PGA players council seeks smaller fields, fewer full tour spots

The policy board approved a major review of field sizes in PGA Tour events in June and the suggestions come after an analysis of responses from players.

A general view of the club house during the third round of the Simmons Bank Championship 2024 at Pleasant Valley Country Club  | Photo Credit: Getty Images via AFP

Smaller fields and fewer fully exempt players are among moves supported by the PGA Tour Player Advisory Council unveiled on Tuesday to be voted on by the tour policy board next month.

After obtaining extensive feedback from PGA Tour players, the council made several recommendations for charges in a memo on Tuesday that, if approved in a November 18 board meeting, would begin for the 2026 campaign.

The policy board approved a major review of field sizes in PGA Tour events in June and the suggestions come after an analysis of responses from players.

Regular tournaments played on one course would see fields trimmed from 156 to 144 players and others would be cut from 132 to 120 in order to avoid play being suspended by darkness after 12 of 43 events this year had at least one round halted by sunset.

The Players Championship would be cut from 144 to 120 players and the Scottish Open would lose 12 to stand on 144 players, as examples.

Full exempt status would be cut from the top 125 to the top 100 players in the FedEx Cup points list with a conditional category for players rated from 101-125.

PGA Tour qualifiers from the Korn Ferry developmental tour would shrink from 30 to 20 with DP World Tour players retaining 10 PGA Tour card qualifications and qualifying school capped at five PGA Tour spots.

Qualifying would be reduced at PGA Tour events with fewer than 144 players during the regular season but not in fall events.

The FedEx Cup points distribution table would change slightly to allow for runner-up finishers to get more points with players outside the top 10 receiving fewer.