Australian Open to benefit as PGA Tour tees up ‘two-tier’ system

By the Editorial Team · Thursday, June 25, 2026

The PGA Tour will launch a two-tier system in 2028 featuring a Championship Series with top events and a Challenger Series for emerging players, incorporating promotion and relegation between tiers. This restructuring includes elevating international events like the Australian Open, boosting prize money and player participation, and aims to create a more competitive and globally integrated golf season.

The PGA Tour has announced a significant restructuring of professional golf, introducing a two-tier system set to launch in 2028 that promises to reshape the competitive landscape and elevate international events, including the Australian Open.

Under the new format, the PGA Tour will divide into the PGA Tour Championship Series and the PGA Tour Challenger Series. The Championship Series will feature approximately 23 to 24 high-profile events, including major championships and team competitions like the Ryder Cup. These events will offer a minimum prize purse of $20 million, with fields capped at 120 players who will face a 36-hole cut to the top 65 and ties. The season will run from February through August and introduce a revamped postseason, incorporating match play and a relocated Tour Championship across different courses.

The Challenger Series will comprise at least 20 tournaments designed as a proving ground for emerging talent, with minimum prize money set at $4 million. This second tier will provide a pathway for players to be promoted to the Championship Series, as the top 20 finishers in the Challenger Series will earn elevation each season. Conversely, players ranking outside the top 90 in the Championship Series will risk relegation to the second tier, with 130 players competing for exempt status each year.

A key feature of the new structure is the introduction of player movement between tiers, creating a promotion and relegation system aimed at enhancing competitive balance. Additionally, leading players from the Championship Series will have opportunities to participate in “elevated international events,” organized in collaboration with the DP World Tour, formerly the European Tour.

The Australian Open is set to become one of these elevated international events, following an agreement that extends the PGA Tour’s partnership through 2029. According to the deal, the tournament will see a substantial increase in prize money and will benefit from a scheduling window designed to attract top-ranked players. This development is seen as a major boost for Australian golf, which has faced challenges with scheduling conflicts and diminishing star appearances due to the U.S.-centric wraparound season.

Jason Day, one of Australia’s most prominent golfers, has competed sparingly on home soil in recent years, largely due to the demands of the international schedule. The revised season structure is expected to encourage more domestic participation among Australian players. Gavin Kirkman, CEO of the PGA of Australia and Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, welcomed the announcement, emphasizing the positive impact it would have on professional golf in the region and highlighting ongoing collaboration with both the DP World Tour and the PGA Tour.

The PGA Tour’s changes come in the wake of increased global interest in golf, partly driven by the emergence of rival circuits such as LIV Golf. The overhaul aims to present a more compact, competitive season that better aligns with player and fan expectations, a goal articulated by PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp. The Future Competition Committee, led by Tiger Woods, spearheaded the review and design of the new system, seeking to enhance the sport’s appeal and sustainability long-term.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.