Increase in no-cut events and events with limited fields; eight ‘signature events’ form part of 36-event regular season; PGA Tour says new-look schedule will create “excitement for our fans and reward players like never before”; watch the PGA Tour live on Sky Sports Golf
Last Updated: 07/08/23 7:31pm
The PGA Tour has released a new “reimagined” schedule for the 2024 season, which features more no-cut events than ever before and an increased $25m prize for the winner of the FedExCup.
Returning to a calendar-year schedule for the first time since 2012, the PGA Tour has described the events as being “interconnected like never before to deliver maximum drama and consequence”.
The FedExCup Regular Season will consist of 36 events.
The 2024 season begins in early January with the ‘Opening Drive’ double-header at The Sentry and Sony Open in Hawaii, and runs through to the Wyndham Championship in early August.
These tournaments include the four majors, The Players Championship and eight ‘signature events’.
At the end of the regular season, the top 70 players will advance to the FedExCup Playoffs.
“We are excited about the roll-out of the PGA Tour’s reimagined schedule and what the season will offer to our fans: a January start with stars competing head-to-head more often, alongside the weekly drama of life-altering moments and the emergence of new stars,” said PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan.
“While winning on the PGA Tour continues to be the ultimate – and most difficult – challenge, we have further connected every tournament, with more at stake each week.
“From The Sentry through the FedExCup Playoffs and into the soon-to-be-announced FedExCup Fall, this new, cadence will create consistent excitement for our fans and reward players like never before.
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Charley Hoffman makes an albatross on the 15th hole of the Sedgefield Country Club at the Wyndham Championship
“We are grateful to the membership – especially the Player Directors and Player Advisory Council – as well as our tournaments and partners for the collaboration that has set us up for an exciting 2024.”
The release of the 2024 calendar comes two months after the the PGA Tour and DP World Tour announced a shock proposed agreement with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which funds LIV Golf, to form a new joint commercial entity in order to “unify the game”.
The ‘signature events’ explained
Previously referred to as ‘designated events’ in 2023, the newly-renamed signature events underline the continued evolution of the PGA Tour’s season format.
The eight events are limited-field tournaments with increased prize money and FedExCup points.
Five of these will not feature a cut, but the three player-hosted invitationals – The Genesis Invitational, Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Memorial Tournament – will still feature a 36-hole cut to the top 50 and ties and any player within 10 shots of the lead.
The eight ‘signature events’ are as follows:
- The Sentry (January 1-7)
- AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (January 29-February 4)
- The Genesis Invitational (February 12-18)
- Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard (March 4-10)
- RBC Heritage (April 15-21)
- Wells Fargo Championship (May 6-12)
- the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday (June 3-9)
- Travelers Championship (June 17-23)
Explaining the qualification process for these events, the PGA Tour said in a statement: “The 2024 schedule cadence connects events through several new eligibility paths, allowing trending players to earn Signature Event starts and ensuring every member the opportunity to compete alongside the game’s best.
“The Sentry is the season’s first Signature Event and includes PGA TOUR winners from the previous calendar year as well as the top 50 members from the 2022-23 FedExCup standings (i.e. those who qualify for the BMW Championship, the second FedExCup Playoffs event).
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Justin Thomas missed the FedExCup Playoffs in a painful way as his chip attempt stayed out after hitting the pin, meaning he finished outside the top 70 in the points standings
“Eligibility for the remaining seven Signature Events (field sizes anticipated to be between 70-80 players) includes the top 50 members from the 2022-23 FedExCup standings and 15 members who can play their way in through The Next 10 and The Swing 5.”
The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am is a new addition to that list for 2024 and will feature a revised format. Amateurs will now compete alongside professionals (80 players) over the first two rounds, with the competition limited to professionals only for the final two rounds.
Watch all the women’s majors, the Solheim Cup, the Ryder Cup and the end of the PGA Tour and DP World Tour seasons exclusively live over the coming months on Sky Sports Golf. Stream the best sport with NOW
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