News
Monahan announces Tour changes: Top players to play more, guaranteed money, PIP expansion
Commissioner Jay Monahan announced several enhancements to the PGA Tour and its schedule in a press conference ahead of the Tour Championship, Wednesday.
In the wake of last week’s players-only meeting, Monahan announced additional “elevated events” for 2023. Top players (defined as players who finish in the top 20 under the current Player Impact Program and players who finish in the top 20 under the revised PIP criteria) will participate in at least 20 PGA Tour events (up from 15, previously).
Additional items include an expansion to the Player Impact Program (doubled to award $100 million to 20 players) and guaranteed league-minimum earnings ($500K) for full PGA Tour members.
“Our top players are firmly behind the Tour, helping us deliver an unmatched product to our fans, who will be all but guaranteed to see the best players competing against each other in 20 events or more throughout the season,” Monahan said.
Full details from Wednesday’s announcements:
1. Top players will commit to at least a 20-event PGA TOUR schedule (assuming they qualify), which includes:
A. 12 Elevated Events
1. FedExCup Playoffs
A. FedEx St. Jude Championship – $20 million
B. BMW Championship – $20 million
C. TOUR Championship/FedExCup Bonus Pool – $75 million
2. The Genesis Invitational – $20 million
3. Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard – $20 million
4. the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday – $20 million
5. WGC-Dell Match Play Championship – $20 million
6. Sentry Tournament of Champions – $15 million
7. To be announced: four additional Elevated Events – purses of at least $20 million each
B. THE PLAYERS Championship – $25 million
C. The Masters Tournament, PGA Championship, U.S. Open, The Open Championship
D. 3 Additional FedExCup events (of the player’s choosing)
2. For the 2022-23 season, a “top player” will be defined as:
A. Players who finish in the top 20 under the current Player Impact Program AND players who finish in the top 20 under the revised PIP criteria
3. Expansion of the Player Impact Program
A. Reward 20 players a total (up from 10) for 2022 and 2023
B. Total bonus pool of $100 million (previously announced as $50 million) in 2022 and 2023
C. For 2022, any player on the revised criteria list who is not on the current criteria list will receive a payout equal to 20th position (most likely two or three players)
D. Players will receive their PIP bonus at the end of the season after competing in the 12 Elevated Events and three non-elevated events, as outlined above
4. Launch of “Earnings Assurance Program”
A. For fully exempt members (Korn Ferry Tour category and above)
B. Guaranteed league minimum of $500,000 per player (TOUR funds any gaps in earnings)
C. Rookies and returning members will receive money up front
D. Must participate in 15 events
E. Replaces “Play15” Program
5. Travel Stipend Program
A. For non-exempt members (126-150 category and below)
B. Receive $5,000 for every missed cut
C. Subsidizes travel and tournament-related expenses
D. Does not impact tournament purses
Commissioner Jay Monahan discusses the state and future of the PGA TOUR ahead of @PlayoffFinale. https://t.co/x8ADYFdINZ
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 24, 2022
A copy of the letter Monahan sent to PGA Tour members, via Golf Digest’s Daniel Rapaport, below.
Here’s the letter Jay Monahan sent to PGA Tour membership today. Some more changes.
—$5,000 for missed cuts
—Getting to Tour Championship comes with a two-year exemption
—No more 15-season minimum for lifetime membership. So Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas immediately have it. pic.twitter.com/JXyiXX09Qz— Dan Rapaport (@Daniel_Rapaport) August 24, 2022
I’m going to gush in this intro paragraph, to get the emo stuff done early. I’ve not pulled harder for a professional to win, than Cameron Young. I coach golf in New York state, and each spring, my best golfers head to a state championship in Poughkeepsie. I first saw Cameron there as a 9th grade student. I saw him three more times after that. I reconnecected with Coach Haas from Wake Forest, an old interview subject from my days on the Old Gold and Black, the Wake newspaper. He was there to watch Cameron. After four years at Wake Forest, Young won on the Korn Ferry Tour, made it to the big tour, almost won two majors, almost won five other events, and finally got the chalice about 25 minutes from the Wake campus. Congratulations, Cameron. You truly are a glass of the finest. #MotherSoDear
OK, let’s move on to the Tour Rundown. The major championship season closed this week in Wales, with the Women’s Open championship. The PGA Tour bounced through Greensboror, N.C., while the PGA Tour Americas hit TO (aka, Toronto) for a long-winded event. The Korn Ferry lads made a stop in Utah, one of just two events for that tour in August. The many-events, golf season is winding down, as we ease from summer toward fall in the northern hemisphere. Let’s bask in the glory of an August sunrise, and run down a quartet of events from the first weekend of the eighth month.
