The season-ending Tour Championship is returning to a standard 72-hole stroke-play format after a vote of the PGA Tour Policy Board on Tuesday at Muirfield Village Golf Club.
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Starting strokes, a concept introduced in 2019, will be eliminated and all 30 players who qualify for the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta August 21-24 will have an equal chance to win the FedEx Cup finale by beginning at even par. The bonus money distribution is expected to change with the elimination of starting strokes to reward season-long performance, which could mean some bonus money paid out at the end of the regular season.
The puzzling system saw the FedEx Cup points leader start at 10-under-par and two strokes ahead of his next-closest competitor at eight-under before the tournament had even teed off. It was ridiculed throughout the golf world.
The first will be an adjustment to course setup with the intention of creating more risk/reward shots at East Lake and potentially adding more drama to the outcome. The second is an undetermined change to the qualification process for the Tour Championship. The field remains at 30 players in 2025, but the PAC is studying ways to make the event more difficult to reach going forward. Whether or not that means a smaller field was not revealed.
“Our Fan Forward initiative has helped us evaluate each part of the PGA Tour season and today’s announcement is an important first step in the evolution of our postseason,” PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said in a press release. “The Player Advisory Council led a thorough process to respond to what our fans are asking for: The most competitive golf in the world, played for the highest stakes, in the most straightforward and engaging format.
In addition to eliminating the starting strokes, the policy board approved two additional changes.
“We want the Tour Championship to be the hardest tournament to qualify for and the FedExCup trophy the most difficult to win,” said reigning FedEx Cup champion Scottie Scheffler, a member of the PAC. “Shifting the Tour Championship to a more straight-up format with a tougher course setup makes it easier for fans to follow and provides a more challenging test for players – which brings out the best competition.”
