pga tour elevated status

• Election 2024
• Entertainment
• Newsletters
• Photography
• Personal Finance
• AP Investigations
• AP Buyline Personal Finance
• AP Buyline Shopping
• Press Releases
• Israel-Hamas War
• Russia-Ukraine War
• Global elections
• Asia Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East
• Election Results
• Delegate Tracker
• AP & Elections
• Auto Racing
• 2024 Paris Olympic Games
• Movie reviews
• Book reviews
• Personal finance
• Financial Markets
• Business Highlights
• Financial wellness
• Artificial Intelligence
• Social Media

Elevated events show a divide among PGA Tour events for ’23

Jordan Spieth hits on the sixth hole during their singles match at the Presidents Cup golf tournament at the Quail Hollow Club, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

FILE - Ryan Armour watches his shot on the first hole during the second round of the Travelers Championship golf tournament at TPC River Highlands on June 24, 2022, in Cromwell, Conn. A person with direct knowledge of the plans says the PGA Tour is announcing Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2022, that four tournaments, including the Travelers Championship, will have elevated status and $20 million purses the following year. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

FILE - Max Homa hits from the rough on the 13th hole during the final round of the Wells Fargo Championship golf tournament on May 8, 2022, at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm golf club in Potomac, Md. A person with direct knowledge of the plans says the PGA Tour is announcing Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2022, that four tournaments, including the Wells Fargo Championship, will have elevated status and $20 million purses the following year. (AP Photo/Nick Wass, File)

• Copy Link copied

RIDGELAND, S.C. (AP) — The PGA Tour will have a four-month stretch of 12 tournaments that are either majors or have $20 million purses in what figures to be a taxing year for the elite players.

The tour will announce Wednesday that the WM Phoenix Open, RBC Heritage at Hilton Head, Wells Fargo Championship and Travelers Championship will be part of the “elevated events” the top players will be required to play, a person with direct knowledge of the plans told The Associated Press.

The concept of elevated events was first announced in late August as a response to the Saudi-funded LIV Golf league, aimed at bringing the best players together as often as 17 times, including the majors and the FedEx Cup playoffs.

The elevated events average $20 million purses.

Golfweek first reported the addition of four elevated events. It was confirmed to the AP on Tuesday by a person who spoke on condition of anonymity pending the Wednesday announcement.

The additions create a crowded schedule. Starting with the Phoenix Open on Feb. 9-12, there will be four elevated events in a five-week stretch, followed by the Genesis Invitational at Riviera, and then a week later, the Arnold Palmer Invitational and The Players Championship in consecutive weeks.

The odd tournament out is the Honda Classic, and Jack Nicklaus expressed concern in a recent interview it might lead to a two-tiered schedule.

“All of a sudden the other tournaments become feeders,” Nicklaus said.

Two of the elevated events, the RBC Heritage and Travelers Championship, are the week after the majors. The Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow is May 4-7. That starts a stretch of five big events in an eight-week stretch, including the PGA Championship and the U.S. Open.

“I’m not keen on playing after a major, but I’ve seen people do it and I’ve seen people do well, so there’s no reason why you can’t,” Jon Rahm said.

The last player to win a major and the following week was Tiger Woods in 2006, when the Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone followed his PGA Championship win at Medinah.

For the Texas-born Jordan Spieth, May becomes a problem. He hasn’t played the Wells Fargo Championship since 2013 when he was needing sponsor exemptions. Spieth plays the two Dallas-area events, Colonial and the Byron Nelson, which now are sandwiched around the PGA Championship.

He would be looking at a schedule that takes him from the Wells Fargo Championship in North Carolina to the AT&T Byron Nelson in Dallas, the PGA Championship in upstate New York, the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas, and the Memorial in Ohio.

After a week off, he would go to the U.S. Open in Los Angeles and the Travelers Championship in Connecticut.

“I don’t particularly like doing more than four in a row, but I love my hometown events,” Spieth said. “I’ve been playing them really well as well. Then just played the Presidents Cup well there at Wells Fargo, so with a major in there and then Jack’s event (Memorial) ... I don’t know what it’s going to look like, but it looks like probably five in a row.”

The concept that came out of a players-only meeting in August was to boost prize money to get the best players in the same tournaments.

The plan that PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan announced was for top players to commit to a 20-event schedule that would include 12 “elevated events,” The Players Championship, the four majors and three tournaments of their choice.

Top players were defined as those who finished among the top 20 in the old and new model of the Player Impact Program. The PIP offers $100 million in bonus money that can only be paid after a player competes in 16 of the biggest events.

“Sometimes when the schedule is set and you have to go play it makes things easier, at least in my mind,” Rahm said. “You have to play these events and then you organize the rest, which there’s a simplicity to it in that sense. Plus, you’re elevating great events. They’re all amazing golf courses, all amazing events, a lot of history, all of them. So they’re worthy of it.”

More AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

• Live on Sky
• Get Sky Sports
• Sky Mobile Apps
• Kick It Out
• Black Lives Matter
• British South Asians in Football

PGA Tour announces four more 'elevated' events for 2023 as part of response to LIV Golf threat

The Phoenix Open, RBC Heritage, Wells Fargo Championship and Travelers Championship will now all have $20m (£17.8m) prize purses; as part of the response to the threat posed by LIV Golf, the PGA Tour's top players have committed to playing against each other at least 20 times a year

Wednesday 19 October 2022 20:59, UK

The PGA Tour has added four additional events to the 13 previously announced 'elevated' events, all of which will have increased purse sizes and guaranteed appearances from top players.

The Phoenix Open, RBC Heritage, Wells Fargo Championship and Travelers Championship will now all have $20m (£17.8m) prize purses and join the four majors, The Players, the three FedExCup Playoff events, the three invitationals (Genesis, Bay Hill, Memorial), the WGC Match Play and the Tournament of Champions as having 'elevated' status.

In spite of the Tour's 'strategic alliance' with the DP World Tour, no European events are elevated for 2023, with the Scottish Open remaining simply a co-sanctioned event.

• Rahm rejects Phil Mickelson's claim about LIV Golf
• Bradley ends four-year PGA Tour title drought
• LIV rebel Adrian Otaegui triumphs on DP World Tour

The four newly-announced events are for 2023 only; four different tournaments could be elevated in 2024.

The concept of elevated events was first announced in August as a response to the Saudi-funded LIV Golf Series, aimed at bringing the best players together 17 times, including the majors and the FedEx Cup Playoffs.

• Fury vs Usyk: Ring walk timings, undercard, odds and more
• Fury shoves Usyk before expletive rant and weight blunder
• Fury vs Usyk expert predictions - who will be undisputed champ?
• Transfer Centre LIVE! New Everton deal for Coleman but Dele to leave
• Juventus sack Allegri after Coppa Italia final behaviour
• Liverpool news: Claims Amorim move fell down over compensation
• Newcastle rumours: Toon pushing to sign Ramsdale from Arsenal
• PL Predictions: Still hope for Arsenal? West Ham to make Man City sweat
• Southampton beat West Brom 3-1 to reach Wembley - highlights
• Palmer wins Premier League young player of year award
• Latest News

The PGA Tour's top players are committed to all 17 of these elevated events, and must also play an additional three events of their own choosing.

"Our top players are firmly behind the tour," PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said at the Tour Championship in August, where Rory McIlroy won his third FedExCup title.

Brooks Koepka takes title in Jeddah

LIV Golf involvement a distraction but can add to Wentworth excitement

How will Ryder Cup be impacted after Henrik Stenson 'let DP World Tour down' by joining LIV Golf?

Does the FedExCup format need changing? Who can catch Scottie Scheffler?

"Helping us deliver an unmatched product to our fans, who will be all but guaranteed to see the best players competing against each other in 20 events or more throughout the season. This is an extraordinary and unprecedented commitment, a testament to who these guys are and what they believe in."

McIlroy hits back at Mickelson claims

The announcement comes in the wake of LIV Golf player Phil Mickelson asserting the breakaway tour was on the way up while the PGA Tour was on the way down.

Six-time major winner Mickelson's remarks were rejected by Jon Rahm ahead of this week's CJ Cup, with McIlroy backing up the world No 5's viewpoint as he prepares to defend his title in South Carolina.

"The guys that have went over to LIV, they're the ones that have made the disruption, they're the ones that have sort of put the golf world in flux right now," McIlroy said.

"I guess for them to be talking the way they are, it's bold and it's, you know, I think there's a ton of propaganda being used and all sorts of stuff. I certainly don't see the PGA Tour trending downward at all.

"Ninety-five per cent of the talent is here. You've got people like Tom Kim coming through, that's the future of our game.

"I don't agree with what Phil said last week. I understand why he said it because of the position he is in, but I don't think anyone that takes a logical view of the game of golf can agree with what he said."

Get the best prices and book a round at one of 1,700 courses across the UK & Ireland

Enter Course, City, or Postal Code

No results found. Please try another search.

How to watch Premier League, EFL play-offs, WSL, Scottish Premiership, F1 and more

• Stream with NOW

• Upgrade Now

PGA Tour to announce four new 'elevated' events, including WM Phoenix Open

The PGA Tour is set to announce a further four tournaments with elevated status for 2023, Golfweek has learned, and one will be the WM Phoenix Open.

The additions will bring to 13 the total number of Tour events designated as “elevated,” meaning the presence of the game’s biggest stars will be guaranteed as they compete for lucrative purses of at least $20 million. The Tour plans to communicate specifics on the events to players later this week.

