Significant Changes in the PGA Tour Championship: Farewell to the Starting Strokes Format
The PGA Tour has announced the elimination of the controversial starting strokes format at the Tour Championship, in an effort to make its season-ending tournament more exciting for golf fans. The decision, which will take effect at this year’s Tour Championship, seeks to intensify the competition and drama on the course.Starting from the 2024 Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, to be held from August 21st to 24th, the 30 participating players will begin the tournament with a par score.
The winner, after completing the 72 rounds, will be awarded the coveted FedEx Cup and receive a bonus, as well as a five-year exemption on the PGA Tour.
The measure was approved by the Player Advisory Council (PAC) and the PGA Tour’s board of directors.“Our Fan Forward Initiative has helped us evaluate every part of the PGA Tour season and today’s announcement is an important first step in the evolution of our postseason,” said Jay Monahan, PGA Tour commissioner.
Jay Monahan, PGA Tour commissioner
The PGA Tour considered other alternatives for the Tour Championship, including a bracket-style format with direct matchups. The PAC will continue to evaluate the field size and qualification criteria for future championships.
The PGA Tour also reported that golf fans expressed their desire to see scores closer to par at the Tour Championship.
In addition, it was announced that the bonuses for the top 30 golfers in the FedEx Cup standings will be adjusted for 2025, with the aim of balancing volatility, rewarding season performance, and recognizing the importance of the FedExCup.
The PGA Tour is evaluating possible additional changes for the Tour Championship, which will be announced in the coming months.Also, the possibility of moving the Tour Championship to another golf course after the 2027 season is being considered, although East Lake Golf Club could remain part of the rotation for the event.
The PGA Tour’s rules committee will “adjust its course setup approach to encourage more risk/reward moments in each round, further increasing drama and competition.”
From 2007 to 2018, the PGA Tour crowned two champions at the Tour Championship: the tournament winner and the leader in the FedEx Cup points standings throughout the season. The starting strokes format was introduced in 2019 to protect golfers at the top, eliminating the confusion of having two champions after the season-ending championship.“We want the Tour Championship to be the toughest tournament to qualify for and the FedEx Cup trophy to be the hardest to win,” said Scottie Scheffler, a member of the PAC.
Scottie Scheffler, member of the PAC
PGA Tour members, including Scheffler, criticized the format for being too contrived. Other golfers complained that they didn’t have a chance to win the tournament because they started too far behind.
Scheffler commented that the format was “silly.” “Hypothetically, we get to East Lake and my neck flares up and doesn’t heal like at the Players. Do I finish 30th in the FedEx Cup because I had to withdraw from the last tournament? Is that really the whole season’s race? No, it is what it is.”Starting so far ahead of the field didn’t always guarantee victory for Scheffler. In 2022, he squandered a six-stroke lead and lost to Rory McIlroy by one. The following year, Scheffler started at 10 under par and finished at only 1 under par in 72 holes. He tied for sixth place at 11 under par, 16 strokes behind winner Viktor Hovland.
