A possible 2028 PGA Tour calendar sketches a dramatic shift in how the schedule may look. The early proposal, shaped through conversations with several players and the Future Competition Committee led publicly by Tiger Woods, imagines a campaign that begins the week after the Super Bowl. It kicks off with the WM Phoenix Open in February and runs till August.

“🚨🗓️⛳️ #NEW — Golf Channel has unveiled a potential 2028 draft schedule based on conversations with a half dozen players that would see a post Super Bowl start in Phoenix, a week off after every major and playoff event venues that include Pebble Beach and Riviera,” NUCLR GOLF reported in a tweet.

Scott O’Neil had revealed that the Woods-led Future Competition Committee (FCC) will play a major role in drafting the new schedule. The potential schedule shared by Golf Channel is grounded in parity, scarcity, and simplicity, the three goals stated by the FCC. It contemplates shrinking the current 38-event (non-fall) schedule to about 25 events.

“We started with a blank slate — what would the best product we can possibly create, what would it look like?” Tiger Woods told Golf Channel.

The FCC and Tour leadership say the idea is to create scarcity so top players converge on most events. The aim is to boost viewership and make each week an “appointment” for fans.

In the new calendar, Signature stops occupy most of the calendar. Miami and the Arnold Palmer Invitational in February and March, and THE PLAYERS in March. Then comes a tightly arranged run of Houston, Austin, and the Masters heading into April. A planned week off follows each major to help with recovery, broadcast pacing, and build-up for the next stretch.

A reworked summer is central to the concept. The U.S. Open remains in June alongside the Canadian Open and Travelers. However, the Open Championship slides into early August because of the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. That change compresses the late-season flow and pushes the playoffs to a striking West Coast finish. Pebble Beach and Riviera host the first two postseason stops before the Tour Championship wraps things up.

While most FCC and leadership insiders support this draft, there’s a mixed response overall. Some, like Billy Horschel, highlight the need to place more tournaments in major U.S. markets to generate broader attention.

“We need to go to the biggest markets — right now we are in five of the 30 biggest markets [in the United States]; we need to make it 12 to 15,” Billy Horschel said.

Horschel feels that at least one-third of the total events on the PGA Tour should be in major markets. This could potentially attract more sponsors and help broaden the reach. However, some view this as a bad move. Voices such as Tom Hoge caution that fewer stops shrink flexibility for those outside the top tier.

“I don’t love this idea of a reduced schedule,” he said.

Hoge gave an example of the days when golfers had the opportunity to decide what events they wanted to play. He said that Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson usually didn’t play the same events most of the time. However, they carried out the events they chose to play in. The reduced schedule mitigates this flexibility, as most PGA Tour members would want to compete in the remaining events to make a living.

While the potential new schedule has more supporters than haters on the inside, fans tell a completely different story.

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Fans’ backlash at the possible new schedule

Fan pushback gathered under the NUCLR GOLF post reflects a mix of frustration and disappointment. Much of it is aimed at the proposed late start.

“Sorry, NO golf in January sucks. When golfers in the north zone of the USA & Canada cant play because of the crap cold weather, we look forward to watching Hawaii/California golf tournaments to get us thru the winter. Cut off golf after Thanksgiving but leave January alone,” one user wrote.

Unlike other sports, such as football and baseball, most golf fans actually enjoy playing the game themselves. But colder events can prevent golf enthusiasts from playing outside. Viewers in colder regions say January broadcasts from Hawaii and California help them feel connected to the sport during these months when playing outside isn’t possible. Losing that stretch feels like losing a seasonal ritual. Some fans even argued that the Tour could trim December instead of removing an early-year window.

While the late start is worrisome for some fans, others feel like there’s no need to make any major changes.

“1. Not everyone in the world watches NFL. This conflict for a few weeks is way overblown. 2. Not enough golf. Too focused on top players. I for one like to see emerging PGA stars get a chance to actually emerge. This schedule is so biased to established players,” a fan said.

One of the biggest reasons for making this schedule change is to avoid a clash with the NFL. The NFL enters playoff season in January, and most American audiences are glued to their TVs to watch these games. The PGA Tour leadership feels that this declines the viewership. Hence, they are trying to move the schedule down for a February start to avoid the conflict. But fans note that golf has a niche audience that does not want a later start.

This comment also reflects what Tom Hoge said. While Hoge pointed out flexibility, the fan wants to point out that if all elite golfers started playing in every event on the PGA Tour, it would significantly affect new and emerging stars.

Tradition is another major theme. A few comments question how the Tour can celebrate its heritage while outlining a plan that reshuffles core pieces of the season.

“How do you talk about playing for history and tradition for years and then do this? Are there plans for another tour that plays under the PGAT umbrella that is in between the KFT and PGAT?” the fan wrote.

“20 years ago I remember someone, probably in Golf Digest, saying that Golf has to be careful not to become Tennis. It’s happening before our eyes. This ridiculous schedule. LIV. TGL. Grass league. It’s freaking sad,” another user said.

The comment points to a larger pattern of fragmentation. Not just golf, but many other sports are becoming less engaging for fans. The accumulation of new leagues and revised structures makes the entire landscape feel unstable.

Reflecting on a similar backdrop about tradition and courses, another user wrote, “No Torrey Pines- and Pebble in February- You have to be kidding.”

For these fans, the schedule doesn’t just change dates; it disrupts familiar markers that have shaped how they follow the sport as a whole.