The PGA Tour’s 2028 overhaul did not land as a clean, unanimous vision. Behind months of meetings, conference calls, and negotiations, some of the Tour’s biggest debates centered on a question about how much control should players have over their own schedules. Maverick McNealy, a member of the Tour’s Future Competitions Committee (FCC), pulled back the curtain on those discussions ahead of the Travelers Championship 2026.
“Well, I think the questions we’ve had that the players have pushed back on is one of the best things about our job is that we’re not mandated when we have to play,” McNealy said when asked about the biggest sticking points. “So figuring out the number of events that, one, allows for the strength of field that everyone, golf fans, media partners and sponsors want to see, while still allowing us the flexibility to take a week off if we need a break, optimize our schedule, life gets in the way, things like that,”
The 30-year-old professional is one of the members of the Tiger Woods-led FCC. He revealed that the team had a lot of Zoom calls to understand what all stakeholders really wanted. This included conversations with golfers, media partners, sponsors, and fans. Insights collected through those conversations were the starting point that brought the FCC and Brian Rolapp to finalize this two-tier system, which includes the Championship Series and the Challenger Series.
While Maverick McNealy believes that the first step itself addressed many of the issues stakeholders raised, there are still many details to be worked on over the next few months. The next big thing that he wants to get off his to-do list is finalizing eligibility. Rolapp mentioned that the Challenger Series will serve as a stepping stone to the Championship Series. And while some basic eligibility criteria, like two event wins, were discussed, the finalization remains pending.
The American professional also said that the best thing he liked about the job that the FCC did, and this two-tier system is the flexibility that golfers will get. Many professionals have complained about the tight PGA Tour schedule, especially between the Masters and the PGA Championship.
Xander Schauffele called it a “little bit more of a sprint,” while Rory McIlroy said that “it’s a very tight window.”
Veteran Jack Nicklaus also said that he is not exactly in favor of the PGA Tour’s schedule. He feels that there are too many events bunched together.
But now that there are two tiers, with the Championship Series having 23-24 events, while the Challenger Series has at least 20 events, the schedule becomes relaxed. It also gives professionals more control over deciding which events they want to play and which ones they don’t.
While the two-tier system helped with scheduling and flexibility, some concerns remain. For instance, there will be a divide between the PGA Tour professionals. Besides that, some golfers may be unable to play in their national open events due to eligibility requirements. For instance, suppose the RBC Canadian Open becomes a tier 1 event, then Canadian professionals who are only eligible to play tier 2 events won’t be in the field. Nick Taylor raised that concern and said that a situation like that would “su*k.”
What remains clear is that the PGA Tour’s 2028 structure still carries unanswered questions. However, the path is already set; whether this path will be acceptable to everyone remains to be seen.
