Who wins when the PGA Tour tightens the screws on its roster? Walk up to the microphone at the Sony Open, and you get the answer: Nick Taylor, a five-time winner with young kids, says he’d welcome an extended offseason. During his pre-match interview at the Sony Open, the veteran expressed his honest thoughts on the new schedule.

“If more of an offseason is something that results in this, I have two young kids; that’s something that would be very valuable. Nick Taylor said. “Again, I know as much as probably everybody in this room, so there are a lot of things I don’t quite know. Extending the offseason—I think nobody would complain about that. So that would be something I would definitely take advantage of, spend more time with family, and be at home.”

The line ‘nobody would complain’ signals a deeper split between stars and grinders. The Tour cut 25 full cards, tightened field sizes, and shrank Korn Ferry access this winter. The Policy Board decided to cut full-time job security from the top 125 players down to the top 100. Korn Ferry promotions dropped from 30 to 20, and Q-School winners now face a much smaller pathway. Field sizes decrease from 156 to 144, and some events may be limited to 120 players due to daylight constraints.

These rules intentionally compact the season and the roster. How do these updates touch Taylor personally? He sits comfortably inside the Tour’s new top tier, finishing 50th in the 2025 FedEx Cup, 57th in the OWGR, and owning five career wins on the big stage. As a multi-winner and consistent performer, Taylor keeps access to signature events and majors. He also gains the very offseason he praised, with space to be home with young children.

In short, the new model rewards his status while squeezing the players who finish below him. That is the practical reason behind his smile.

Here’s the cold math of exclusion. Cutting full cards from 125 to 100 removes about twenty percent of guaranteed Tour jobs. Dropping Korn Ferry promotions from 30 to 20 closes another clear doorway for aspiring pros. Eliminating Monday qualifiers from some reduced-field events erases dozens of Cinderella chances each year. Together, these changes remove hundreds of stars and millions in potential income for mid-tier players.

The FedExCup Fall season now carries bigger consequences than ever. Finishing inside the top 100 becomes the difference between a full calendar and conditional uncertainty. Signature events, rich and often no-cut, now demand star presence. And it’s making wins rarer for the grinders. The report shows that a player who once earned roughly $1.8 million might fall below $800,000 under conditional access. That financial instability creates anxiety.

Then add the Koepka complication: returning stars and job displacement. The Tour created a “Returning Member” path for select LIV players, such as Brooks Koepka. Koepka returned under heavy penalties, including a $5 million charitable donation and sacrificing Player Equity benefits. But his presence in the reduced fields will affect the conditional performers in everyday tournaments.

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However, not everyone accepted this quietly

In an episode of the Monday Q&A, Lucas Glover didn’t hesitate to call out the shallow and financial outlook of the PGA Tour, accusing leadership of hiding real motives.

“Sadly, our court has become too much about money in my opinion. We’re seeing that come to an ugly head,” Glover said. “It’s just a shame that more people won’t speak out. I know many people don’t like it. I know a lot of people who have benefited from it—myself included—who don’t like it. But there’s just so much money being given away that nobody’s going to say anything.”

Brian Harman, a member of the Player Advisory Council, also pointed out the losses. “This is going to cause some problems. People are going to lose in this situation, and it’s going to be tough growing pains when it comes to a lot of different players,” Harman said.

And they were right. The fall of 2025 has seen past champions like Matt Wallace, Matt Kuchar, Joel Dahmen, Brandt Snedeker, Adam Hadwin, and Zach Johnson lose their cards.

Still, very few people like Gary McCord support the plan to cut the very system he helped build. Back in 1981, he fought to expand the tour to 125 cards to help players survive. But “Mac” says the world has changed way too much since those old, broke days. He believes the current era of excess and LIV competition requires a much leaner tour. The man who once led the rebels is now calling for a smaller and elite circle.