Details on PGA TOUR’s eligibility adjustments for 2024
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The PGA TOUR has formalized a series of eligibility adjustments for the 2024 season, with key benchmarks for the top 50, top 70 and top 125 in the FedExCup among the key items.
These adjustments correspond with the return to a calendar-year FedExCup season in 2024, in conjunction with Designated and Full-Field events and the newly formatted FedExCup Fall. This new eligibility format was detailed Tuesday in a memo to the TOUR membership.
The top 70 players on the 2022-23 FedExCup Playoffs and Eligibility Points List will qualify for the first of three FedExCup Playoffs events, the FedEx St. Jude Championship, and be exempt into all Full-Field TOUR events for the following year. Qualifying for the Playoffs also ensures that a player will keep his card for the following season.
The top 50 players after the FedEx St. Jude Championship will advance to the second Playoffs event, the BMW Championship, and qualify for all Designated and Full-Field events for the following year. The Designated events are the eight events next year that will feature fields of 70-80 players and have elevated FedExCup points and purses.
The top 30 after the BMW Championship will qualify for the season-ending TOUR Championship. Qualifying for the TOUR Championship is an accomplishment that also comes with a two-year exemption on TOUR.
Players who finish outside the top 70 in the FedExCup will compete in the FedExCup Fall to retain their playing privileges. At the conclusion of the 2023 season, the top 125 on the FedExCup Fall Points List will retain their cards and be exempt into all Full-Field events in 2024, including THE PLAYERS Championship. Nos. 126-150 on the FedExCup Fall Points List will maintain conditional TOUR status.
Players who finish outside the top 70 in the FedExCup will retain their points from the Regular Season and compete in the Fall to stay inside the top 125. Nos. 51-70 in the FedExCup at the conclusion of the Playoffs will also retain their points entering the Fall and compete for spots in 2024’s early-season Designated events.
The 2024 season will feature eight Designated events, with no mandatory participation requirement. Eligibility for the Sentry Tournament of Champions will include the top 50 players from the prior year’s FedExCup Playoffs and tournament winners from the previous year, including opposite events and fall events.
Eligibility for the remaining Designated events will include the top 50 from the prior year’s FedExCup Playoffs, as well as:
• From the most recent “swing” of Full-Field events (i.e. the tournaments between Designated events), the top five available FedExCup Points earners who are not otherwise exempt into the event
• The top 10 available players from the current-year FedExCup standings who are not otherwise exempt into the event
• Current-year tournament winners in events with full FedExCup point allocation (i.e. at least 500 points)
• PGA TOUR members in the top 30 on the Official World Golf Ranking
• Four sponsor exemptions limited to PGA TOUR members.
Points earned in Designated events do not count toward the “swing” category; each set of Full-Field events between Designated events will count as a swing.
There will be slightly different exemption criteria for the first two Designated events following the Sentry Tournament of Champions. Instead of using the top 10 in the current-year standings, those Designated events will feature the top 10 players, not otherwise exempt, from the prior year’s FedExCup standings (Regular Season and Fall combined).
Nos. 51-70 in the FedExCup through the Playoffs will retain their FedExCup points entering the Fall and compete for additional FedExCup points to earn spots in those early season Designated events. They will already have their cards for the following year locked up by virtue of finishing in the top 70 of the FedExCup through the Playoffs.
Eligibility for THE PLAYERS Championship remains unchanged.
The FedExCup Points model will be adjusted with allocation of additional points to THE PLAYERS, majors, and Designated events.
• 750 points to winners of PLAYERS and majors
• 700 points to winners of Designated events
• 500 points to winners of Regular Full-Field events
• 300 points to winners of Opposite Events
• 2000 points to the winner of the first two Playoffs events
The Korn Ferry Tour will be played January through October and will award 30 PGA TOUR cards at the end of the 2023 Korn Ferry Tour season for the start of the 2024 PGA TOUR season in January. The top-10 performers, not otherwise exempt, from the final 2023 DP World Tour Race to Dubai Points List will receive 2024 PGA TOUR membership, as well.
The top-five players and ties from this year’s Qualifying Tournament also will earn PGA TOUR membership. The Qualifying Tournament will also continue to award eligibility for the Korn Ferry Tour.
Players in the top 50 of the FedExCup through the Playoffs can participate in the Fall events and receive performance benefits including world ranking points and winner’s exemptions but, having secured their position in all 2024 Designated and Full-Field events, the FedExCup points they earn at fall events will not accumulate on the FedExCup Fall Points List.
Winners of fall events will receive 500 FedExCup points, world ranking points and a two-season winner’s exemption. Winners will also earn spots in the Sentry Tournament of Champions, THE PLAYERS, Masters Tournament and PGA Championship.
The Player Impact Program will be reduced to $50 million in 2024, paid to the top 10 players (from $100 million to the top 20). The remaining funds will be reallocated to the FedExCup Bonus Program and Comcast Business TOUR Top 10.