PGA Tour reveals proposal for reducing field sizes, changing eligibility beginning in 2026

The PGA Tour is poised to cut the number of fully exempt players by roughly 20%, beginning in 2026, according to a 17-page memo that was sent to the membership Tuesday.

The proposed changes are part of an ongoing review by the circuit’s Player Advisory Council that began this summer to examine playing privileges, flow of play and the current FedExCup point structure with a focus on “ideal field sizes.”

According to the memo which was obtained by GolfChannel.com, 28% of tournaments this year had at least one round that wasn’t completed because of darkness.

With daylight and pace of play being the primary reasons rounds are not completed as scheduled, the proposal would reduce field sizes for most full-field events before daylight saving time to 120 players and cap all field sizes at 144 players (with one exception: the American Express, which is played on three courses and remains at 156).

The Sony Open, WM Phoenix Open and Cognizant Classic, which are all 144-player fields, would be reduced to 120 players and events during the summer months — such as the RBC Canadian Open, Rocket Mortgage Classic and Genesis Scottish Open — would be reduced from 156- to 144-player fields.

The changes would also reduce the field size for The Players Championship from 144 to 120 players (proposed event-by-event breakdown at bottom of article).

Some members of the PAC had suggested the Tour could offset the lost playing opportunities in full-field events by expanding fields at signature events, which have a minimum field size of 72 players.

“Any modifications at this stage would be disruptive and could increase fan confusion,” the memo read. “No changes to the field sizes of signature events were recommended.”

Under the plan, the reduction of field sizes would require the Tour to adjust the number of fully exempt players to the top 100 from the previous season’s (2025) FedExCup points list, down from the current cutoff of top 125. The number of full cards offered to Korn Ferry Tour players would also be reduced under the proposed plan from 30 to 20.

Q-School would award membership to the top 5 finishers, down from the current top-5-and-ties model, and the plan would also reduce or eliminate the number of spots available into open events via Monday qualifying and sponsor exemptions.

The adjusted priority rankings would now slot the Korn Ferry Tour, Q-School and DP World Tour (top 10) members ahead of players finishing 101^st through 125^th on the previous year’s points list in the conditional status category.

The plan, which must be approved by the Tour’s policy board at the year’s final meeting next month at the RSM Classic, would also slightly adjust the points awarded at signature events.

“It was determined that the middle of the points distribution for signature events is slightly misaligned with player performance. Therefore, there is also a proposal for a minor adjustment to the FedExCup points distribution table,” the memo read.

The adjustment to points distribution would decrease the number of FedExCup points available for middle-of-the-pack finishes (seventh place and beyond). A seventh-place finish at a major, for example, would remain 250 points but the allocation would be reduced 25 points at a signature event.

If approved by the policy board, the changes would begin with the 2026 season.