In August, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan announced the first nine elevated events for the 2022-2023 season. Those were the Players Championship; three FedEx Cup playoff stops (FedEx St. Jude Championship, BMW Championship, Tour Championship); the three invitationals (Genesis, Arnold Palmer, Memorial); the WGC Dell Technologies Match Play; and the Sentry Tournament of Champions.

Along with the Phoenix Open, the RBC Heritage, Wells Fargo Championship and Travelers Championship also will be elevated, according to five sources familiar with the discussions. Several sources said the Tour is still in the process of finalizing negotiations with the events. A spokesperson for the PGA Tour declined to confirm the details or to comment on potential announcements.

While the nine previously-announced events will have elevated status every year, it’s expected that the four unveiled this week will rotate between tournaments each season, ensuring that every sponsor interested in paying for elevated status would be guaranteed the best possible field every few years.

“The elevated events won’t be the same in 2024,” said one person who has been briefed on the plan. “These events worked with a schedule that had already been announced.”

Arizona golf: Jon Rahm returns to PGA Tour; Phil Mickelson doubles down on LIV Golf

The PGA Tour’s creation of an elite tier of events is a direct response to the threat posed by LIV Golf, the Saudi-funded series that lured a number of prominent players to compete for guaranteed money in 48-man events. Monahan outlined the Tour’s plan at the season-ending Tour Championship in August, but the vision was born of a select players meeting earlier that month in Delaware, organized by Tour loyalists Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.

Players in attendance — invites were limited to the Tour’s top stars — broadly agreed to commit to play every elevated event, giving the Tour the ability to guarantee where its biggest draws will show up. That has never before been possible since members are independent contractors who control their own schedules. As of now, 20 of the top 21 players in the Official World Golf Ranking have remained on the PGA Tour.

Between the 13 elevated PGA Tour stops and the four major championships, golf’s top stars will compete against each other at least 17 times per season, a substantial increase on how often they face off in the same tournaments currently. Under the plan Monahan announced, players are also required to enter three non-elevated PGA Tour events each season, ensuring those tournaments can still attract stars who need to meet their obligation.

That 20-event minimum commitment has caused concern among some stars. “I wouldn’t be surprised if that changes,” said world No. 5, Jon Rahm, who expressed reservations about his ability to continue supporting events in his native Europe.

The announcement of the four newly elevated tournaments is likely to inspire more grumbling since two of them are held immediately following majors. The RBC Heritage falls right after the Masters, though it’s a less than three-hour drive from Augusta to the RBC venue in Hilton Head. However, the Travelers Championship in Cromwell, Connecticut, is held the week following the U.S. Open, which will be contested on the west coast next year at Los Angeles Country Club.

The schedule of elevated events in 2023 would see top players get together with considerable frequency outside of the majors: once in January (Sentry), twice in February (WM Phoenix Open, Genesis), three times in March (Arnold Palmer, Players, Match Play), once in April (RBC Heritage) and May (Wells Fargo), twice in June (Memorial, Travelers) and three times in August for the FedEx Cup playoffs.

Sources indicated that no decision has been made on what events will have elevated status on the PGA Tour schedule in 2024, when the Tour returns to a regular calendar-year season, or whether field sizes might be adjusted for those tournaments after next year.

Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.  

• CBSSports.com
• Fanatics Sportsbook
• CBS Sports Home
• Champions League
• Motor Sports
• High School

Football Pick'em

College Pick'em

Fantasy baseball, fantasy football, fantasy basketball, fantasy hockey, franchise games, 24/7 sports news network.

• CBS Sports Golazo Network
• PGA Championship
• UEFA Champions League
• UEFA Europa League
• Italian Serie A
• Watch CBS Sports Network
• TV Shows & Listings

The Early Edge

A Daily SportsLine Betting Podcast

With the First Pick

NFL Draft recap

• Podcasts Home
• The First Cut Golf
• Beyond the Arc
• We Need to Talk Now
• Eye On College Basketball
• NFL Pick Six
• Cover 3 College Football
• Fantasy Football Today
• My Teams Organize / See All Teams Help Account Settings Log Out

PGA Tour to elevate four more tournaments creating 13 big-money events starting in 2023, per reports

The phoenix open, rbc heritage, wells fargo championship and travelers championship are expected to be elevated.

A new era of the PGA Tour will begin in 2023. After announcing late this summer that nine of its 2023 tournaments would be elevated events with massive purses, the PGA Tour will reportedly increase that number of elevated tournaments to 13 per season with 12 of those 13 events paying out $20 million or more to golfers.

These big-time, big-money events will feature all the top players in the world, according to multiple reports, with the Phoenix Open, RBC Heritage, Travelers Championship and Wells Fargo Championship being the four newest additions, per  Golfweek .

Those events will join the Tournament of Champions, Genesis Invitational, Arnold Palmer Invitational, Players Championship, WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, the Memorial Tournament, St. Jude Championship, BMW Championship and Tour Championship in the elevated category. 

In total, 10 of the 13 elevated tournaments will feature purses of $20 million. The only events that have varying purses are the Tournament of Champions ($15 million), Players Championship ($25 million) and Tour Championship ($75 million toward the FedEx Cup overall).

These are the 13 PGA Tour events that all the top players in the world agreed to play together at the now-famous hotel meeting during the 2022 BMW Championship. Additionally, those players will ostensibly play the four major championships to bring the total of guaranteed appearances to 17 per season. It's possible they may also be required to play three additional PGA Tour events on the calendar as a way to spread out star power across the non-elevated tournaments. That's a likely total of 20 events during the 2022-23 PGA Tour season for the game's top players.

Those golfers, defined annually as the 20 players who finished highest in the Player Impact Program, have agreed to play in these elevated events moving forward as a way to combat the newly-launched LIV Golf, which features limited events (14 in 2023) in which all the top players in that league play.

The only top-ranked players that have left the PGA Tour for LIV Golf have been Dustin Johnson and Cameron Smith. Though other big names have departed, none were in the top 20 in the Official World Golf Rankings.

"We need to get the top guys together more often than we do," said Rory McIlroy earlier this year after the players-only meeting in Delaware ahead of the BMW. "I'm talking about all in the same tournaments, all in the same weeks."

Functionally, this elevated event path creates two different leagues for the PGA Tour. There will be the 17 elevated tournaments (including the major championships, which are run by non-PGA Tour organizations but are considered PGA Tour events) and then the 30 non-elevated tournaments, most of which will not feature the PGA Tour's top-drawing stars. However, this consolidates star power in a meaningful way and packs it into fewer events rather than spreading it thin throughout the season.

Also, it appears likely the PGA Tour will rotating some of these elevated event purses across different tournaments so that, for example, perhaps the AT&T Byron Nelson will be an elevated event in 2025 and give those in the Dallas/Fort Worth market an opportunity to see all the best golfers in the world. This is likely to provide a better overall fan experience than the status quo.

"Our top players are firmly behind the Tour, helping us deliver an unmatched product to our fans, who will be all but guaranteed to see the best players competing against each other in 20 events or more throughout the season," said PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan at the Tour Championship earlier this year.

"This is an extraordinary and unprecedented commitment, a testament to who these guys are and what they believe in. To now have our top players rally around this organization and commit to a portfolio of tournaments like never before, I think our fans, our partners, our players are going to love it. I promise you, there's more to come."

Our Latest Golf Stories

2024 PGA Championship TV schedule, live stream

Adam silverstein • 3 min read.

2024 PGA Championship weekend odds, picks, predictions

Cbs sports staff • 4 min read.

PGA takeaways: Morikawa reminds of major potential

Kyle porter • 5 min read.

Rahm, Lefty among stars to miss cut at PGA Championship

Patrick mcdonald • 2 min read.

Tiger misses PGA cut with two triple bogeys in Round 2

Scheffler proves unshakeable keeping focus amid arrest

Kyle porter • 7 min read, share video.

PGA Tour to have 13 big-money events starting in 2023

Scheffler unshakeable keeping focus

Tiger ejects with pair of triple bogeys

Scheffler shoots into PGA contention, talks arrest

Scheffler arrested, released before Round 2 at Valhalla

PGA worker identified as fatal accident victim

Rahm, Lefty among stars to miss cut at Valhalla

PGA Championship TV schedule, coverage guide

Scheffler to be without usual caddie for Round 3 at PGA

• Associated Press ,

Trending Teams

Report: phoenix, travelers among 4 additions to tour’s elevated-status events.

• Brentley Romine ,
• Brentley Romine

The PGA Tour is set to reveal the remaining tournaments that will receive elevated status next season.

According to a Golfweek report , the four events, to be announced later this week, will be the Waste Management Phoenix Open, RBC Heritage, Wells Fargo Championship and Travelers Championship. Those tournaments will join the three FedExCup Playoffs events, Genesis Invitational, Arnold Palmer Invitational, Memorial Tournament, WGC-Dell Match Play and Sentry Tournament of Champions, which will all feature $20 million purses (TOC, at $15 million, is the exception) in 2023 and be mandatory starts for the top 20 players in the Tour’s $100 million Player Impact Program.

Back in August, the Tour revealed sweeping changes as it looks to dissuade its best players from bolting for the Saudi-backed LIV Golf circuit. Among those changes was requiring those top members to tee it up in 20 total tournaments (if eligible), including the four majors, Players Championship, 12 elevated events and three more tournaments of a player’s choosing.

Per the new PIP requirements, these four elevated additions will ensure that the Tour’s best meet a minimum of 17 times and at least twice each month from February to June, including three times each in March and June.

