PGA Tour unveils its 2024 season with return to calendar format

By Rahul Banerji

No reflection of the Public Investment Fund tie-up shows in the PGA Tour’s 2024 programme released on Monday with a return to calendar year scheduling after 2012.

Thirty-six events have been pencilled in for the FedEx Cup regular season with the playoffs to follow that will identify the top 125 for the 2025 season. The 2024 schedule includes eight “signature events” in place of the designated events of the just-ended season.

The 2024 season tees off in January with the Sentry Tournament of Champions and Sony Open in Hawaii. The Wyndham Championship in August will once again bring the curtains down, the tour said in a statement.

“We are excited about the roll-out of the PGA Tour’s reimagined schedule,” said tour commissioner Jay Monahan.

“It offers fans a January start with stars competing head-to-head more often, alongside the weekly drama of life-altering moments and the emergence of new stars.

Bigger stakes

“While winning on the PGA Tour continues to be the ultimate – and most difficult – challenge, we have further connected every tournament, with more at stake each week.

“We are grateful to the membership – especially the Player Directors and Player Advisory Council – as well as our tournaments and partners for the collaboration that has set us up for an exciting 2024.”

On the list of Signature Events is the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, to be played with adjustments to its traditional Pro-Am format.

Amateurs will now compete alongside professionals (80 players) over the first two rounds, with the competition limited to professionals only for the final two rounds at Pebble Beach Golf Links.

Signature schedule

The eight Signature Events, which are limited-field tournaments with increased prize money and FedEx Cup points (700 to the winner), are

The Sentry (January 1 to 7)

AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (January 29 to February 4)

The Genesis Invitational (February 12 to 18)

Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard (March 4 to 10)

RBC Heritage (April 15 to 21)

Wells Fargo Championship (May 6 to 12)

The Memorial Tournament presented by Workday ((June 3 to 9)

Travelers Championship (June 17 to 23)

The three player-hosted invitationals (Genesis Invitational, API and Memorial Tournament) will feature a 36-hole cut to the top 50 and ties, plus any player within 10 shots of the lead.

It will also see a redistribution of prize money that allocates 20 percent to the winner ($4 million), up from 18 percent. The remaining five Signature Events will not have a cut and will continue to allocate 18 percent to the winner.

Wider eligibility

Signature Event eligibility will include current season tournament winners (excluding additional events), PGA Tour members inside the top 30 in the Official World Golf Ranking (through the preceding week) and four sponsor exemptions for Tour members.

The Wyndham Championship (August 5 to 11) will conclude the FedEx Cup Regular Season and finalise the Comcast Business tour top 10, which will award a doubled prize pool of $40 million, with $8 million going to the winner.

The 2024 season event breakup is as follows: United States (33), Mexico, Scotland (2), Canada, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico (one each).

The Sony Open in Hawaii (January 8 to 14) will mark the debut of the new members from the DP World Tour, Korn Ferry Tour and Q-School presented by Korn Ferry.

The 15th Presidents Cup (September 24 to 29) will be played at The Royal Montreal Golf Club in Montreal, Quebec, Canada pitting Mike Weir’s Internationals against Team USA led by Jim Furyk.

Also read: Tiger Woods inducted to PGA Tour board as player director