LET/LPGA @ Women’s Open: Miyu bends, but she doesn’t break
Royal Porthcawl was not a known commodity in the major tournament community. The Welsh links had served as host to men’s senior opens, men’s amateurs, and Curtis and Walker Cups in prior years, but never an Open championship for the women or the men. The last-kept secret in UK golf was revealed once again to the world this week, as the best female golfers took to the sandy stage.
Mao Saigo, Grace Kim, Maja Stark, and Minjee Lee hoped to add a second major title to previous wins this season, but only Lee was able to finish inside the top ten. The 2025 playing of the Women’s Open gave us a new-faces gallery from day one. The Kordas and Thitikulls were nowhere to be found, and it was the Mayashitas, Katsus, and Lim Kims that secured the Cymru spotlight. The first round lead was held at 67 by two golfers. One of them battled to the end, while the other posted 81 on day two, and missed the cut. Sitting one shot behind was Miyu Yamashita.
On day two, Yamashita posted the round of the tournament. Her 65 moved her to the front of the aisle, in just her fourth turn around a women’s Open championship. With the pre-event favorites drifting off pace, followers narrowed into two camps: those on the side of an underdog, and others hoping for a weekend charge from back in the pack. In the end, we had a bit of both.
On Saturday, Yamashita bent with 74 on Saturday, offering rays of hope to her pursuing pack. England’s Charley Hull made a run on Sunday closing within one shot before tailing off to a T2 finish with Minami Katsu. Katsu posted the other 65 of the week, on Saturday, but could not overtake her countrywoman, Yamashita. wunderkind Lottie Woad needed one round in the 60s to find her pace, but could only must close-to’s, ending on 284 and a tie with Minjee for eighth.
On Sunday, Yamashita put away the thoughts of Saturday’s struggles, with three-under 33 on the outward half. She closed in plus-one 37, but still won by two, for a first Major and LPGA title.
PGA Tour @ Wyndham: Young gathers first title near home
Cameron Young grew up along the Hudson river, above metro New York, but he also calls Winston-Salem home. He spent four years as a student and athlete at Wake Forest University, then embarked on tour. This week in Greensboro, after a bit of a break, Young opened with 63-62, and revved the engine of Is this the week once more. Runner-up finishes at the Open, the PGA, and a handful of PGA Tour events had followers wonder when the day would come.
On Saturday, Young continued his torrid pace with 65, giving him a five-shot advantage over his closest pursuer. Sunday saw the Scarborough native open with bogey, then reel off five consecutive birdies to remind folks that his time had, at last, arrived. Pars to the 16th, before two harmless bogeys coming home, made Young the 1000th winner of an official PGA Tour event (dating back to before there was a PGA Tour) throughout history. What’s next? I have a suspicion, but I’m not letting on. Mac Meissner closed with 66 to finish solo 2nd, while Mark Hubbard and Alex Noren tied for third.
Korn Ferry Tour @ Utah Championship: Are you Suri it’s Julian?
Who knows exactly when the flower will bloom? Julian Suri played a solid careet at Duke University, then paid his dues on the world’s minor tours for three years. He won twice on two tours in Europe, in 2017. Since then, the grind has continued for the journeyman from New York city. At age 34, Suri broke through in Beehive state, outlasting another grinder (Spencer Levin) and four others, by two shots.
Taylor Montgomery began the week with 62, then posted 64, then 68, and finally, 70. That final round was his undoing. He finished in that second-place tie, two back of the leader. Trace Crowe, Barend Botha, and Kensei Hirata made up the last of the almost quintet. As for Suri, his Sunday play was sublime. His nines were 32 and 31, with his only radar blip a bogey at ten. He closed in style with one final birdie, to double his winning margin. Hogan bloomed late…might Suri?