“Well, until I get an official statement from the PGA Tour, I won’t be able to 100% believe it,” Jon Rahm said Tuesday at the CJ Cup. “Now, it could be true. If it is, we’ll deal with it. I mean, it is what it is.”

Rahm, who has been somewhat outspoken about the 20-event rule since the Tour announced it, was also made aware that two of next year’s adds, the RBC Heritage and Travelers, each fall one week after a major on the calendar. The Heritage, which follows the Masters, may be a short drive from Augusta National, but the Travelers, played in Cromwell, Connecticut, will come directly after the U.S. Open in Los Angeles.

“Sometimes when the schedule is set and you have to go play makes things easier at least in my mind,” Rahm said. “Oh, you have to play these events and then you organize the rest, which there’s a simplicity to it in that sense. Plus, you’re elevating great events. They’re all amazing golf courses, all amazing events, a lot of history, all of them. So, they’re worthy of it.

“Hilton Head and Travelers after majors? I’m not keen on playing after a major, but I’ve seen people do it and I’ve seen people do well, so there’s no reason why you can’t.”

Jordan Spieth was reminded that Wells Fargo begins a five-week stretch that also includes the PGA Championship, Memorial and both Dallas area events that Spieth typically plays, the AT&T Byron Nelson and Charles Schwab Challenge.

“It looks like it will just be an extra one in a row,” Spieth said. “You know, if that’s the case, then that does put me and a few other people like Scottie [Scheffler], [Will] Zalatoris, some guys who like playing both the Dallas events in a situation where you’re looking at five in a row, which I’ve done once.

“I don’t particularly like doing more than four in a row, but I love my hometown events. I’ve been playing them really well, as well. Then just played the Presidents Cup well there at Wells Fargo, so with a major in there and then Jack’s event, I think I just maybe – I don’t know what it’s going to look like, but it looks like probably five in a row where I go into Jack’s event on Tuesday night or something like that.”

The four new elevated events aren’t expected to permanently maintain that status, as the Tour reportedly wants to create a rotation and ensure that all sponsors have access to paying for elevated privileges.

“The elevated events won’t be the same in 2024,” one person with knowledge of the Tour’s plans told Golfweek. “These events worked with a schedule that had already been announced.”

It’s unknown what the four elevated additions in 2024, or beyond, will be.

PGA Championship

Valhalla Golf Club

PGA Tour to overhaul 'designated' events in 2024, moving to limited-field, no-cut tournaments

Ross Kinnaird

The PGA Tour’s designated events for 2024 will feature limited fields and no cuts after the tour’s Policy Board voted to approve a new structure for the tournaments in a Tuesday night meeting.

In a memo to PGA Tour members sent to players Wednesday, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan made the news official. “After careful consideration of several options, I’m excited to announce that we are moving forward with what we are calling the Designated Event Model," Monahan wrote.

The changes was first reported earlier in the day by Golfweek , with sources confirming the matter to Golf Digest. The 2024 designated events will include the four majors, the Players, the three FedEx Cup playoff events and an additional eight still-to-be determined tournaments. Of those eight, four are presumed to be the Sentry Tournament of Champions, Genesis Invitational, the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Memorial.

A possible reduction in the number of players at the premier tournaments has been a chief discussion point among tour pros and officials since Monahan announced the creation of the designated events as part of sweeping changes to the tour structure last August. Monahan acknowledged as much in the memo. "These smaller, Designated event fields will not only deliver substantial, can’t-miss tournaments to our fans at important intervals throughout the season, but they will also enhance the quality of full-field events," Monahan wrote.

Truncated fields without a cut will prove to be more financially beneficial to the game’s stars versus the tour’s previous model, helping the tour keep its talent from defecting to the fledgling LIV Golf League. However, keeping these events open to the rank-and-file membership, along with up-and-coming players and those on a hot streak, was a non-negotiable aspect of the designated events from tour officials, a source tells Golf Digest.

According to Monahan’s memo, players eligible to compete in Designated events include:

• The top 50 players from the previous year’s FedEx Cup points list • The top 10 players not otherwise eligible using the current FedEx Cup standings • The top 5 players not otherwise eligible earning the most FedEx Cup points between designated events • Current year PGA Tour winners not otherwise eligible • PGA Tour members in the top 30 Official World Golf Ranking Earlier on Wednesday a source told Golf Digest the field sizes were expected to be in the range of 70 to 80 players, which the memo confirmed. Speaking to the media Wednesday at Bay Hill, Rory McIlroy cautioned that the three invitational events at Bay Hill, Riviera and Muirfield Village could still have cuts.

Tournaments will continue to have four sponsor’s exemptions to round out their fields. Nevertheless, there’s an uncomfortable math to the notion of smaller fields, that many players who will get the chance to compete in this year’s elevated events will be on the outside looking in next season.

The no-cut, limited-field format harkens to the tour’s former World Golf Championship set-ups and may be seen as a concession from the tour toward the ideas generated by McIroy, Tiger Woods, and some of the tour’s marquee attractions during a series of meetings last year, most notably a players only gathering in Delaware last August. While a source confirmed as much to Golf Digest, the source also noted that the no-cut element had an appeal to fans and sponsors, who believe guaranteeing a player’s presence for four straight days would help with turnout.

Xander Schauffele, speaking to the media on Tuesday at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, acknowledged this selling point.

“We're trying to make the best product. To answer the cut question, I am always for a cut. Emotionally, I'm for a cut. There is an aspect of it, I would say, that's really entertaining for some. But at the end of the day a lot of people and a lot of kids like to come see the top players play in the world,” Schauffele said. “... If they got a baseball game on Saturday, Timmy can still come with his dad and watch Rory tee up on Sunday, no matter what happens. I think it's also an easier package to sell to the sponsors when you tell 'em that 20 of the top 20 players in the world are going to be there Thursday through Sunday. I think that's an easier package to sell when it comes to sort of what makes the best product.”

McIlroy echoed similar sentiments Wednesday. "We've always had no-cut events on this tour. If you think of like the four WGC's, you've got the three playoffs events, you've got the CJ Cup, the Zozo. So there's precedent there for no-cut events," he said. "The only reason no-cut events are a big deal is because LIV has come along."

"Is there maybe going to be a few more of them? Maybe. That's still TBD by the way. That's not been decided yet. But if we do go down that path, there's precedent there to argue for no-cut events. It keeps the stars there for four days. You ask Mastercard or whoever it is to pay $20 million for a golf event, they want to see the stars at the weekend. They want a guarantee that the stars are there. So if that's what needs to happen, then that's what happens."

Sources say the tour is still working through the 2024 schedule overall with the hope of announcing it to players shortly. The intent with the schedule, as mentioned in the Tuesday memo, is to spread out the designated events between non-designated events to "ensure there are no isolated week, creating a strong cadence for players and fans alike" to the overall schedule.

“Full-field events will become more consequential as they allow new and upcoming stars to rise to the top and give the membership an ability to play their way into the designated events,” the memo read.

The move will not affect the tour’s flagship event, the Players Championship, and the four men’s majors, which will continue to have their normal fields.

One designated event that will see a bigger field in the Sentry Tournament of Champions. Monahan spelled out in the memo that the event will include tournament winners from the previous year along with the top 50 players from the previous year's FedEx Cup points list.

More from Golf Digest

Trending now.

PGA Tour confirms four ‘elevated’ events for 2023 with US$20m prize money

Wm phoenix open, rbc heritage, wells fargo championship and travelers championship given enhanced status..

Getty Images

The PGA Tour has announced the four additional ‘elevated’ events which will have prize funds of US$20 million and guaranteed appearances by top players.

The WM Phoenix Open, RBC Heritage, Wells Fargo Championship and Travelers Championship have all been designated as the selected new prestige events.

Related Posts

PGA Tour vs LIV Golf: Who is winning the fight for golf’s future?

PGA Tour guarantees US$500k player salaries and ups prize pots as TGL plans are unveiled

As part of the response to the threat posed by LIV Golf, the PGA Tour ’s top players have committed to playing against each other at least 20 times a year.

The 20 events are made up of the four majors, the Players Championship, 12 elevated tournaments on the PGA Tour – eight of which had already been named – and three other events chosen by the players.

The RBC Heritage takes place immediately after the Masters, while the Travelers Championship is held the week after the US Open.

Speaking at the Tour Championship in August, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said: “Our top players are firmly behind the Tour, helping us deliver an unmatched product to our fans, who will be all but guaranteed to see the best players competing against each other in 20 events or more throughout the season.

“This is an extraordinary and unprecedented commitment, a testament to who these guys are and what they believe in.”

The four newly-announced events are for 2023 only, with potentially four different tournaments elevated in 2024.

Everything You Need To Know About The Eight PGA Tour Signature Events In 2024

The group of elevated tournaments on the PGA Tour features an increase in prize money and FedEx Cup points - but what are they and when are they in 2024?

• Sign up to Golf Monthly Newsletter Newsletter

PGA Tour 'Signature Events' are now a key feature on the circuit's calendar in 2024 after a year of ' Designated Events ' in 2022-23.

The eight tournaments - which don't include the Majors , playoff events and Players Championship - feature smaller fields but increased prize purses and more FedEx Cup points (700 to the winner of each).

Three of the events - hosted by legends of the game - will feature a 36-hole cut and 20% of the total prize purse awarded to the winner while the remaining tournaments are no-cut competitions with the usual 18% prize handed to the champion.

The top-50 members of the reshuffled FedEx Cup standings from the 2022-23 season automatically qualified for all Signature Events this year, while 'The Next 10' - which includes the top-10 players on the 2024 FedExCup point list, not otherwise exempt via a higher priority category - will also receive a start. 

