The improved fall schedule provides a jumpstart to the PGA Tour season. In back to back weeks, two players have earned their first career victories on Tour. However, it is what comes with the victory that is most valuable. Particularly with the most recent event in Jackson, Mississippi.
The Sanderson Farms Championship’s prestige improved drastically from last year. It is no longer an alternate field event, meaning it offers a full portion of FedEx Cup points to the winner. This means that the winner earns a spot in next year’s Masters, something that previous winners of the event have never experienced. Its elevated stature also offers significantly more money, along with more FedEx Cup points. This jumpstarts a player’s season and ensures a playoff berth very early in the season.
Not only does a schedule like this benefit the players looking to improve their standings, it also benefits the tournaments themselves. More money and points early on means better players will commit to these events.
More events, better fields
Adding more events to the fall portion of the PGA Tour season increases the likelihood that some top players will play. Take the Sanderson Farms Championship for example. Before this year, it was an alternate event to the WGC HSBC Champions. It was arguably the lowest-tier event on Tour. This year was a different story. High-ranked international stars such as Sungjae Im and Ben An participated, along with nine-time Tour winner Brandt Snedeker. Popular players like this would usually be in China for the WGC or taking the week off. Now, players need to play early to kickstart their seasons.
Compare this to the previous PGA Tour season format. The fall portion of the schedule had just 4 events, and they were separated from the FedEx Cup format. They were used as eleventh-hour events for players trying to keep their playing status. Now, it begins the extended race for the FedEx Cup and makes it more difficult to make the playoffs at the end of the season. It gives top players more incentive to participate.
International PGA Tour Season
The fall schedule also allows the PGA Tour to go global. A swing through Asia with stops in Korea, China and a new event in Japan will improve golf’s global brand, in a place where it is growing the fastest. Not to mention the fact that the event in Japan will feature a superstar field. Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods have both committed, and will also participate in a Skins game the week of the event. Include the WGC in China, and the recently added event in Korea and the Asian swing looks like a huge hit.
The OHL Classic in Mexico also moved to the fall. This too brought an improved field and bigger audiences. Increasing the global exposure for the game has been a win for the Tour, the players, and the countries they play in.
More Opportunity
For those players without full playing status, an increased amount of events in the fall improves their chances of walk-on success. There are more chances for players to Monday qualify for events. This could create a week that changes the trajectory of a player’s career. It also helps those players with low priority status off the Korn Ferry Tour improve their positioning and possibly get into more events later in the season.
Players are making more money than ever on Tour. It makes every event more valuable, but also more volatile. Those who don’t have guaranteed starts in events have so much more to lose. Every opportunity to play on Tour offers both potential for success, and potential for heartbreak. Anyone needing to earn as many points as possible to keep their playing status needs to get into as many events as possible. Even with more events being added to the schedule, rising up the FedEx Cup standings or the world rankings is much easier said than done.