PGA Tour Americas @ Osprey Valley Open presented by Votorantim Cimentos – CBM Aggregates
Some tournament names run longer than others. This week in Toronto, at the Heathlands course at TPC Toronto, we might have seen the longest tournament title in recorded history. The OVOPBVCCBMA was a splendid affair. It saw three rounds of 62 on Thursday, but of those early risers, only Drew Goodman would stick around until the end. 64 was the low tally on day two, and two of those legionnaires managed to finish inside the top three at week’s end. Saturday brought a 63 from Patrick Newcomb, and he would follow with 64 on Sunday, to finish solo fourth.
Who, then, ended up winning the acronym of the year? It turns out that Carson Bacha had the right stuff in TeeOhhh. Bacha and Jay Card III posted 63 and 64, respectively, on day four, to tie for medalist honors at 23-under 261. Nathan Franks was one shot adrift, despite also closing with 63. If you didn’t go low on Sunday, it was about the check, not the championship.
Bacha and JC3 returned to the 18th hole twice in overtime. Card nearly chipped in from the thick stuff for birdie, while Bacha peeked and shoved a ten-feet attempt at the win. On the second go-round, Card was long with his approach, into the native grasses once more. He was unable to escape, and a routine par from the fairway was enough to earn the former Auburn golfers a first KFT title.
Card III and Bacha both miss their birdie tries on the first playoff hole.
We’ll play 18 again @OspreyOpen. pic.twitter.com/vNpHTdkHDg
— PGA TOUR Americas (@PGATOURAmericas) August 3, 2025
GolfWRX is live this week from the final event of the PGA Tour’s regular season, the Wyndham Championship.
Photos are flowing into the forums from Sedgefield Country Club, where we already have a GolfWRX spirit animal Adam Schenk WITB and plenty of putters for your viewing pleasure.
Check out links to all our photos below, which we’ll continue to update as more arrive.
General Albums
- 2025 Wyndham Championship – Tuesday #1
- 2025 Wyndham Championship – Tuesday #2
- 2025 Wyndham Championship – Tuesday #3
WITB Albums
- Chandler Phillips – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Davis Riley – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Scotty Kennon – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Austin Duncan – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Will Chandler – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Kevin Roy – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Ben Griffin – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Peter Malnati – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Ryan Gerard – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Adam Schenk – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Kurt Kitayama – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Camilo Villegas – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Matti Schmid – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
Pullout Albums
- Denny McCarthy’s custom Cameron putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Swag Golf putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Karl Vilips TM MG5 wedges – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- New Bettinardi putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Matt Fitzpatrick’s custom Bettinardi putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Cameron putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
See what GolfWRXers are saying and join the discussion in the forums.
Kurt Kitayama just won his 2nd PGA Tour event at the 3M Open. Kurt is a Bridgestone staffer but with just the ball and bag. Here are the rest of the clubs he used to secure a win at the 2025 3M Open.
Driver: Titleist GT3 (11 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD VF 7 TX
3-wood: Titleist GT1 3Tour (14.5 degrees, A3 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8 TX
7-wood: Titleist GT1 (21 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 9 TX
Irons: TaylorMade P7CB (4), TaylorMade P7MB (5-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (52-12F, 56-14F), Vokey Design WedgeWorks (60-K*)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Style Newport 2 Tour Prototype
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy 1.0PT
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Ball: Bridgestone Tour B XS (with Mindset)
‘Why would anybody want to change that swing?’ – Brandel Chamblee says PGA Tour star was wrong to change his swing
‘The stupidest freaking thing I’ve ever heard’ – Billy Horschel slams Open idea suggested by Padraig Harrington
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Golfer proudly posts photo of ball mark on iron, receives immediate roasting
WITB Time Machine: Matthew Wolff’s winning WITB, 2019 3M Open
Oakmont Country Club bans Wyndham Clark over locker incident; Reveals specific conditions to earn reinstatement
Adam Scott puts Callaway blades in the bag at Wyndham Championship
Report: LIV star fires caddie and coach in shock shake up
Rickie Fowler makes equipment change to ‘something that’s a little easier on the body’
The championship formula: How 3 key stats separate winners from the field
Peter Malnati WITB 2025 (August)
Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here. Driver: Titleist...