For the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and The Genesis Invitational, the Next 10 referred to those players who finished between 51-60 on the final 2022-23 FedExCup Fall points list.

To ensure every PGA Tour member has a chance of making it, there is another exemption category called the 'Swing 5.' Those who secure the highest number of FedEx Cup points in between Signature Events will book a tee time at the upcoming tournament. The winner of any PGA Tour event is also eligible for the remaining 'Signature' tournaments in 2024.

Without further ado, let's take a look at the eight Signature Events on the PGA Tour calendar in 2024.

Get the Golf Monthly Newsletter

Subscribe to the Golf Monthly newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest tour news, equipment news, reviews, head-to-heads and buyer’s guides from our team of experienced experts.

Introducing the #AonNext10 and #AonSwing5. New eligibility paths into the Signature Events to deliver higher stakes and more drama to the PGA TOUR season. #AonBetterDecisions pic.twitter.com/bwcdqd6dhH December 14, 2023

What Are The Eight Signature Events On The PGA Tour In 2024?

The sentry (january 4-7).

Chris Kirk is the 2024 Sentry champion

Formerly known as The Sentry Tournament of Champions, the more concisely-named event kicked off the 2024 PGA Tour season at the monster-drive-enabling Kapalua Plantation Course in Hawaii.

As the first PGA Tour competition of 2024, The Sentry is the only Signature Event which did not include either qualifiers from The Next 10 or The Swing 5. Only PGA Tour winners from 2023 and the top-50 members from the 2022-23 FedExCup standings teed it up.

Chris Kirk won the 2024 running after an incredible overall score of 29-under par - one shot in front of Sahith Theegala and two ahead of Jordan Spieth .

AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (February 1-4)

Wyndham Clark holds up the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am trophy in 2024

The biggest Pro-Am golf tournament in the world took place at two iconic courses in early February - Pebble Beach Golf Links and Spyglass Hill Golf Course .

Despite being eagerly anticipated as arguably the first showpiece event of the season, several days of stormy weather majorly disrupted the tournament and caused it to be shortened to 54 holes.

Wyndham Clark was crowned the 2024 champion, though, thanks to a simply stunning 12-under-par effort on Saturday - the final day of competition.

The Genesis Invitational (February 15-18)

Only the WM Phoenix Open separated the second and third Signature Events on the PGA Tour in 2024 during an undoubtedly exciting stretch of golf.

Tiger Woods hosted the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club shortly after Valentine's Day, with the 15-time Major champion briefly making hearts flutter in what was his first PGA Tour start of the year.

However, he was forced to withdraw due to illness during round two and was not able to be in attendance as former Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama produced a masterful Sunday performance to take home the title.

Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard (March 7-10)

The Arnold Palmer Invitational precedes The Players Championship and often features a Major-like field in terms of its strength. Being that it is also now a Signature Event, too, many of the world's top-70 are involved on a Bay Hill course that can cause even the strongest player to crumble somewhat.

The event in Florida sees the winner receive a red cardigan sweater, in memory of Arnold Palmer - a tradition that began with the 2017 tournament after Palmer's death in 2016.

It's 2024 edition was won by Scottie Scheffler after the American romped to the title on 15-under, five shots clear of runner up, Wyndham Clark.

RBC Heritage (April 18-21)

The RBC Heritage took place days after The Masters finished in mid-April at the wonderfully-picturesque Harbour Town Golf Links on the eastern coast of the United States. Both events were both won at a canter by Scheffler.

The 27-year-old's fourth win in five starts arrived a little later than planned, however, after storms caused a delay to the final round that meant Scheffler needed to come back on Monday and complete his final few holes. 

Although he made a rare bogey, Scheffler still won by three and the handful of boats in the harbour produced the traditional celebratory horn blast once the final putt dropped.

Wells Fargo Championship (May 9-12)

Although 2024 was the final Wells Fargo Championship ever - at least in name - given the financial-services company announced it would not be renewing its sponsorship of the tournament, there was a familiar winner to send the long-time backer off into the sunset with.

Rory McIlroy claimed his fourth title at Quail Hollow thanks to a runaway victory in the end, defeating overnight leader, Xander Schauffele by five shots thanks to a final round of six-under.

The Memorial Tournament presented by Workday (June 6-9)

The ideal warm-up to the U.S Open at Pinehurst No.2 in 2024, the Memorial Tournament is a brutal test for players - indicated by Viktor Hovland 's winning score of seven-under last year. He out-lasted Denny McCarthy in a playoff at Muirfield Village Golf Club in 2023 before ultimately claiming the FedEx Cup in August.

This year's Memorial Tournament takes place smack bang in the middle of a thrilling stretch of golf and is the penultimate Signature Event of the year.

Travelers Championship (July 20-23)

The final Signature Event of the season is due to take place one week after the U.S Open at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut. Keegan Bradley took home the title and a check for $4 million after winning by three shots at the same tournament in 2023.

As the FedEx Cup playoffs come into view, this will be the players' last chance to make serious moves towards the top-10 and give themselves a better chance of making some serious money.

Jonny Leighfield is our Staff News Writer who joined Golf Monthly just in time for the 2023 Solheim Cup and Ryder Cup. He graduated from the University of Brighton with a degree in Sport Journalism in 2017 and spent almost five years as the sole sports reporter at his local newspaper. An improving golfer who still classes himself as ‘one of the worst players on the Golf Monthly team’, Jonny enjoys playing as much as he can and is hoping to reach his Handicap goal of 18 at some stage. He attended both the 150th and 151st Opens and is keen to make it an annual pilgrimage.

If you listened closely to the 2024 PGA Championship broadcast, you may have heard them talk about Zoysia grass, but why? Here, we find out more

By Matt Cradock Published 16 May 24

The World No.7 confirmed he is back working with former coach, Joseph Mayo, with Hovland carding a three-under first round at the PGA Championship

Aaron Oberholser has given a scathing response to Jon Rahm after the LIV Golf star insisted he’s still committed to the PGA Tour

By Mike Hall Published 14 May 24

The World No.2's fourth Wells Fargo Championship victory was hardly a nail-biter, but that didn't stop fans watching on in their droves at home

By Jonny Leighfield Published 14 May 24

Rahm maintains that he is committed to the Ryder Cup, PGA Tour and DP World Tour after joining LIV Golf

By Elliott Heath Published 14 May 24

Brown revealed he met Spieth during a practice round at The Masters a few years ago and the three-time Major winner made him 'feel like a friend'

By Jonny Leighfield Published 12 May 24

Xander Schauffele leads three-time event winner Rory McIlroy by one shot heading into the final round of the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow

Jordan Spieth will have his latest Grand Slam effort at next week's PGA Championship - but is still dealing with a nagging wrist issue

By Ben Fleming Published 11 May 24

Xander Schauffele was the beneficiary of a fortunate break during the first round of the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship

RBC, which sponsors two high-profile PGA Tour events, want to see men's professional golf get back on track sooner rather than later

• Contact Future's experts
• Terms and conditions
• Privacy policy
• Accessibility statement
• Cookies policy
• Advertise with us

Golf Monthly is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site . © Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

• Skip to Navigation
• Skip to Main Content
• Skip to Related Content
• Today's news
• Reviews and deals
• Climate change
• 2024 election
• Fall allergies
• Health news
• Mental health
• Sexual health
• Family health
• So mini ways
• Unapologetically
• Buying guides

Entertainment

• How to Watch
• My watchlist
• Stock market
• Biden economy
• Personal finance
• Stocks: most active
• Stocks: gainers
• Stocks: losers
• Trending tickers
• World indices
• US Treasury bonds
• Top mutual funds
• Highest open interest
• Highest implied volatility
• Currency converter
• Basic materials
• Communication services
• Consumer cyclical
• Consumer defensive
• Financial services
• Industrials
• Real estate
• Mutual funds
• Credit cards
• Credit card rates
• Balance transfer credit cards
• Business credit cards
• Cash back credit cards
• Rewards credit cards
• Travel credit cards
• Checking accounts
• Online checking accounts
• High-yield savings accounts
• Money market accounts
• Personal loans
• Student loans
• Car insurance
• Home buying
• Options pit
• Investment ideas
• Research reports
• Fantasy football
• Pro Pick 'Em
• College Pick 'Em
• Fantasy baseball
• Fantasy hockey
• Fantasy basketball
• Download the app
• Daily fantasy
• Scores and schedules
• GameChannel
• World Baseball Classic
• Premier League
• CONCACAF League
• Champions League
• Motorsports
• Horse racing
• Newsletters

New on Yahoo

• Privacy Dashboard

• PGA Championship
• Yahoo Sports AM
• College Sports
• Fantasy Sports
• Horse Racing
• Leaderboard
• Scottie Scheffler Arrest
• Masters Tournament
• Pacers force a Game 7 at MSG
• Scheffler shoots 66 on crazy day
• Scheffler incident timeline
• Pirates' Skenes pulled during no-hitter
• Porzingis to miss start of East finals

Golfweek.com report: PGA Tour's elevated events for 2023 to include Phoenix, Hilton Head

The PGA Tour is set to announce a further four tournaments with elevated status for 2023,  Golfweek has learned , with the PGA Tour's most boisterous tournament and two tournaments in the Carolinas in the mix.

The additions will bring to 13 the total number of Tour events designated as “elevated,” meaning the presence of the game’s biggest stars will be guaranteed as they compete for lucrative purses of at least $20 million. The Tour plans to communicate specifics on the events to players later this week.

