PGA Tour: Tour Championship to be played in a match play format from 2028 amid huge shake-up to season-ending schedule
From 2028, the PGA Tour's Tour Championship will be played in a match play format, but what will that look like? And how will players qualify for the event? Watch this week's Tour Championship live on Sky Sports Golf from Thursday
Tuesday 25 August 2026 18:49, UK
The PGA Tour has announced that the Tour Championship will be played in a two-week match play format as part of a new season-ending structure which will be implemented from the 2028 season.
It is one of a series of major schedule shake-ups coming to the PGA Tour, with the US circuit also set to introduce a new two-tier system which will feature promotion and relegation.
From 2028 onwards, the current series of FedExCup Playoffs, which are played in a stroke play format, will be replaced by:
- A 72-hole stroke play PGA Tour Championship Series Finale featuring the top 90 golfers on the PGA Tour season-long points list
- The top 32 players on the PGA Tour's points list at the end of the PGA Tour Championship Series Finale will qualify for the Tour Championship, a standalone two-week match play event
- The match play tournament will be similar to the World Cup, with groups and knockouts
It will be the first time in the PGA Tour's history that the Tour Championship has been decided over a match play format, and is also the first time that the format has been played on the tour since the 2023 WGC Dell Technologies Match Play.
"Throughout this process, we listened carefully to our fans, players and partners," PGA Tour chief executive Brian Rolapp said.
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"One message came through clearly: the culmination of our season should be worthy of the journey it takes to get there.
"The result is a season-ending structure that rewards excellence over the course of the year while building toward a reimagined Tour Championship. We are creating something different, something distinct within professional golf that can resonate far beyond it."
How will the new PGA Tour postseason work?
Throughout the 2028 season, players will compete to win points as normal throughout regular-season tour events, in a similar fashion to the current FedExCup system.
The season-long points race will then conclude at the new PGA Tour Championship Series Finale, a 72-hole stroke play event.
The top 90 players in the year-long points race rankings will compete at the event, which will confirm the season-ending points race leader and final rankings for the year.
After the PGA Tour Championship Series Finale, the top 32 players in the year-end points rankings will then gain a place at the Tour Championship.
How will the new Tour Championship work?
The revamped Tour Championship will take place the week after the PGA Tour Championship Series Finale, with a field of 32 players competing over a three-round group stage, akin to the FIFA World Cup.
Players will be seeded, depending on their standing in the final season-long points race list.
Each golfer will square off against the other players from their group, with the top two players in each group advancing to week two of the Tour Championship.
Should a tie take place following the end of the group stage, a play-off will occur.
Sixteen players will then advance to week two of the match play final, where the Tour Champion will be confirmed.
Players will then compete in a four-round match play competition. The final two undefeated players will duke it out for the title.
A player's record and final standings at the Tour Championship will be determined by their record throughout the two-week match play event.
"Each week of the Tour Championship will be played at a different course," Rolapp added.
"This new format creates an exciting opportunity to showcase some of the most renowned venues in our sport, including places the modern tour has never been before."
Venues for the 2028 PGA Tour Championship Series Finale and Tour Championship will be confirmed in February 2027, with the US circuit explaining it will rotate hosting duties among "prestigious courses" and some venues the tour has not been able to feature in the past.
Woods backs new PGA Tour postseason structure
Writing on X on Tuesday, Tiger Woods expressed his excitement at the proposed changes.
"The conclusion of the season should be worthy of the journey it takes to get there," Woods said.
"Today's announcement is a result of the hard work and passion of our players.
"Excited to usher in a new era of match play on the PGA Tour".
Faldo: I am delighted by this news
Sir Nick Faldo told The Sky Sports Golf Podcast:
"Everyone is asking how you can get some excitement back into the game of golf.
"A lot of people might disagree, but it's match play!
"You can pick the characters against each other rather than golf being almost like a wall.
"You can then get a bit of spice going on. We might get some great historic matches going on instead of seeing guys going nuts shooting 10 or 12 under.
"I'm delighted they're bringing more match play back.
"When I used to do TV, we said the second-best day, after The Masters, was the first day of the WGC Dell Technologies Match Play.
"Back before they changed it to a round robin, 64 players started, 34 went home, and nobody wants to go home!
"That was the best excitement for a day's golf!"
Who will win the FedExCup? Watch all four rounds of the Tour Championship exclusively live on Sky Sports. Live coverage begins Thursday from 6pm on Sky Sports Golf. Get latest Sky Sports deals or stream with no contract on NOW.
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