Cameron Young’s winning WITB: 2025 Wyndham Championship
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting) Buy here. Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX 3-wood: Titleist...
Camilo Villegas WITB 2025 (July)
Camilo Villegas WITB accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. Villegas was undecided on a 3-wood when we shot his bag. ...
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Brandt Snedeker fired a final-round 65 at the 2018 Wyndham Championship to outlast Webb Simpson and C.T. Pan. His 5-under...
Pingback: Henrik Stenson explains why LIV critics need to widen their view – GolfWRX
Pingback: Phil Mickelson bizarrely claims that he never did infamous interview with Alan Shipnuck – GolfWRX
Pingback: Phil Mickelson bizarrely claims that he never did an interview with Alan Shipnuck – GolfWRX
Pingback: Why Phil Mickelson decided to drop out of lawsuit against PGA Tour – GolfWRX
Pingback: Cam Smith awkwardly bats off question taunting Rory McIlroy at LIV presser – GolfWRX
Pingback: Jon Rahm dismisses ‘report’ he has joined LIV – GolfWRX
Pingback: Phil Mickelson takes swipe at PGA Tour for ‘magically finding a couple of hundred million’ – GolfWRX
KP
Aug 27, 2022 at 1:54 pm
Dear LIV players,
Thank you for improving our earning potential and quality of life on tour. We couldn’t have done it without you.
Sincerely,
Every PGA Tour player
joe
Aug 26, 2022 at 12:27 am
Monahan should resign if the health of the tour is truly his aim.
I do enjoy people like TW talking about integrity and honor and such. Its good for a laugh
If nothing else LIV has removed most of the D bags from the tour and for that I’m eternally grateful.
I think what we ultimately have to come to grips with is that its too difficult for players to work their way up financially (thinking mini tour guys etc), yet its too demanding on the top talent to keep the pace of the 12 month schedule.
Does anyone remember when the tour had an off season? We started with the masters and ended with the PGA. It was better for the players and better for the fans. Perhaps less money for the tour…is the tail wagging the dog?
Jack
Aug 26, 2022 at 6:33 am
I’m also eternally grateful that most of the D bags went to LIV…
joe and Jack
Aug 28, 2022 at 5:01 pm
You two bottoms should meet up and get it over with. GAW GAW GAW slobber slobber slobber oh Im so eternally grateful GAW GAW GAW
MhtLion
Aug 25, 2022 at 2:05 pm
Great changes! 15 years late, but still a great change.
Tiger McIlroy
Aug 25, 2022 at 5:33 pm
Monahan: “us crusty boomers at PGA are finally making the changes you’ve been begging for decades, and oh by the way Saudi evil, Saudi Saudi Saudi blood money sportwashing buzzword buzzword buzzword, capiche?????”
Gary Ahlert
Aug 25, 2022 at 10:34 am
i agree with what everyone above has said. There ought to be a big thank you and apologies to all those players like Phil, Johnson and the rest who stood above all this nonsense, lies and hypocrisy.
Scott
Aug 25, 2022 at 7:30 am
I find it amazing that Phil and others had been saying “you need to make some changes or we’re looking at something new”, and that after all that has happened, they decide to make some of these changes. I’m not quite sure the logic in allowing some of the biggest names in the sport (Mickelson, Johnson, Koepka, Dechambeau) to leave and be banned from your tour, then afterwards fulfill some of their requests.
I’ve never been offered more money than I’ve made in my entire working career to work for someone I don’t align with morally, so I’m not going to speak to that. I will say, however, that if McIlroy and others are so concerned about this “money grab”, then why are they pushing for so much more money for their own pockets? Does he need the extra millions from the PIP that could easily be donated to the charitable causes the tour helps? Hard to listen to someone criticize the greed of others while they are working to line their pockets more.
GMatt
Aug 25, 2022 at 9:53 am
You hit the nail on the head, what I want to know is where is all this money coming from? If the PGA tour is truly a 503c entity then will the money come from present salaries, charitable donations, increased sponsorship fees?
Just like the present economy, the money has to come from somewhere, they can’t match the ? from the Saudi’s so is the PGATS now unsustainable?
