PGA Tour 2028: What the Players Really Say About the Major Reform

The PGA Tour has announced its most far-reaching structural reform since its founding. Starting in 2028, the Tour will be divided into the Championship Series and the Challenger Series, featuring promotion and relegation, postseason match play, and the end of sponsor exemptions. (You can find all the details on the reform here in our in-depth article.) Reactions from the player community have been swift and clear—mostly positive, partly relieved, but not without substantial reservations. One topic runs like a common thread through almost all the comments: the Challenger Series.

The Big Picture: Broad Approval

Anyone talking to PGA Tour players in the days surrounding the Travelers Championship hears one thing above all else: relief. Collin Morikawa sums it up. The two-time major champion stated during an appearance on the Rich Eisen Show that there was surprisingly little need for discussion among the players behind the scenes—and he sees that as a good sign.

“No, no, no—and I don’t think there was as much need for discussion among us players as you might think. And I think that’s a good sign. It shows that these changes are for the better,” Morikawa said.

Xander Schauffele, a ten-time Tour winner, described the situation on Sirius XM primarily as the end of a period of uncertainty: “The last three or four years have been a bit hectic. You knew what you were playing for, but at the same time, you never knew what was going to happen next. We almost made a joke out of it: ‘Well, if it’s not good, it’ll change again next year anyway.’ It’s nice to be at a point where they’re trying to establish a definitive framework—for the future and for coming generations.”

Ben Griffin, one of last season’s standout players with three wins, speaks primarily from the fans’ perspective. He explains that friends simply didn’t understand the previous system—and admits that even as a player, he occasionally lost track of what he was actually playing for in a given week. “I think it’s going to be incredibly competitive. It’s going to be an incredible product. It’ll be easier for fans to follow, and I think that’s a good thing. But yes, there are still a lot of unknowns, and I think we’ll just have to wait and see. I’m convinced that it will be incredible in the end.”

What the players particularly welcome

In addition to general approval of the new structure, a few points stand out that have been explicitly praised by several parties.

For Shane Lowry,the return of the cut is one of the most important decisions of all. The 2019 Open champion spoke on the Fried Egg Golf Podcast and recalled a specific moment that, for him, perfectly illustrates the significance of the cut: “I think there should always be a cut. When you’re playing on the cut line on Friday night in the final round, it’s a whole different experience than when there’s no cut. Just think back to the Memorial a few weeks ago—Rory hugging JT on the 18th green when he sank the Putt to make the cut. That’s an essential part of our sport. I’m glad to see it back.”

The end of sponsor exemptions is particularly highlighted by Rich Beem, the former PGA Champion and current Sky Sports commentator. For him, that alone represents a paradigm shift: “Either you’re in or you’re out. And I think that alone is worth its weight in gold.”

More direct matchups between the world’s best players was one of the most frequently cited goals of the reform—and it’s the point Morikawa emphasizes most strongly. Larger fields, cuts, the best players competing against each other week after week—“things that are inherent to the sport of golf,” as he puts it.

The Concerns: The Challenger Series in Focus

As unanimous as the support for the Championship Series is, the question marks surrounding the Challenger Series are just as clear. Lowry gets straight to the heart of the dilemma: “I’m worried about the smaller events and the Tier 2 events—what they’ll actually look like, who will play in those fields, what kind of experience it will be. If you’re in the big events and part of that part of the Tour, it’s great. If not, it’s going to be pretty tough.”

Lowry is not alone in this view. Rory McIlroy, the reigning Masters champion, had spoken bluntly during the week of the U.S. Open about “glorified Korn Ferry events” —a phrase that caused a stir in Cromwell and prompted CEO Brian Rolapp to issue a detailed rebuttal. Although McIlroy backtracked after the official announcement, calling it “a positive step for professional golf,” his initial skepticism likely speaks for many players who still want to wait and see which specific tournaments end up in which series.

A particularly pointed warning comes from Rich Beem, who is commentating on the Travelers Championship for Sky Sports. He addresses the Tour leadership directly and cites a specific example: Under no circumstances should the Canadian Open end up in the Challenger Series. “I’d be surprised if they didn’t—because there are too many Canadians who will be in the top 120. Not giving them a chance to play in their national championship—I think that would be a disgrace. Really. That would be a very bad move for the Tour.” Beem’s argument is representative of a broader debate: Which tournaments with history, national significance, and a loyal fan base will make it into the Championship Series—and which won’t?

The Body as a Limit: Fleetwood’s Warning

While structural issues attract the most attention, Tommy Fleetwood raises another, no less important aspect: the physical and mental strain of a compressed schedule.

The Englishman, who typically plays 27 to 28 tournaments per season, spoke thoughtfully ahead of the Travelers Championship. While he welcomes the fact that the best players will face off more often in the future, he makes no secret of the fact that the condensed schedule takes its toll. “I think the schedule has become increasingly packed in recent years. You can really see it at this time of year: it’s easy to feel tired. Minor aches and pains start to crop up, and it can take a mental toll as well. But we have the opportunity to learn from this and carry that into the next season.”

Fleetwood emphasizes that players must learn to manage their bodies and their workload even more consciously under these new conditions. As a European player, he particularly appreciates that the international schedule in the fall still leaves room for events in Europe—a detail that is likely to be significant for quite a few players across the Atlantic.

Conclusion & Outlook

The reactions to the 2028 PGA Tour reform reflect what the new model itself aims to embody: clarity. There is broad approval, palpable relief—and criticism focused on the areas where uncertainty still remains. No one fundamentally doubts the direction. The questions revolve around implementation.

How successful the Challenger Series will be depends on which tournaments are included and how the Tour manages to make this second tier attractive to fans and sponsors. Which national Opens and traditional events are included in the Championship Series is a decision with sporting, cultural, and economic implications. And whether the condensed schedule will challenge or overwhelm the players in the long run will only become clear on the course.

2028 is still ahead of us. The verdicts won’t be handed down at press conferences—but on the courses that have yet to be finalized.