Following years of speculation and reports, the US PGA Tour released its revamped schedule for the 2019 season Wednesday morning. The tour calendar is constructed off two aspirations: Hosting a tentpole event from March to August and ending the season before American football commences. Both are achieved in the new configuration.
“We are extremely pleased with the way the schedule has come together, particularly with the number of changes that were involved and the strength of the partnerships required to achieve this new look,” said US PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan. “It’s been our stated objective for several years to create better sequencing of our tournaments that golf fans around the world can engage in from start to finish.
“This will enhance the visibility of the FedEx Cup Playoffs and overall fan engagement with the US PGA Tour and the game as a whole.”
The January and February portions of the schedule are nearly identical to 2018, with the WGC-Mexico’s move from late March to the last week of February (along with the alternate event Puerto Rico Open) the only transactions of note. The Honda Classic goes from the end of February to the opening weekend of March.
The Players Championship returns to its historical March calendar spot, with the Arnold Palmer Invitational preceding TPC Sawgrass and the Valspar Championship following. The WGC-Match Play (and alternate Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship) close the month.
Houston will no longer serve as the final Masters’ tune-up; in fact, the event is not on next year’s schedule (more on this in a moment). Another Lone Star event takes its place in the Valero Texas Open. Augusta National and Harbour Town remain in their usual dates, with the Zurich Classic of New Orleans jumping ahead a week.
May launches with the Wells Fargo Championship, trailed by the AT&T Bryon Nelson, which will be conducted a week earlier in 2019. That’s because the US PGA Championship will make its spring debut on May 16. The Charles Schwab Challenge (Colonial) will follow the proceedings at Bethpage Black, with Muirfield Village keeping its week-after Memorial Day slot.
The RBC Canadian Open grabs the St Jude Classic’s former position as the lead-in to the US Open at Pebble Beach, with the Travelers Championship staying in its post-major spot.
The end of June and start of July are marked by two new tour events: the Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club (June 27-30) and the 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities (July 4-7). Next will be the John Deere Classic, which sets the stage for the British Open at Royal Portrush. The WGC-FedEx St Jude Invitational, replacing the Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone, will be conducted immediately after the Open. Two alternate events, the Barbasol Championship and Reno-Tahoe Open, will run concurrent of the Open and WGC. The Wyndham Championship (Aug. 1-4) will denote the end of the regular season.
The FedEx Cup Playoffs have been trimmed from four tournaments to three, with the TPC Boston event receiving the axe. The postseason now consists of the Northern Trust (August 8-11, at Liberty National), BMW Championship (August 15-18, Medinah) and the Tour Championship (August 19-25). The season will finish the week before college football and two weeks prior to NFL kickoff. TPC Boston, however, will take turns at host of the Northern Trust starting in 2020.
The 2019 Presidents Cup will take place on December 9, with Royal Melbourne in Australia hosting the biennial event.
The autumn portion of the schedule, which marks the beginning of the season, is unchanged. However, the 2019-’20 campaign will end a month earlier, and sources tell Golf Digest the American autumn will undergo a facelift. The ’19-20 autumn schedule will likely feature NBA star Steph Curry’s event, along with the Greenbrier and Houston Open.
Along with the Bridgestone Invitational and the Dell Technologies Championship, the Quicken Loans National outside Washington DC did not make next year’s cut. Organisers remain hopeful it can survive as an autumn event or offseason exhibition.
2019 US PGA TOUR SCHEDULE
Oct. 1-7: Safeway Open (Silverado Resort and Spa-North Course)
Oct. 8-14: CIMB Classic (TPC Kuala Lumpur)
Oct. 15-21: The CJ CUP @ Nine Bridges (Nine Bridges)
Oct. 22-28: World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions (Sheshan International Golf Club)
Oct. 22-28: Sanderson Farms Championship (Country Club of Jackson)
Oct. 29-Nov. 4: Shriners Hospitals for Children Open (TPC Summerlin)
Nov. 5-11: Mayakoba Golf Classic (El Camaleon Golf Club at the Mayakoba Resort)
Nov. 12-18: The RSM Classic (Sea Island Resort)
Dec. 31-Jan. 6: Sentry Tournament of Champions (Kapalua Resort)
Jan. 7-13: Sony Open in Hawaii (Waialae Country Club)
Jan. 14-20: CareerBuilder Challenge (PGA West Stadium Course, multiple courses)
Jan. 21-27: Farmers Insurance Open (Torrey Pines Golf Course)
Jan. 28-Feb. 3: Waste Management Phoenix Open (TPC Scottsdale Stadium Course)
Feb. 4-10: AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (Pebble Beach Golf Links, multiple courses)
Feb. 11-17: Genesis Open (The Riviera Country Club)
Feb. 18-24: World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship (Club de Golf Chapultepec)
Feb. 18-24: Puerto Rico Open (Coco Beach Golf & Country Club)
Feb. 25-Mar 3: The Honda Classic (PGA National Resort & Spa)
March 4-10: Arnold Palmer Invitational (Bay Hill Club and Lodge)
March 11-17: The Players Championship (TPC Sawgrass)
March 18-24: Valspar Championship (Innisbrook Resort)
March 25-31: World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play (Austin Country Club)
March 25-31: Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship Puntacana Resort & Club (Corales Golf Course)
April 1-7: Valero Texas Open (TPC San Antonio)
April 8-14: Masters Tournament (Augusta National Golf Club)
April 15-21: RBC Heritage (Harbour Town Golf Links)
April 22-28: Zurich Classic of New Orleans (TPC Louisiana)
April 29-May 5: Wells Fargo Championship (Quail Hollow Club)
May 6-12: AT&T Byron Nelson (Trinity Forest Golf Club)
May 13-19: PGA Championship (Bethpage State Park)
May 20-26: Charles Schwab Challenge (Colonial Country Club)
May 27-June 2: The Memorial Tournament (Muirfield Village Golf Club)
June 3-9: RBC Canadian Open (Hamilton Golf & Country Club)
June 10-16: U.S. Open (Pebble Beach Golf Links)
June 17-23: Travelers Championship (TPC River Highlands)
June 24-30: Rocket Mortgage Classic (Detroit Golf Club)
July 1-7: 3M Open (TPC Twin Cities)
July 8-14: John Deere Classic (TPC Deere Run)
July 15-21: The Open Championship (Royal Portrush Golf Club)
July 15-21: Barbasol Championship (Keene Trace Golf Club)
July 22-28: World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational (TPC Southwind)
July 22-28: Reno-Tahoe Tournament (Montrêux Golf and Country Club)
July 29-Aug. 4: Wyndham Championship (Sedgefield Country Club)
FedEx Cup Playoffs
Aug. 5-11: The Northern Trust (Liberty National Golf Club)
Aug. 12-18: BMW Championship (Medinah Country Club)
Aug. 19-25: Tour Championship (East Lake Golf Club)