PGA Tour will have an elite tier and outlines the path to get there and stay there

PGA Tour will have an elite tier and outlines the path to get there and stay there DOUG FERGUSON THE ASSOCIATED PRESS PUBLISHED 2 HOURS AGO Open this photo in gallery: Scottie Scheffler holds the trophy after winning the PGA Tour Championship tournament last month in Atlanta. MIKE STEWART/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS COMMENTS SHARE SAVE FOR LATER Listen to this article Learn more about audio Log in or create a free account to listen to this article. The PGA Tour announced new eligibility for its two-tier model in 2028 that treats the elite Championship Series tournaments with equal standing as the four majors and The Players Championship. It also spells out clearly how to reach – and stay on – the top level. The simplified system does away with five-year exemptions for winning majors, The Players and the FedEx Cup. Those are now two-year exemptions on the Championship Series, with an additional two years on the lesser Challenger Series. Winners of Championship Series events also will get a two-year exemption on the elite circuit. The tour also is giving the top college senior a spot on the top tier, and offering a “Last Chance Series” in the fall that will award the top three players a shot at rejoining the Championship Series. “I don’t think it’s perfect,” CEO Brian Rolapp said Tuesday in a conference call. “But I think it’s a huge improvement, and I think we’ll continue to innovate as the years go on because we’ll be smarter after the ’28 season and smarter after the ’29 and we’ll continue to try to get better.” It starts with a key transition period – how to determine who gets on the Championship Series with its US$20-million purses, and who starts on the Challenger Series of prize funds expected to be half as much. Each tier will have its own points system. For the Championship Series, all tournaments – including the majors – are treated equally. Currently, there is a bump in points for the majors and The Players. The tour said it would honour exemptions earned in 2026. That means PGA champion Aaron Rai and British Open champion Ryan Fox will get five-year exemptions on the Championship Series through 2031. Major champions in 2027 will be exempt on the elite level through 2029. But it makes 2027 a pivotal year. The top 70 in the FedEx Cup through the Tour Championship – and the top 95 after the fall portion – will be in the Championship Series, along with those who have exemptions from winning regular tournaments in 2026. Open this photo in…