In August, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan  announced the first nine elevated events for the 2022-2023 season. Those were the Players Championship; three FedEx Cup playoff stops (FedEx St. Jude Championship, BMW Championship, Tour Championship); the three invitationals (Genesis, Arnold Palmer, Memorial); the WGC Dell Technologies Match Play; and the Sentry Tournament of Champions.

More golf coverage

Drought over:  Brooks Koepka wins LIV Jeddah for first professional win in 20 months

Furyk & Friends: Another banner week, another worthy winner as Steve Stricker dominates

PGA Tour purses skyrocket:  Korn Ferry Tour money is better; But what about PGA Tour Champions?

The four additional tournaments to be elevated this season are the WM Phoenix Open, the RBC Heritage, the Wells Fargo Championship and the Travelers Championship, according to five sources familiar with the discussions. Several sources said the Tour is still in the process of finalizing negotiations with the events. A spokesperson for the PGA Tour declined to confirm the details or to comment on potential announcements.

While the nine previously-announced events will have elevated status every year, it’s expected that the four unveiled this week will rotate between tournaments each season, ensuring that every sponsor interested in paying for elevated status would be guaranteed the best possible field every few years.

“The elevated events won’t be the same in 2024,” said one person who has been briefed on the plan. “These events worked with a schedule that had already been announced.”

The PGA Tour’s creation of an elite tier of events is a direct response to the threat posed by LIV Golf, the Saudi-funded series that lured a number of prominent players to compete for guaranteed money in 48-man events.

Monahan outlined the Tour’s plan at the season-ending Tour Championship in August, but the vision was born of a select players meeting earlier that month in Delaware, organized by Tour loyalists Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.

Players in attendance — invites were limited to the Tour’s top stars — broadly agreed to commit to play every elevated event, giving the Tour the ability to guarantee where its biggest draws will show up. That has never before been possible since members are independent contractors who control their own schedules. As of now, 20 of the top 21 players in the Official World Golf Ranking have remained on the PGA Tour.

Between the 13 elevated PGA Tour stops and the four major championships, golf’s top stars will compete against each other at least 17 times per season, a substantial increase on how often they face off in the same tournaments currently. Under the plan Monahan announced, players are also required to enter three non-elevated PGA Tour events each season, ensuring those tournaments can still attract stars who need to meet their obligation.

That 20-event minimum commitment has caused concern among some stars. “I wouldn’t be surprised if that changes,” said world No. 5, Jon Rahm, who expressed reservations about his ability to continue supporting events in his native Europe.

The announcement of the four newly-elevated tournaments is likely to inspire more grumbling since two of them are held immediately following majors. The RBC Heritage falls right after the Masters, though it’s a less than three-hour drive from Augusta to the RBC venue in Hilton Head. However, the Travelers Championship in Cromwell, Connecticut, is held the week following the U.S. Open, which will be contested on the west coast next year at Los Angeles Country Club.

The schedule of elevated events in 2023 would see top players get together with considerable frequency outside of the majors: once in January (Sentry), twice in February (WM Phoenix Open, Genesis), three times in March (Arnold Palmer, Players, Match Play), once in April (RBC Heritage) and May (Wells Fargo), twice in June (Memorial, Travelers) and three times in August for the FedEx Cup playoffs.

Sources indicated that no decision has been made on what events will have elevated status on the PGA Tour schedule in 2024, when the Tour returns to a regular calendar-year season, or whether field sizes might be adjusted for those tournaments after next year.

The Times-Union also contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Golfweek.com report: Hilton Head to be among PGA Tour's elevated events for 2023

What we know and don't know about the PGA Tour's upcoming changes

• Senior college football writer
• Author of seven books on college football
• Graduate of the University of Georgia

ATLANTA -- PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan announced another series of sweeping and lucrative changes Wednesday ahead of the season-ending Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club.

In its ongoing battle with LIV Golf for the best players in the world, the PGA Tour committed another $146 million to its players in an attempt to keep them.

The changes come about a week after Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy led a meeting of 22 players at a hotel near Wilmington Country Club in Delaware. The players presented their proposals to Monahan, and the tour quickly implemented many of their suggested changes.

"It's atypical, but I think when you're in a situation like this, that's understood," Monahan said.

Here's what we know about what's changing on the PGA Tour in the 2022-23 season:

Monahan referred to changes affecting "top players." Who are they?

By the PGA Tour's definition, players who finish in the top 20 in the Player Impact Program will be considered "top players." They will be required to compete in the 13 elevated events, if they're eligible to compete in them, and three other non-elevated PGA Tour events to receive their PIP bonuses at the end of the season.

For the 2022-23 wrap-around season, the top 20 players in the current PIP formula and revised one will be considered top players.

What are the elevated events?

There are now 13 elevated events that will include top players: the three FedEx Cup Playoffs events (FedEx St. Jude Championship, BMW Championship and Tour Championship), Genesis Invitational, Arnold Palmer Invitational, Memorial Tournament, WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, Sentry Tournament of Champions, The Players and four yet-to-be-determined ones from among existing PGA Tour tournaments.

Who gets to play in the new elevated tournaments?

Those details are still to be worked out. It isn't exactly clear whether they'll include the top 70 players in the world who are PGA Tour members, the top 50 or the top 30. Or even somewhere in-between.

The "top 20 players," who will be defined by the revised Player Impact Program, might be able to gain exemptions because of their popularity, including Woods, even if they don't play in the required 20 events.

If they're eligible, the top players would also compete in the four major championships -- the Masters, PGA Championship, U.S. Open and The Open -- as well as three other additional PGA Tour events.

"I think if you're trying to sell a product to TV and to sponsors and to try to get as many eyeballs on professional golf as possible, you need to at least let people know what they're tuning in for," McIlroy said. "When I tune into a Tampa Bay Buccaneers game I expect to see Tom Brady throw a football. When I tune into a Formula 1 race I expect to see Lewis Hamilton in a car.

"Sometimes what's happened on the PGA Tour is we all act independently and we sort of have our own schedules, and that means that we never really get together all that often."

Can the PGA Tour lure back players who left for LIV Golf with these changes?

Even if players wanted to come back, many of them signed multi-year contracts with LIV Golf. The top players, including past major champions Brooks Koepka , Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson , have deals that reportedly included signing bonuses between $100 million and $200 million. The aggressive changes the PGA Tour made still wouldn't affect their financial bottom lines.

Besides, Monahan was rather blunt when he was asked Wednesday if a player who defected to LIV Golf and had second thoughts about leaving after seeing the PGA Tour's improvements could come back. Would his suspension be lifted?

"No," Monahan said. "They've joined the LIV Golf series and they've made that commitment. For most of them, they've made multi-year commitments. As I've been clear throughout, every player has a choice, and I respect their choice, but they've made it. We've made ours. We're going to continue to focus on the things that we control and get stronger and stronger."

McIlroy hoped the increased purses and additional elevated events might influence some players to stick with the PGA Tour. McIlroy said he talked to Open Championship winner Cameron Smith two days after he lifted the Claret Jug at St. Andrews. Smith is reportedly close to leaving for LIV Golf, along with six or seven other players shortly after the PGA Tour regular season ends.

"Guys that are thinking one way or another, honestly I don't care if they leave or not," McIlroy said. "It's not going to make a difference to me. But I would at least like people to make a decision that is completely informed and basically know this is what's coming down the pipeline. This is what you may be leaving behind. I just don't want people making decisions [when they're] hearing information from one side and not from another."

How will the Player Impact Program be affected?

Besides doubling the number of players who will benefit (10 to 20) and the amount of money that will be distributed ($50 million to $100 million), the PGA Tour is adjusting the formula for how players will be measured on their impact on the tour -- or pretty much their popularity. Tiger Woods finished first in PIP last season, after Phil Mickelson suggested on social media that he had won.

Monahan said the winner in 2022 and 2023 will receive a $15 million bonus.

The tour hired a research company in September 2021 to conduct "an expanded player awareness survey" to look at data for more players and to track awareness results among fans.

"Additionally, we identified significant changes in social media platform engagement, specifically around how people engage with this medium, which platforms are currently popular, and what date is available for measurement," the tour said in a statement. "Social media is also a driver of awareness and a player's level of engagement is a driver of their awareness score."

As a result of the study, starting in 2023, two separate awareness scores will be added and the social media component will be eliminated. Players will be measured by internet searches, general awareness, golf fan awareness, media mentions and broadcast exposure.

"Ultimately, and this is from people that are far smarter than I am, it's from our data analytics team who's put a lot of time and effort into this, [senior vice president for data science and technology solutions] Mike Vitti in particular," Monahan said. "When you look at the social media index, social media and all the platforms are changing, and your ability to measure them becomes more and more challenging. Some are in the index; some are not."

Will these changes create greater division in the PGA Tour?

The PGA Tour has always been a circuit driven by superstars, whether it was Arnold Palmer , Jack Nicklaus , Gary Player or Tiger Woods. The sport's biggest names are the ones that sell tickets and attract sponsors, advertisers and TV partners.

With past major champions like Johnson, Patrick Reed , Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka defecting to LIV Golf, the tour realized it had to take care of its main attractions better.

"This isn't some sort of renegade group trying to take some sort of power grab of the PGA Tour," Rory McIlroy said. "This is, 'OK, how can we make this tour better for everyone that's going to play on it now and everyone that's going to play on the PGA Tour going forward?'"

But McIlroy insists that every member of the PGA Tour will have an opportunity to compete in the elevated events and earn a lot of money in the Player Impact Program if they perform well on the course.

