Changes have been brewing almost since the last putt dropped last year at East Lake in August on how to revamp the format of the Tour Championship and make crowning the champion of the FedEx Cup carry more weight.
Adam Scott, a member of the PGA Tour’s policy board, said it is the very reason he wanted to be involved in Tour politics in the first place.
“Before any of this PIF stuff happened, I thought I could get on the board and help turn the FedEx Cup into one of the biggest trophies in sports – like the Stanley Cup or Lombardi Trophy,” he tells Golfweek. “I thought it needed improving. That was my thing. I thought I could give good perspective and help make it more straightforward, easy, and more respected throughout all sports. I’ve been sidetracked a lot.”
Camilo Villegas, the newest player director on the Tour policy board, said of changes to the Tour Championship, “We’ve been running in circles talking about it. We want to make the right change.”
Just as it is trying to address concerns with pace of play, the Tour is on the verge of revamping the Tour Championship for this year to make it a championship “of more consequence.” Scott said that the players reaching consensus at last week’s Player Advisory Council meeting was the next step forward.
“I feel more confident after we had a PAC meeting [last] week. There’s a direction, but of course, the Tour needs to speak to everybody involved – TV, sponsors, venue – and make sure they have a level of comfort like the players,” he said.
Here’s what we’ve learned from various players on the inside:
Starting strokes are out
“I hope so. I think everybody involved wants that to be the case,” Scott said.
The starting-strokes format gives FedEx Cup leaders in the season-long points race a head start in the Playoff finale. It has drawn criticism from players who believe it undermines the prestige of winning the Tour Championship. Scott used the word “gimmicky” to describe why the concept, which was instituted in 2019, fell out of favor.
Added Sam Burns, one of the members of the PAC’s competitions committee: “Right now, it’s a bit confusing for fans to have a tournament where we start even all year and then in our biggest tournament of the year, there are starting strokes. There’s a bit of a disconnect.”
Hard ‘no’ on match play for Tour Championship
The idea of a bracket-style competition like March Madness has been kicked around, but consensus has been reached that match play isn’t the right format for the season-ending event.
“In fairness, we all kicked it around and imagined it and this conversation went on for months – not every day, but three or four meetings about match play and brackets and stuff,” Scott said. “It’s hard to wrap your head around you play one style all season and then your final event is an entirely different format. I think the players felt like we had match play in pro golf and there’s a reason why it doesn’t go that well. Big names go out and TV dies. It seems compelling early in the week but when Nos. 1 and 2 lose early you’re in for a long weekend and there’s also not a lot of golf.”
This year’s Tour Championship ‘a bridge year’
Making the Tour Championship great again may be a two-year process.
“One of the big things looking ahead is we want the FedEx Cup and Tour Championship to be legacy-type events and not too gimmicky. That’s the premise from which we’re working. It might be impossible to change everything this year because we can’t change points and this, that and the other so hopefully this year will be a bridge to next year,” Scott said. “It won’t affect any player this year or leave any player high and dry by changing something late in the piece here and next year with a couple of more changes everyone will see the full picture.”
Seeking NBC, CBS and FedEx sponsor buy-in
Burns said that the players reached a consensus on the format during last week’s PAC meeting held at Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, and that the next step before a board vote is making sure that TV – NBC is the network broadcasting the FedEx Cup Playoffs this year while CBS will take the reins in 2026 – and umbrella sponsor FedEx and Tour Championship presenting sponsors Coca Cola and Southern Company – support the changes.
“It’s a tournament that, going forward, is going to be what everybody wants to win. It’s going to be a better tournament for the players, a better tournament for the sponsors and really everyone involved,” Burns said.
Asked what format he preferred, he paused and said he had to choose his words wisely: “I support the version that is going to be the best product for our Tour and for our fans and everyone involved in the event. There are still things we’re working through.”
Said Villegas: “I think it should be something simple for the fans to understand. At the same time, it should get our players excited.”
So, what’s the new format for the Tour Championship going to look like?
Kevin Kisner is a former board member and has participated on various calls as both a player and a broadcaster. He will serve as lead analyst for NBC. “I like the one that TV is pushing,” he said last month. “There’d be a cut to the Round of 16 on Friday, eight play Saturday, top 4 duke it out on Sunday and Nos. 5-8 play for their position (in the final standings, where No. 8 could improve to No. 5).”
“I’m biased,” he added. “I like whatever TV likes. They’re our biggest money partner and I like playing for a lot of money.”
TV’s concept involving cuts to reduce the field would be instituted to infuse daily drama, but Scott said that format has lost support and Kisner agreed.
“That was one of the ideas. I don’t know if that is still the direction. I think it will be a more traditional tournament with more consequence,” he said. “I don’t want to spoil the surprise too much.”
Time is of the essence … or is it?
Scott insisted that all parties needed to get on board with the changes being pitched before a board vote but that securing player support had to happen first. “It’s a good start,” he said. “Look, things have to move quickly now. I’d be surprised if it isn’t dealt with in the next couple of weeks.”
But that depends, of course, on gaining support from all parties involved. “I know we want to do it for this year but we have to do the right thing,” Villegas said. “Deadlines are only good if a lot of our membership is on the same page. So, we will see where we end up.”
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