ATLANTA — Two weeks ago, the Player Advisory Council was presented with a proposal that would reduce field sizes at full-field events to 120 players. Because of reduced playing opportunities, the plan would lead to a likely reduction in the number of fully-exempt players on the PGA Tour.
According to one member of the PAC, the proposal would cut the number of exempt players from the previous season’s FedExCup points list to the top 100, down from the current top 125, as well as the number of exemptions awarded to Korn Ferry Tour members (currently at 30). All total, those changes would reduce the number of full members from about 208 to 160.
“I think that the meeting in Memphis was a culmination of a year’s worth of work. At the beginning of the year we said, listen, what can we do to create more ownership and a higher level of engagement,” Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan said Wednesday at East Lake. “As it relates to strengthening the competitive model of the PGA Tour, that was the focus of those conversations in Memphis. What I can tell you is that those conversations are being player led. There’s strong alignment.”
The proposal was at least partially prompted by expanded fields this year that failed to make a cut on Friday because of pace of play and daylight issues.
“In this case, it’s a little bit inside of our competitive system, what’s the right number of players to put out on the course each week, what’s the best version of our eligibility,” said Tyler Dennis, the Tour’s chief competitions officer.
While there seems to be support among the PAC for the new proposal, there were some who lobbied for the Tour to expand field sizes at signature events, which are currently set for 72 to 80 players, to help make up the difference of the lost playing opportunities, but that seems unlikely.
The proposal needs to be approved by the Tour’s policy board which is scheduled to meet in November at the RSM Classic.