“Just terrible” - $40M-worth golfer speaks out against PGA Tour’s proposed field cut
The PGA Tour recently announced proposed changes for the 2026 season. According to the memo, the circuit is eyeing smaller field sizes at almost every event and is set to eliminate Monday qualifiers. Many players, including Padraig Harrington, have since come out to speak against the proposed moves. He isn’t happy with the PGA Tour’s plans to limit its event field sizes. The 53-year-old golfer dubbed the move “just terrible.”
The Irishman, who has amassed a net worth of $60 million, said the traditional circuit was "running just fine." He voiced his disappointment and noted that the decision would ultimately be made by “the people on the inside,” who would vote “to keep the thing more closed.” In Phoenix this week for the Charles Schwab Cup Championship, Harrington told Golf Today on Wednesday:
“Terrible. Just terrible. It really is. I can’t think about how bad it is. At the end of the day, the people on the inside are voting to keep the thing tighter and more closed. The tour was running just fine.
I know there’s a little bit of pressure to finish on time when fields go to 156 at certain times of the season or 144, but players will deal with it. They will handle that. They prepare for that. They know at the start of the year they might miss out on a few tournament (rounds) because of light.”
The PGA Tour’s proposed changes for the 2026 season include lowering the number of PGA Tour members from 125 to 100 over a single season. Per the circulated memo attained by The Athletic, the circuit ‘cards’ will also reduce the field size of events from 156 to 144 players and will also limit sponsor exemptions.
Padraig Harrington defends the slow pace of play amid PGA Tour's proposed changes
Apart from the limited field sizes, the PGA Tour’s proposed changes for the 2026 season also discuss the "slow pace of play." While Padraig Harrington has struggled with problems caused by slow play, he is against the suggested changes. The Irishman compared the slow pace of play to “rush hour traffic” while speaking on behalf of the underdogs journeying into the circuit.:
“Slow play is like driving in rush hour traffic. It’s just too many people on the golf course, and the tee times are too tight, so yes, this is a way of solving one of the big issues in golf, the pace of play, but you want to give everybody the opportunity.
If this was like the (English Premier League), or the (English) Championship (League), and there was a really, really good second tour, maybe the European Tour can be that. Maybe it works out. But to me, it definitely looks like the people on the inside are keeping it tighter.”
Harrington also spoke about the importance of Monday qualifiers. The golfer, who has attended multiple mini 18-hole tournaments, said removing them would affect all players except big-name stars.