PGA Tour Revamp: New York, Boston, Seattle Eyed for Championship Series Events

PGA Tour announces two-tier model with promotion and relegation from 2028 

PGA Tour’s 2028 overhaul guarantees 90 Championship Series spots and promotes 20 from the Challenger Series each season. No sponsor exemptions, plus a “last chance” series for final spots.

The PGA Tour will set final eligibility rules later this year for its Championship and Challenger Series. Only tournament wins, medical extensions, and career milestones get exemptions under the new format.

No more sponsor exemptions, PGA Tour finalizes eligibility for 2028 two-tier system...

The PGA Tour revealed major changes to its format on Tuesday, approving a two-tier system with promotion and relegation starting in 2028.

The US-based tour said the new PGA Tour Championship Series and PGA Tour Challenger Series will create real meritocracy, with a clear pathway for players to move up or down each season.

The Championship Series will bring the tour’s top players together head-to-head, building a season-long story to crown the best golfer in the world.

The Challenger Series will act as the main route up, giving players a clear shot to earn their way into the Championship Series and the top level of the sport.

“From day one, the focus of the Future Competition Committee has been to build the best version of ‌the PGA Tour, and to do so in ⁠a way that reflects the voice ‌of our players and the expectations of our fans,” PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp said in a press release.

“The result is a new competitive model grounded in meritocracy, with clearer pathways, higher stakes and more consistency when the best players compete together.”

The Championship Series will run roughly February to August with 23-24 events. Each will carry at least a $20 million purse and include the four majors, The Players, the season-ending tournaments, plus team events like the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup. Field sizes will average 120 players.

The PGA Tour’s release added that new cities being considered for the Championship Series events still to be announced include Boston, Denver, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.

The PGA Tour will lock in full eligibility rules later this year. That will include extra exemptions for things like tournament wins, medical extensions, and career milestones. Sponsor exemptions won’t be part of it.

A letter to fans on the future of the @PGATOUR. pic.twitter.com/WAFJwFEV7y

— Brian Rolapp (@brianrolapp) June 23, 2026

Running at the same time as the Championship Series, the Challenger Series will have at least 20 events with $4 million purses. It’ll showcase rising stars plus players trying to climb back up. Fields will be set at 144 players.

The new format brings real promotion and relegation to the PGA Tour. At least 90 players will keep their Championship Series status each year, while 20 players will earn promotion up from the Challenger Series.

A reimagined PGA TOUR is on the horizon.

Promotion, relegation, match play ... where the world's best compete.

A fan-first model designed to deliver compelling golf with heightened consequence. https://t.co/ovRaJui001

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 23, 2026

Challenger Series players who win twice in a season get an instant move up to the Championship Series. There’ll also be a “last chance” stretch of 4 to 6 events, with a small number of Championship Series spots up for grabs.