener.
The new three-week postseason structure
PGA Tour chief executive Brian Rolapp announced changes to the tour postseason schedule on Tuesday in Atlanta ahead of the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club. Beginning in 2028, the tour will replace its current three-event stroke play playoff system with a revised three-week structure ending in match play. The opening tournament, designated as the PGA Tour Championship Series Finale and held at the BMW Championship, will feature the top 90 players from the regular-season standings. The 2028 BMW Championship will take place at Olympia Fields near Chicago. The player leading the points list at the conclusion of this 72-hole stroke play event will win the season-long points championship and receive the associated financial bonuses.
- Top 90 golfers play 72 holes of stroke play to crown the season points winner
- Top 32 golfers compete in eight round-robin match play groups of four
- Final 16 golfers contest a four-round match play bracket to crown the Tour Champion
Match play format for the Tour Championship
Following the opening week, the top 32 players in the standings will qualify for the revised two-week Tour Championship held across rotating venues. The first week of the Tour Championship splits the 32 competitors into eight round-robin pools of four players. Each golfer faces the other three players in their group, with the top two finishers from each pool advancing to the final week. Ties in group play will be resolved through playoffs.
- Championship Series Finale
- 90 players
- Tour Championship Week 1
- 32 players
- Tour Championship Week 2
- 16 players
The final week moves to a separate venue where the remaining 16 players compete in a four-round match play bracket. All 16 golfers will continue competing over all four days to establish the complete finishing order, while the final two undefeated players will meet on Sunday to determine the Tour Champion.
Committee development and leadership reaction
The structural redesign was developed by the PGA Tour Future Competition Committee, a nine-member panel established by Rolapp and chaired by Tiger Woods. The committee was tasked with building a more consequential competition model with clear season-long narratives. Woods voiced support for the transition following the announcement.
The conclusion of the season should be worthy of the journey it takes to get there. 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 PGA Tour.
Player reception and broader calendar changes
Three-time FedEx Cup winner Rory McIlroy endorsed the move to head-to-head competition, noting that match play had been absent from the PGA Tour calendar since 2023. Rolapp and the committee consulted players, fans, and media partners including CBS, NBC, ESPN, Netflix, and Amazon while drafting the new schedule. The postseason overhaul follows recommendations approved in June that establish a two-tier system for 2028, featuring a promotion and relegation mechanism between a Championship Series and a Challenger Series.
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.