"The reason we're trying to do this is we're trying to build a tour for the future [and for] young, ambitious players that want to be the best players in the game," McIlroy said. "If you want to be the best player in the game, the PGA Tour is where you want to be because it is a pure meritocracy. There's nothing stopping guys from playing in these elevated events. There's nothing stopping guys from getting in the PIP. You just play better. You work your ass off, you play better, and if you do that, you will get into these events."

Monahan agreed that there was a clear pathway for younger players to break into the upper echelon.

"Ultimately, to be a player that's having the greatest impact on the organization, it starts with your competitive success on the field of play," Monahan said. "When you have competitive success, obviously you're on television more, people are following you more, you all are telling more stories about these players, and you're becoming more known to fans, golf fans and sports fans and the general population."

Where will the new events be played?

Monahan said the tour was still working out some of the details surrounding those events. He said the elevated events would probably rotate through existing PGA Tour tournaments in the U.S.

"When we come back and announce what we're doing with those four events, where those events are being played, what the eligibility requirements are for, what field sizes are, these are the lot of the things that we're going to be working through over the next 45 to 60 days," Monahan said. "We'll be able to answer that uniformly."

With the four elevated events rotating through the other existing ones, such as the WM Phoenix Open or AT&T Bryon Nelson, those tournaments would have stronger fields than they've had in the past when top players skipped them.

"I think overall every single member will benefit from this, and I think the tour as a whole will," Jordan Spieth said. "I actually believe that the sponsors, and I would imagine pretty much all the tournaments will probably see a better field however many times it's going to happen."

How did the PGA Tour come up with all this money?

By introducing four additional elevated events for the 2023 season, the PGA Tour has now committed $99.8 million to increased purses for next season. The tour estimates that the four new elevated events will lead to approximately $46 million in increases alone, after it had previously pledged a total of $48.8 million to bump up the purses for the three FedEx Cup Playoff events, Sentry Tournament of Champions, Genesis Invitational, Arnold Palmer Invitational, Memorial Tournament, WGC-Dell Technology Match Play and The Players.

That doesn't even include the $100 million the tour pledged to double the money awarded through PIP in 2022 and 2023.

So, where is all of the money coming from? Jay Monahan said it's coming from three primary sources: increased revenue from the 2021-22 season, reserves and sponsors and partners.

"This year that we're in, the tour is having its strongest year in history of the PGA Tour and is performing well ahead of budget," Monahan said. "Secondly, the tour through the years has been very prudent in managing its finances and building reserves and being in a position to be able to invest in programs that are going to help the tour grow. That's what they're there for, and that's what we'll continue to use them for."

Back in February, when Phil Mickelson was still a member of the PGA Tour, he criticized the tour's "obnoxious greed" for, among other things, controlling players' media rights. While Mickelson might have had some valid points, the six-time major champion probably didn't go about airing his complaints the right way.

"As much as I probably don't want to give Phil any sort of credit at all, yeah, there were certain points that he was trying to make," Rory McIlroy said. "But there's a way to go about them. There's a way to collaborate. You get all the top players in the world together and you get them on the same page. You then go to the tour and you suggest ideas and you work together. This was pure collaboration."

Will the changes affect the PGA Tour's tax-exempt status?

Since the players-only meeting in Delaware, there had been much speculation about whether the PGA Tour would renounce its nonprofit status, which would have allowed it to generate an influx of cash to compete with LIV Golf. The PGA Tour operates as a tax-exempt 501(c)6 organization and transforming itself into a for-profit business might have cost it between $50 million and $75 million in taxes each year.

In a court filing in response to three LIV Golf players' federal antitrust lawsuit, the PGA Tour's lawyers wrote that 98% of its net profits are distributed to charities, players and tournaments each year.

"The 501(c)6 status and the integrity of that and all it does for us, that's always going to be a central fabric to who we are as an organization," Jay Monahan said.

Monahan said the tour might look to create for-profit subsidiaries, such as the one being formed by Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods in partnership with the PGA Tour. Woods and McIlroy plan to introduce a new tech-infused golf league, with players competing on three-man teams on a virtual course, in January 2024.

PGA Tour set to announce four rotating ‘elevated’ events for 2022-2023 season

The PGA Tour has dramatic changes in store for its players and fans, including the creation of 17 so-called elevated events, which will create focal points on the schedule where the Tour's best players will get together and compete.

Commissioner Jay Monahan announced an initial slate of 13 elevated events at the Tour Championship, which included the four majors, The Players, the Sentry Tournament of Champions, the Genesis Invitational, Arnold Palmer Invitational, WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, the Memorial Tournament and the three FedEx Cup playoff events. All of the PGA Tour-controlled events -- the non-major tournaments -- will all boast purses of at least $20 million.

However, the four remaining elevated events had not been announced. Now, the PGA Tour is ready to share those events with the world.

Golfweek reports the PGA Tour is preparing to tell players about a rotating cast of four elevated events that will begin 2023. For the 2022-2023 PGA Tour schedule , according to the report, the events are the WM Phoenix Open, RBC Heritage, Wells Fargo Championship and Travelers Championship. Contract details are being finalized before the announcement is made official.

All four events will have a one-year boost in their purse to $20 million, and they're expected to maintain their current field sizes. The PGA Tour will then offer this status to the regular tournaments on the schedule on a rotating basis, giving each tournament an opportunity to take on elevated status if they and their sponsors wish. The elevated events could take on a one-year move in date, as well, to better align with the golf calendar.

The PGA Tour's top players agreed in principle to play in these elevated events, if eligible, and to compete at least 20 total times on the PGA Tour each season. Each player will be allowed to selecte at least three other events to round out their schedules. However, there is an expectation that the PGA Tour will afford deviations to European-born players who need to maintain DP World Tour status to be eligible for the Ryder Cup.

After this season, the PGA Tour will return to a calendar-year schedule, operating from January through early September. The 2024 rotating elevated events have not been determined, and their format could change to shrink the field as well.

About the author

Ryan Ballengee

Ryan Ballengee is founder and editor of Golf News Net. He has been writing and broadcasting about golf for nearly 20 years. Ballengee lives in the Washington, D.C. area with his family. He is currently a +2.6 USGA handicap, and he has covered dozens of major championships and professional golf tournaments. He likes writing about golf and making it more accessible by answering the complex questions fans have about the pro game or who want to understand how to play golf better.

Ryan talks about golf on various social platforms:

X or Twitter: https://twitter.com/ryanballengee Facebook: https://facebook.com/ryanballengeegolf Instagram: https://instagram.com/ryanballengee YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ryanballengeegolf

Ballengee can be reached by email at ryan[at]thegolfnewsnet.com

Ryan occasionally links to merchants of his choosing, and GNN may earn a commission from sales generated by those links. See more in GNN's affiliate disclosure.

Travelers Championship Given Elevated Status on PGA Tour in 2023

Published october 19, 2022 • updated on october 19, 2022 at 3:54 pm.

The PGA Tour announced Wednesday the 2023 Travelers Championship will have an elevated status on Tour with a $20 million purse and guaranteed appearances by the Tour's top players.

It's part of the PGA Tour's strategy to keep top players from bolting for the Saudi-backed LIV Tour.

Free 24/7 Connecticut news stream: Watch NBC CT wherever you are

Joining the Travelers Championship as newly-elevated tournaments in 2023 are The WM Phoenix Open, RBC Heritage, and Wells Fargo Championship.

The four new tournaments are in addition to nine other tournaments that had been previously announced as having elevated status in 2023. They are:

Get Connecticut local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Connecticut newsletters.

• The four majors and THE PLAYERS
• Three FedExCup Playoffs events (FedEx St. Jude Championship, BMW Championship, TOUR Championship)
• Three player-hosted invitationals (Genesis Invitational, Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, Memorial Tournament presented by Workday)
• Sentry Tournament of Champions
• WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play

The evelvated tournaments will have a $20 million purse. Players who finished in the top 20 in the PGA Tour's Player Impact Program will be required to play in the tournaments as well. The Player Impact Program was launched in 2021 and is a way for the Tour to reward some of the most popular players financially. The program not only takes account of a player's on-course performance, but other popularity factors as well, including Google searches.

“Since Travelers became title sponsor in 2007, we have always focused on building a strong partnership with the PGA TOUR and delivering a world-class tournament. We’re honored to have this opportunity, and we’re looking forward to hosting another great event and continuing our meaningful support of our community and charitable beneficiaries,” said Andy Bessette, Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer at Travelers.

Vigil held for Wallingford mother and son killed before house fire

Geissler's Supermarket is taking over Fitzgerald's Foods in Simsbury

“We are proud that the Travelers Championship is one of the PGA TOUR’s elevated events in 2023. We’re appreciative that Travelers, our title sponsor, was able to secure this opportunity with the PGA TOUR,” said Nathan Grube, Travelers Championship Tournament Director.

The Travelers Championship and the other newly-announced tours will hold the elevated status for 2023 only. Four new tournaments could be given elevated status in 2024, according to the PGA Tour.

The 2023 Travelers Championship will be held June 19-25 at the TPC River Highlands in Cromwell.

This article tagged under:

Sports | Travelers Championship to retain elevated…

Share this:.

• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on X (Opens in new window)

Daily e-Edition

Evening e-Edition

• High School
• College Sports
• UConn Women
• UConn Football
• UConn Huskies
• Connecticut Sun

Breaking News

Sports | woman arrested for allegedly throwing ‘powdery substance’ on ct mall employee, sports | travelers championship to retain elevated status on pga tour.