Jack
Aug 25, 2022 at 1:41 am
Just a minor point, they can’t have the Top players competing if 30 percent of them play on the LIV tour. This is a watered-down tour trying to match LIV. The PGAT tried hard to discredit LIV and the players that departed for LIV. The PGAT failed in every way imaginable and now are left scrambling and pushing lame limited field events.
dat
Aug 24, 2022 at 10:28 pm
Flop here, not really advancing the game or tour at all.
Paul
Aug 24, 2022 at 9:29 pm
Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. The love of money is the root of all evil. Beware and bow in prayer for forgiveness before the Lord. A once pure game is tainted even more. Repent of your sins and be baptised and you shall be saved. This is why no one plays a 1 iron anymore.
Michael
Aug 24, 2022 at 8:22 pm
Did the PGA tour just rob a bank or hit the lottery? Where’s all this extra money coming from, lesser %’s to charity?
For me, the average golf TV watcher, I do see pluses. Yes, there e/b top-tier & lower tier events. And some lower tier events will not have much star power. But that’s the way professional sports are going anyway. It’s definitely a factor of the rich getting richer but it’s good to see some compensation for everybody on the tour as it may give new guys a bit more time to develop into stars.
I’m glad to see PGA tour commissioner Tiger Woods come out with all this stuff. Ugh, you seriously think Jay Monahan has this was influence? He’s been overmatchef & outplayed since LIV started. Finally had to bring in the big dog to lay down the law & implement some changes.
Tom K.
Aug 24, 2022 at 5:54 pm
The Greg Norman lit a fire under Jay “Klaus Schwab” Monahan.
Roy
Aug 24, 2022 at 4:22 pm
So basically now the PGA tour is a 17 event tour. All the other lower tier events will exist for players to try and qualify for this tour…..
Roy
Aug 24, 2022 at 3:16 pm
SO basically you will have 17 events on the PGA tour. The remaining events on the PGA Tour 2nd Tier will be used to try and qualify for “the worlds greatest tour”
Jolter
Aug 24, 2022 at 2:26 pm
So the rich get richer while the players who actually make up the Tour for all the other events get the shaft. For saying they can’t compete with the money, it sure looks like that is what they are doing. This reactionary philosophy could be the downfall of the PGA Tour as we know it.
GMatt
Aug 24, 2022 at 12:41 pm
Seems as though Jay Boy is scared sh!fleas from LIV and is trying to prevent his top talent from leaving. Problem is the “secondary talent” players aren’t getting squat and it’s giving new Korn Ferry grads an eye opening as to whether to join the PGA Tour and struggle to cover expenses or take whatever offers they may get from Norman. I think Monaghan royally miscalculated and is hedging the future
Sam
Aug 24, 2022 at 12:25 pm
Isn’t this precisely why Phil Mickelson joined LIV originally? To leverage the PGA tour into change. It would seem Phil got them to do exactly what he wanted them to ultimately.
Chris
Aug 25, 2022 at 6:48 am
Exactly. Phil Mickelson was correct all along. The players owe him a debt of gratitude at a minimum. I still see very little change for the bottom players who deserve better compensation.
DG
Aug 24, 2022 at 12:18 pm
Monahan and McIlroy are jokes to use words like “integrity”. Where did all this newfound money for te PGA Tour come from? Monahan has obviously been asleep at the wheel. He makes over $4M per year and needs to be replaced. McIlroy needs to now apologize and recognize the martyrdom of Norman and the LIV players and thank them for having the guts to stand up to the PGA Tour. The abuse and vilification they’ve absorbed has enriched all of the cowardly and/or stupid PGA Tour players. I think it should now be obvious that McIlroy is a money-grubbing hypocrite. Now, fire, Monahan and have the new commissioner welcome the LIV players back.
Kelly
Aug 24, 2022 at 11:26 am
All the PGA talks about is money and looking after the elite players. No different that the LIV tour. I like the big start fields of well over a 100 players. I enjoy watching a Monday qualifier play well. All it seems you are doing is making the rich get richer and the average PGA pro or Horn Ferry Pro have a tougher time to make a living. It seems the PGA only wants to look after the top players. So much for Jay’s put down of the LIV tour. Yes money is the be all and end all for these guys.
Paulo
Aug 24, 2022 at 10:29 am
Too little too late. They need to be proactive not reactive