The PGA Tour’s designated events for 2024 will feature limited fields and no cuts, after the tour’s board voted to approve a new structure for the events in a meeting on Tuesday. The news, first reported by Golfweek, has been confirmed to Golf Digest by multiple sources.
A reduction of competitors at the premier tournaments—there are 13 events given the “designated” status this year, not including the four major championships—has been a chief discussion point among players and tour officials since PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan approved sweeping changes to the tour structure last August. Truncated fields without a cut will prove to be more financially beneficial to the game’s stars versus the tour’s previous model, helping the tour keep its talent from defecting to the fledgling LIV Golf League. Conversely, keeping these events open to the rank-and-file membership, along with up-and-coming players and those on a hot streak, was a non-negotiable aspect of the elevated events from tour officials, a source tells Golf Digest.
Though specific details are still being worked out, the new format will provide promotion avenues for members not classified as “top players.” What constitutes a “top player” is also being ironed out, although it will likely consist of the top 50 players from the previous year’s FedEx Cup standings, the top 30 in the Official World Golf Ranking and the top 20 players in the tour’s Player Impact Program.
Tournaments will continue to have sponsor’s exemptions to round out their fields. The field sizes are expected to be in the range of 70 to 80 players.
The no-cut, limited-field format harken to the tour’s former World Golf Championship set-ups and may be seen as a concession from the tour toward the ideas generated by Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and some of the tour’s marquee attractions during a series of meetings last year, most notably a players only gathering in Delaware last August. While a source confirmed as much to Golf Digest, the source also noted that the no-cut element had an appeal to fans and sponsors, who believe guaranteeing a player’s presence for four straight days would help with turnout.
Xander Schauffele, speaking to the media at this week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational, acknowledged this selling point.
“You know, we’re trying to make the best product. To answer the cut question, I am always for a cut. Emotionally I’m for a cut. There is an aspect of it, I would say, that’s really entertaining for some. But at the end of the day a lot of people like and a lot of kids like to come see the top players play in the world,” Schauffele said. “And if they’re not having their best they can still, if they got a baseball game on Saturday, Timmy can still come with his dad and watch Rory tee up on Sunday, no matter what happens. I think it’s also an easier package to sell to the sponsors when you tell ’em that 20 of the top 20 players in the world are going to be there Thursday through Sunday. I think that’s an easier package to sell when it comes to sort of what makes the best product.”
The move will not affect the tour’s flagship event, the Players Championship and the four men’s majors, which will continue to have full fields.