The PGA released its schedule Monday .

“When you look at what we’ve done and the potential for what can be done over the next few years for our fans, our sponsors, I would say the best is yet to come,” tournament director Nathan Grube said.

The 2024 Travelers Championship is slated for June 20-23, the week following the U.S. Open at Pinehurst, N.C.

When the PGA designated certain events to offer a vastly expanded purse, $20 million in 2023, and require the top golfers to play nearly all of those events, the Travelers came out on the right side and hosted a star-studded field at the TPC River Highlands in Cromwell last June.

Grube and Andy Bessette, VP and chief administrative officer at Travelers, worked aggressively to secure continued elevated status for Connecticut’s PGA stop and were confident in getting it. In late July, the deal was done.

“Our negotiations went pretty smoothly,” Bessette said. “I would say they were very excited to have us as one of the Signature (events), so much so that they made it more mutually beneficial as we got through it. The No.1 thing that helped us was player support. All the players kept saying ‘you have to make Travelers a signature event, it just has to be.'”

The two-tiered structure was created to combat the threat of Saudi-backed LIV Golf, which was luring top players away from the PGA Tour. The agreement between the rival organizations, reached last June, could eventually mean more changes in the future, but Bessette said his agreement for the Travelers to be a Signature Event runs beyond 2024, several years into the future. The Travelers is committed as a title sponsor through 2030.

Is Rory McIroy right? Does it matter? Takeaways from the Travelers Championship

The talented field burned up the TPC course in 2023, Keegan Bradley winning with a record score of 23-under par. There were 1,844 birdies, shattering the Travelers record by 70, and eight rounds of 62 or under. Afterward, Rory McIlroy suggested the course had proven to be too easy for such a high-level field, and Bessette and Grube have been working on updates to make it trickier.

They toured the course in July with PGA designers and officials to brainstorm for more than four hours about possible changes to  River Highlands.

“It was so intriguing to listen to these people talk,” Bessette said. “There are going to be some opportunities on a couple of holes, make them 30 or 40 yards longer, a couple of greens we can improve a bit, moving of the tee box left or right. It’s a two- or three-year strategy to make the course just a little bit more than it is today.”

In 2024, PGA Signature Events will have a smaller field, 70 to 80 competitors, but with no cuts. To qualify, players must finish in the top 50 of the 2023 FedExCup standings through the playoffs, be in the top 10 of the current year FedExCup standings through the 2024 U.S. Open, be one of the top five FedExCup point earners through a certain number of events, win a PGA Tour event during 2024 season, or be one of the top 30 PGA Tour members in the official World Golf Ranking through the U.S. Open, or, like Bradley be a defending champion.

🏌️‍ Teeing off into a new era! We're thrilled that the Travelers Championship is a @PGATOUR Signature Event in 2024. Get ready for even more history-making golf moments. pic.twitter.com/uuQO9yN1eK — TravelersChamp (@TravelersChamp) August 7, 2023

“It’s a Saturday and Sunday all week,” Grube said. “I can go to my sponsors and they’re going to be able to invite their guests for the whole week. This was one of the things where, you build this field, work hard to get these guys here, and if a guy doesn’t play well he could have a late Thursday tee time and an early Friday tee time and he is in your market 24 hours. Now, they can say, you have the weekend field all week.”

Bradley earned $3.6 million for his win at the Travelers, and the tournament raised more than $3 million for local charities. The success of the 2023 Travelers kept the tournament in position to join the series of top-tier events.

“We did kind of feel like last year was an audition,” Grube said. “Nobody has a definition of what an elevated event is. What we did well was, we asked a lot of questions going into it about what we could do better. When you put people’s answers into a bucket, it starts to make sense. That was our mentality for an ‘audition,’ and people reacted really, really well to it.”

The other Signature Series events are the The Sentry in January, the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in early February, the Genesis Invitational in mid-February, the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard in March, the RBC Heritage in April, the Wells Fargo Championship in May and the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday in early June.

More in Sports

Connecticut Sun win 84-77 in defensive slugfest vs Washington Mystics, UConn rookie Aaliyah Edwards

SUBSCRIBER ONLY

Simone biles, gabby douglas prep for olympic trials at core classic in hartford: how to watch, what to know.

Dom Amore: As UConn’s Aaliyah Edwards returns to CT, her new WNBA grind is just beginning

Sports | Panthers beat Bruins with late game-winner, advance to Eastern Conference final

• SI SWIMSUIT
• SI SPORTSBOOK

2024 Wells Fargo Championship Final Payouts, Prize Money: Rory McIlroy Wins $3.6 Million

Jeff ritter | may 12, 2024.

The PGA Tour is in Charlotte, N.C., this week for its annual Wells Fargo Championship. It's the final event before next week's PGA Championship, and it's putting up another big purse as part of its elevated status as a signature event.

The Wells Fargo has a $20 million purse with $3.6 million to the winner, and Rory McIlroy will take home that big first-place check. The Ulsterman won for the 26th time on the PGA Tour, turning in a spectacular final-round 65 at Quail Hollow to beat Xander Schauffele by five shots on a day that began with Schauffele up by one.

Here are the final payouts from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship:

2024 Wells Fargo Championship Payouts

WIN: Rory McIlroy, 17 under: $3,600,000

2. Xander Schauffele, 12 under: $2,160,000

3. Byeong Hun An, 9 under: $1,360,000

T4. Jason Day, Sungjae Im; 6 under: $880,000

T6. Mackenzie Hughes, Denny McCarthy; 5 under: $695,000

T8. Max Homa, Sepp Straka; 4 under: $601,000

T10. Russell Henley, Grayson Murray, Taylor Pendrith; 3 under: $501,000

T13. Corey Conners, Tommy Fleetwood, Sam Burns; 2 under: $387,666.66

T16. Lucas Glover, Si Woo Kim, Seamus Power, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Collin Morikawa; 1 under: $301,000

T21. Justin Thomas, Keegan Bradley, Stephan Jaeger; Even: $224,666.67

T24. Viktor Hovland, Webb Simpson, Nick Dunlap, Alex Noren, Lee Hodges; 1 over: $166,500

T29. Patrick Cantlay, Jordan Spieth, Patrick Rodgers, Adam Scott, Andrew Putnam; 2 over: $130,500

T34. Matt Kuchar, Harris English, Kurt Kitayama, Cameron Young; 3 over: $106,000

T38. Gary Woodland, Tom Hoge, Taylor Moore, Cam Davis; 4 over: $88,500

42. Akshay Bhatia, 5 over: $78,500

T43. Chris Kirk, Rickie Fowler, Kevin Tway, Nick Taylor; 6 over: $68,500

T47. Brian Harman, Shane Lowry, Wyndham Clark, Tom Kim, Adam Svensson; 7 over: $53,420

T52. Matt Fitzpatrick, Justin Rose, Adam Hadwin, Sahith Theegala, Billy Horschel, Tony Finau; 8 over: $47,000

T58. Jake Knapp, Ben Kohles; 9 over: $45,200

T60. J.T. Poston, Brendon Todd, Will Zalatoris; 10 over: $44,200

63. Austin Eckroat, 11 over: $43,400

T64. Emiliano Grillo, Adam Schenk; 12 over: $42,800

66. Peter Malnati, 14 over: $42,200

67. Matthieu Pavon, 17 over: $41,800

68. Eric Cole, 18 over: $41,400

JEFF RITTER

Jeff Ritter is the Managing Director of SI Golf. He spent more than a decade at Sports Illustrated and Golf Magazine, and in 2020 joined Morning Read to help spark its growth and eventual acquisition by Arena Group, the publisher of Sports Illustrated. He has covered more than 25 major championships, and previously helped launch SI Golf Plus Digital, Golf Magazine’s first original, weekly e-magazine, and served as its top editor. He also launched Golf's “Films” division, the magazine’s first long-form video storytelling franchise, and his debut documentary received an Edward R. Murrow Award for sports reporting. His writing has earned first-place awards from the Society of American Travel Writers, the MIN Magazine Awards, and the Golf Writers Association of America, among others. He received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and a master’s from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. A native Michigander, he remains a diehard Wolverine fan and will defend Jim Harbaugh until the bitter end.

Follow jeff_ritter

Matthieu Pavon won on a week that highlighted the PGA Tour’s lingering problem

SAN DIEGO — From the time he took up golf as a child in France, Matthieu Pavon dreamed of playing and winning in America. Saturday, at age 31, with the setting sun casting a beautiful glow over Torrey Pines, he not only achieved his goal by coming from four strokes down to shoot a 3-under 69 and claim the Farmers Insurance Open at 13-under for four days but also put his name in the history books as the first Frenchman to win a PGA Tour event since World War II.

Advertisement

The outcome was not without anxious moments. Leading by two, Pavon bogeyed 17 to bring three players to within a stroke of the lead, including group mate Nicolai Højgaard. Pavon then hit a driver to start the par-5 18th into the left bunker and landed his second shot in the deep rough. With disaster hanging in the cool air, it was clear he was facing a crucial moment, the type that often defines agony or ecstasy.

Pavon’s caddie suggested he lay up; Pavon thought otherwise. “I was so pumped at that time,” he said, “I knew I had the energy to lift that ball up on the green.”

He did just that, nearly stumbling off balance after muscling an approach over water and within 8 feet of the cup, setting up the birdie that allowed him to avoid a playoff with Højgaard, who birdied the hole to finish at 12-under for the week.

