The PGA Tour has confirmed it will not reintroduce a return program for golfers who left for LIV Golf, despite the latter’s recent bankruptcy filing — CEO Brian Rolapp emphasized the organization’s commitment to meritocracy and strict enforcement of its rules. “The PGA Tour is built on meritocracy,” Rolapp said, “Every player, whether they are a member or want to become one, must earn their place.”

Sticking to Rules and Merit

Players who defected to LIV Golf are still subject to a one-year ban, which can be served while playing on the DP World Tour, According to Rolapp, accountability and discipline are essential for the integrity of the PGA Tour. “Those are guiding principles for us,” he said, though the PGA Tour is a membership organization with rules designed to ensure fairness and competitive balance, and those rules must be enforced.

2028 Format and Two-Tier System

In 2028, the PGA Tour will introduce a two-tier system; the Championship Series will include 20 events, including the Players Championship and four majors, with each regular event offering $20 million in prize money. Below it, the Challenger Series will offer significantly smaller prizes, between $4 million and $5 million per event, According to PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp, the system is designed to ensure “performance determines opportunity.”

Qualification for the 2028 season will be based on performance in 2026 and 2027. Turniersieger-Exemptions earned by the end of 2026 will remain valid, and winners of The Players Championship, Majors, and Signature Events in 2027 will secure entry into the Championship Series through 2029. Also, the top 70 in the final 2027 FedEx Cup standings and the top 95 in the Fall FedEx Cup rankings will qualify, Only the top 10 from the Korn Ferry Tour will move up directly to the top tier.

Under the new system, the top 90 performers in the Championship Series will retain their membership for the next season. Those outside the top 90 will be eligible for promotion from the Challenger Series, with the top 20 in the Challenger Series advancing to the Championship Series. Players with two or more wins in the Challenger Series can also earn promotion mid-season; Plus, the top-ranked NCAA graduate will receive immediate entry into the Championship Series.

Impact on Player Decisions

Players are already weighing how to position themselves for the new structure. Marco Penge, an English golfer and three-time DP World Tour winner, chose to play in the Biltmore Championship Asheville in North Carolina rather than the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth. Penge explained that his decision was driven by the need to maintain his PGA Tour card. “I would have loved to be in Wentworth, but I have made work for myself if I want to keep my card in the U.S.,” he said. “But here, the best players in the world are playing, and that’s where I want to be.”

Rory McIlroy, the two-time Masters champion, has expressed confidence about the ongoing negotiations between the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour, However, he warned that access to the Challenger Series, a potential route for returning players, would be less appealing. “I don’t see any reason why a DP World Tour player would go to the Challenger Series,” he said, “I don’t see that as an upward move in your career.”

The PGA Tour also announced a new “Last Chance Series” in the fall, featuring at least four events. This series will offer three additional Championship Series cards and will include players who were relegated from the Championship Series, those remaining in the Challenger Series, Korn Ferry Tour qualifiers, PGA Q-School top performers, and NCAA graduates ranked 2nd through 5th. The new system aims to provide alternative pathways for players seeking to earn a spot in the top tier.

In addition to the new structure, the Tour is adjusting the benefits for major champions; Starting with the 2027 major winners, the five-year exemption will be reduced to two years. For the Championship Series, major winners will have the same exemptions as regular event winners, However, players who won majors before 2027 and already have five-year exemptions will retain those rights.

The 2027 season will be the final one under the current FedEx Cup system and will serve as the qualifying period for the 2028 format — the changes reflect a broader effort to create a performance-based structure that rewards consistency and competitiveness while maintaining the integrity of the tour.