by The PGA Tour is making the most sweeping changes to its eligibility in more than 40 years by eliminating 25 tour cards and reducing the size of its competitors.
The fully exempt tour had been in place since 1983, meaning the top 125 players on the official money list – now the FedEx Cup standings – retained a full PGA Tour card the following season.
That will change in 2026 after the PGA Tour’s policy council approved a new list of priorities on Monday.
Only the top 100 players will receive full tour cards for the following year. The top 30 on the developmental Korn Ferry Tour used to qualify for the PGA Tour. That number now increases to 20. Five players from the qualifying school will receive cards – previously it was top five and ties.
The circuit also eliminates the fields of 156 players, with the exception of two tournaments organized on several courses. Most tournaments will host 120 players before DST, then 132 players in the spring, and a maximum of 144 players during the summer months.
Here’s a look at what’s behind these changes and what it means:
Why is it necessary to reduce the number of PGA Tour full cards?
The fully exempt tour led to a bloated roster in which nearly 200 players were on the membership list through one exemption or another, and those at the bottom of the priority list couldn’t get into every tournament that they wanted to play.
Those who graduated from the Korn Ferry Tour, for example, could only compete in three or four tournaments in the first few months of the season, putting them at a disadvantage.
The PGA Tour believes that full status limited to the top 100 instead of the top 125 will give everyone who earns a card a fair chance to play in regular tournaments.
How does the PGA Tour priority list work?
Priority for entry into tournaments begins with winners of major tournaments and the Players Championship over the past five years; winners of the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Memorial and Genesis Invitational over the past three years; tournament winners over the past two years and career money leaders.
Next come the first 125; players who have benefited from a medical extension; then the 45 players who won cards from the Korn Ferry Tour, the European tour and the Q-school. Next are those who finished No. 126 to No. 150 in the FedEx Cup.
All have PGA Tour cards. But there is no place for them in every tournament.
Who benefits from the PGA Tour changes?
The most common refrain in golf is to play better to achieve better status. Those who consistently finish in the top 100 should have no trouble holding on to their cards, and they will have fewer players to beat because the fields will be smaller.
He also helps newcomers from the Korn Ferry Tour, European Tour and Q-school. They can expect to participate in all the regular tournaments, increasing their chances of participating in some of the flagship $20 million events.
The PGA Tour, already golf’s most successful tour, will likely be even more competitive with a greater chance of seeing the biggest names in contention.
The tour also hopes – this remains to be determined – to improve the pace of play and prevent rounds from spilling over into the next day.
Who is hurt by the new PGA Tour rules?
Players like Peter Malnati and Taylor Pendrith come to mind. Under the new system, neither would have had a full PGA Tour card this year and likely would not have been in the field for the tournaments they won – Malnati at the Valspar Championship and Pendrith at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. These victories make them exempt until 2026.
Players who haven’t always performed well, who seem to struggle every year just to finish in the top 125, will have to do their best to stay on tour.
What happens to the dreamers of professional golf?
The PGA Tour is also trimming the four qualifying spots on Monday in open tournaments. From now on, there will only be two places for teams of 132 players and none for teams of 120 players.
One of the charms of golf is how one week can change a career. Then again, there has only been one Monday qualifier to win in the last five years – Corey Conners at the 2019 Texas Open.
When do PGA Tour changes start?
The new eligibility begins in 2026, which places emphasis on playing well this year, knowing that only the top 100 will retain their full status.
Does this affect the golf majors?
The four major tournaments are not managed by the PGA Tour. The Masters has the smallest field, usually fewer than 100 players. The US Open, British Open and PGA Championship have 156 players.
The Players Championship, the main event hosted by the PGA Tour, is reducing its field from 144 players to 120.
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