Clutch from the thick stuff. @MatthieuPavon knocks it to 8 feet for a birdie look @FarmersInsOpen . pic.twitter.com/LobyRFTnRZ — PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) January 28, 2024

The exciting finish contrasted with what had been a ho-hum tournament through three rounds. With many of the top tour players sitting out to avoid a difficult course so early in the season, or to prepare for next week’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, the second signature event of the year, it is hard not to wonder whether we are seeing what non-elevated tournaments will look like when (if?) the PGA Tour and LIV Golf complete the merger that was tentatively agreed to last summer; in other words, relatively anonymous players, at least to casual fans, competing in non-signature events for smaller purses while household names stay away to focus on marquee events.

That has mostly been the case through the first month of the season. Grayson Murray, who had one PGA Tour victory in 129 starts, won the Sony Open two weeks ago in another diluted field. And last week Nick Dunlap saved The American Express by becoming the first amateur in 33 years to win a PGA Tour event. The nine players at the top of the leaderboard entering the final round here at Torrey Pines were all seeking their first tour win.

Nick Dunlap is the PGA Tour's new star. Now he just needs your patience

The details of the proposed merger between the two golf leagues have yet to be determined, but it will be interesting to see what type of financial commitment will follow to non-signature events. And the entity most interested in that answer could be the television partners responsible for broadcasting the 44 scheduled events. The math might not add up in their favor.

Consider: The elite tour pros typically can be expected to play 20-23 tournaments a year. If you accept that 16 of those are likely to be the events with elevated purses — eight signature events, four majors, the Players, and three FedEx Cup playoff events — that leaves 28 events with, potentially, a lot of absent star power.

Some tournament sponsors have already withdrawn or announced plans to withdraw their financial commitments either because the cost has become prohibitive or because they feel they are not getting the same return on investment if the event fails to receive elevated status. Honda announced in late 2022 that it was ending its 40-year sponsorship of the event in Palm Beach, Fla., and in December Wells Fargo disclosed that it will not be renewing its agreement for the event in Charlotte, N.C., after next year.

Farmers Insurance reportedly plans to pull out of the Torrey Pines event after 2026, though the organizer of the tournament said he has not been told that is the case. How it will all play out remains to be seen, but the signs point to the non-signature events becoming, in essence, a gray area between the Korn Ferry Tour and the elite level of the PGA Tour.

That is not to demean or disrespect individuals who fail to move the needle with casual fans. But it is to say it could be a concern with broadcast networks whose financial health is tied to viewership. The only thing better than a stroke-for-stroke, back-and-forth on the back nine of the final round is a stroke-for-stroke, back-and-forth among elite talents on the back nine.

Typically, there has to be an element of familiarity to achieve appointment viewing. Or, there has to be the hint of something spectacular or historic, which occurred last week with Dunlap. His final-round performance at The AmEx drew 534,000 viewers on Golf Channel, a 37 percent increase over the previous year when Jon Rahm won.

The ratings for Pavon’s victory are unknown as of this writing. Maybe folks tuned in after he made his run to capture the lead on No. 12 and hold off a field where stars such as Tony Finau and Xander Schauffele were felled by their putters and unable to make a sustained charge. But the fact that they were here should be considered a positive because it’s troubling to think about how many others were not.

(Top photo: Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images)

Get all-access to exclusive stories.

Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. Try a week on us.

Jim Trotter is a national columnist for The Athletic based in San Diego. He previously worked for NFL Media, ESPN, Sports Illustrated and The San Diego Union-Tribune. A proud graduate of Howard University, he is a Pro Football Hall of Fame voter and a former president of Pro Football Writers of America. He has authored two books, including “Junior Seau: The Life and Death of a Football Icon,” and is a regular fill-in guest host on “Brother From Another” on Peacock TV. Follow Jim on Twitter @ JimTrotter_NFL

Tiger Woods tracker: Round 2 score as golf icon misses cut at PGA Championship

Tiger Woods made a highly anticipated return to action on Friday for the second round of the 2024 PGA Championship . He finished Round 1 with a 1-over-72 and looked to improve as many golfers did on Friday.

"I think that I've made a few cuts in a row, what was it, 140-some odd," Woods said to PGA after Round 1. "So you have to just grind it out. It's a marathon. Major championships are a long grind. It's just plotting along. It's not a sprint. It's just a grind."

But that long grind started very badly on Friday morning. Woods bogeyed on three of the first four holes of the day and was 8-over by the fifth hole. Birdies at the seventh, eighth, and 18th holes couldn't overcome his early struggles and Woods missed the cut for the PGA Championship.

Tiger Woods 2024 PGA Championship Live updates, tracker

2024 pga championship field.

Here's the top of the Round 2 leaderboard:

• No. 1: Xander Schauffele (-12)
• No. 2: Collin Morikawa (-11)
• No. 3: Sahith Theegala (-10)
• T-No. 4: Mark Hubbard (-9)
• T-No. 4: Thomas Detry (-9)
• T-No. 4: Scottie Scheffler (-9)
• T-No. 4: Bryson DeChambeau (-9)
• T-No. 8: Viktor Hovland (-8)
• T-No. 8: Robert MacIntyre (-8)
• T-No. 8: Austin Eckroat (-8)
• T-No. 11: Brooks Koepka (-7)
• T-No. 11: HIdeki Matsuyama (-7)
• T-No. 11: Matt Wallace (-7)
• T-No. 11: Harris English (-7)
• T-No. 11: Tony Finau (-7)

Tiger Woods Day 2 tee times

Woods will start his round from Hole 1 at 2:49 p.m. ET.

Tiger Woods 2024 PGA Championship odds

According to BetMGM , after Thursday's 1-over 72 in Round 1, Woods has a +40000 odds to win the PGA Championship. It's a drop from his +20000 odds before the start of the major.

Louisville, Kentucky, Friday weather forecast

The weather in Louisville on Friday is expected to see periods of rain with chances of showers at 70%. A high of 72 Fahrenheit and a low of 63.

2024 PGA Championship and how to watch

• Dates:  May 16-19, 2024
• Time:  Coverage begins 7 a.m. ET Thursday and Friday, 8 a.m. Saturday and Sunday
• Location:  Valhalla Golf Club, Louisville, Kentucky
• Cable TV:  ESPN (Thursday, Friday, early Saturday, early Sunday); CBS (Saturday afternoon, Sunday afternoon)
• Streaming:   ESPN+ ; YouTube TV; Paramount+;  fuboTV

How to watch: Watch all four days of the PGA Championship with a fuboTV subscription

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

Gannett may earn revenue from sports betting operators for audience referrals to betting services. Sports betting operators have no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. Terms apply, see operator site for Terms and Conditions. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is available. Call the National Council on Problem Gambling 24/7 at 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, OH), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN). Must be 21 or older to gamble. Sports betting and gambling are not legal in all locations. Be sure to comply with laws applicable where you reside.

Signature Events

How It Works

• The three player-hosted Signature Events – The Genesis Invitational, Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard and the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday – will feature a 36-hole cut to the top 50 and ties plus any player within 10 shots of the lead. The player-hosted Signature Events will feature a redistribution of prize money that allocates 20 percent to the winner ($4 million), up from 18 percent.
• The remaining five Signature Events will have no cut and will continue to allocate 18 percent to the winner.
• The Sentry is the season’s first Signature Event and includes PGA TOUR winners from the previous calendar year as well as the top 50 players from the 2022-23 FedExCup Points List through the TOUR Championship (i.e., those who qualify for the BMW Championship, the second FedExCup Playoffs event).
• The 2024 schedule cadence connects events through several new eligibility paths, allowing trending players to earn Signature Event starts and providing all members the opportunity to qualify for the Signature Events and compete alongside the game’s best.
• Players are eligible for a Signature Event by means of their highest eligibility category. The eligibility criteria and priority ranking for each category can be found below.

Eligibility Criteria & Priority Ranking

1. Top 50 players in the prior season’s FedExCup points list

• The top 50 players from the previous season’s FedExCup points list through the TOUR Championship are eligible to participate in all Signature Events during the current season.
• The top 50 players from the previous season’s FedExCup points list through the TOUR Championship include the following:

2. Aon Next 10: Top 10 FedExCup point earners (not otherwise exempt)

• The Aon Next 10 includes the top 10 players on the current FedExCup point list, not otherwise exempt via a higher priority category, through the tournament leading up to the next Signature Event.
• For the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and The Genesis Invitational, the Aon Next 10 will refer to those players who finished Nos. 51-60 on the prior season’s final FedExCup Fall points list.

3. Aon Swing 5: Top five FedExCup point earners in-between Signature Events

• The Aon Swing 5 includes the top five FedExCup point earners who accumulate the most FedExCup Points during the swing of tournaments between Signature Events.
• The top five players that accrue the most points during the swing of events between Signature Events, and who are not otherwise exempt via a higher priority category, are eligible via this category.

4. Current-year tournament winners (Full FedExCup Points events)

• Players who win a PGA TOUR tournament during the current year (excluding Additional Events) are eligible to participate in the remaining Signature Events in that year, should they not otherwise be exempt via a higher priority category (i.e. Aon Next 10 or Aon Swing 5).

5. Top 30 players in OWGR (PGA TOUR Members)

• The top 30 players on the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR) through the tournament preceding the Signature Event are eligible for the Signature Events should they not already be exempt in a higher category.
• Players must be a PGA TOUR member in order to qualify via this category.

6. Sponsor exemptions

• Each Signature Event will have a certain amount of sponsor exemptions that they can grant to players that are not otherwise eligible for the Signature Event.
• Sponsor exemptions are earmarked for PGA TOUR members.

Signature Event Schedule