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If Rory McIlroy, Wyndham Clark, Will Zalatoris and different PGA Tour stars have their approach, the way forward for the PGA Tour will characteristic fewer exempt gamers competing in smaller occasions.
An growing variety of stars are being overtly vocal about their want for a smaller tour going ahead, together with McIlroy, who mentioned on the Arnold Palmer Invitational that he wished a extra “cutthroat” PGA Tour with fewer exempt gamers competing. He needs it to be a tour that includes the very best of the very best, with extra fluidity out and in of the circuit based mostly on efficiency.
Wyndham Clark, the reigning US Open champion, discovered himself outdoors the highest 100 within the FedEx Cup standings not too way back. Nevertheless, now that he is a significant champion with a five-year PGA Tour exemption, he sees that 100 determine as the proper cutoff level.
“I imply, I believe it will be wonderful if our Tour was 100 guys,” mentioned Clark at Bay Hill. “I form of mentioned this a number of instances, 100 guys and we now have 20 guys that get relegated each time, yearly, does not matter who you might be.
“It might be thrilling. Since you come right down to the top of the yr, individuals are trying who’s going to win the FedEx Cup, and then you definately’re who shouldn’t be going to be right here subsequent yr. So, yeah, I am in all probability with Rory on that. I do not know what that quantity is, however I believe it is simply good to raise the product and make it to the place the very best gamers are enjoying on TV extra usually and towards one another.”
There have lengthy been requires the PGA Tour to cut back the variety of absolutely exempt gamers from 125, a determine that was established with the creation of the all-exempt PGA Tour in 1983. Some have instructed the 100 quantity is right. There could possibly be a transfer to cut back the quantity to 70 absolutely exempt gamers, matching the cutoff in FedEx Cup factors to qualify for the PGA Tour’s playoff collection.
Maybe there is a chance to cut back discipline sizes and the variety of absolutely exempt gamers whereas nonetheless permitting for full-field occasions. Fields could possibly be diminished from 144 and 156 to 120 and 132 gamers, with qualifying standards and exemption standards amended to be extra dynamic based mostly on shorter-term efficiency. These adjustments might herald gamers from the Korn Ferry Tour and DP World Tour extra repeatedly whereas additionally providing extra probabilities to gamers who’ve been performing nicely in a more moderen window than the prior season or the totality of a profession.
This is not the primary time these concepts have been shared. In 2022, when the PGA Tour stars bought collectively in Delaware across the BMW Championship to reshape the Tour schedule, many then referred to as for a dramatic discount in playing cards and discipline sizes to guard stars and provides them assured entry to high-dollar tournaments. McIlroy, on the time, acknowledged that was not an thought prepared for public consumption and would fly within the face of the mission of the PGA Tour. That tide now seems to be shifting once more amongst stars.
Nonetheless, there will probably be consternation amongst gamers who usually tend to fall out of a prime 70 or prime 100 that the new-look PGA Tour that’s virtually definitely coming will make it harder for them to maintain their playing cards.
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