"It's exciting" - Scottie Scheffler gives his verdict on upcoming schedule changes on PGA Tour
The PGA Tour revamped its schedule for the 2024 season. On Wednesday, March 1, the PGA Tour commissioner, Jay Monahan, announced that the upcoming season of the tour will have eight designated events.
The Tour has announced major changes to the schedule following stiff existing competition from the Saudi-backed LIV Golf.
The designated event will have an elevated purse with a field of around 70-80 players. Announcing the news, Monahan said:
"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. Together, this approach provides a schedule that is cohesive, compelling, consequential and with clarity for fans, players and sponsors alike.”
The 2022 Masters winner Scottie Scheffler also opened up about designated events in his interview. He said:
"I think it's exciting because you're going to have the top guys in the world playing against each other more often. You're going to be able to guarantee the sponsors that those guys are going to be there four days.
“If you're coming out to an event to watch on Saturday and Sunday and, you know, if I'm imagining myself as a kid I would like to get out there early. Let's say I'm having a bad week, some kid can come out and watch me play early in the day and you can guarantee that Rory McIlroy's going to be there on Sunday, Jon Rahm's going to be there on Sunday. I think that's a lot of value added to TV and for sponsors.”
What is the eligibility for the designated events?
The PGA Tour commissioner described the new schedule as a bridge to the new future of golf. It is important to note that the Majors, FedEx Cup events, and The Players will remain unaffected by the new changes.
Here are the eligibility criteria for the designated events:
*The Top 50 players from the prior year (FedEx Cup standings)
*The top 10 players from the current year's FedEx standings
*The top 5 players earning the most FedEx points
*Current year tournament winners
*PGA Tour members among the top 30 in the OWGR
*Four sponsor exemptions are restricted to the PGA Tour members.
"Top guys versus the hot guys" - Rory McIlroy on designated PGA Tour events
Former World No. 1 Rory McIlroy also opened up about the new changes to the PGA Tour. The Northern Irish golfer loved the new schedule and said:
“I love it. I think it makes the TOUR more competitive. … I'm all about rewarding good play. I want to give everyone a fair shake at this, which I think this structure has done. There's ways to play into it. It's trying to get the top guys versus the hot guys, right? I think that creates a really compelling product.
He added:
“You play well for two or three weeks, you're in a Designated event. You know then if you keep playing well you stay in them.”
The designated events are specially designed for the top golfers in the ranking tally. However, there are no mandatory participation regulations in the tournaments. It will also allow the top performers to compete in full-field and designated events.