Though the Tour Championship is a significant part of the PGA Tour season, its format has been under criticism. Reigning FedExCup champion Scottie Scheffler called it “silly.” But why so? Well, he reasoned his opinion as, “We want the Tour Championship to be the hardest tournament to qualify for and the FedExCup trophy the most difficult to win.” Held at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Georgia, the tournament serves as the symbolic end to a thrilling and high-pressure PGA Tour season. It is the final event of the three-tournament playoffs that determines the FedEx Cup champion. The winner of the Tour Championship also becomes the winner of the FedEx Cup, taking home an $18 million cash prize.

With so much at stake in this season-ending tournament, there is an onus on the PGA Tour to ensure that all stakeholders have the best experience possible. This includes the golfers, fans, and others involved. With that in mind, Jay Monahan and his team have decided to implement some significant enhancements to the tournament.

The PGA Tour has made a major change to the format of the season-ending competition. The Tour Championship’s previous format, introduced in 2019, featured a staggered start that awarded players an initial score based on the FedEx Cup points they accumulated during the season. Players could start with scores as low as 10 under par, creating what was often an insurmountable lead.

However, the tournament organizers will eliminate starting strokes beginning this season. The Tour Championship will now feature a traditional 72-hole stroke-play format spread across four days. The tournament will crown its winner the FedEx Cup champion. Additionally, the event is likely to move away from East Lake Golf Club, its venue since 2004. Many players and stakeholders who had questioned the fairness and utility of the previous format will welcome these changes.

The Tour Championship format has faced many previous challenges, especially given its substantial prize money. This decision from the PGA Tour is a timely one. Especially because several players were against the old format, which was conceived in 2019. World No.1 Scottie Scheffler was vehemently against the format, explaining that a single tournament could undo the work of the entire season. “I talked about it the last few years; I think it’s silly. You can’t call it a season-long race and have it come down to one tournament.” Scheffler stated. Think of it this way. The FedEx Cup is an underscored reward system for the season, i.e., not just for a single tournament, but for the entire season. Similar to the soccer leagues in Europe. The point tally across the season determines the winner.

The Tour Championship acts as the de facto playoff for the FedEx Cup. The truth is, you can have a dominating performance in the regular season—i.e., the PGA Tour—but a stroke of bad luck in the Tour Championship could derail your entire title prospects. That’s exactly what Scottie Scheffler is trying to convey, and he is not alone in this.

“I think this format is less confusing, but I don’t think it’s a good format. I dislike the fact that we no longer have a Tour Champion. And that no one knows, when they look at the leaderboard, who shot the lowest round this week,” Patrick Cantlay further added. The two opposing voices mentioned above have both won the Tour Championship. Scheffler did so in 2024, after finishing runner-up in 2022, while Patrick Cantlay clinched the title in 2021 ahead of Jon Rahm.

However, another former winner who had grown fond of the format may now find himself in limbo following the recent decision made by the Tour.

PGA Tour decision likely to polarize players

“I disagree with Scottie. Scottie said it’s silly. I don’t agree with that. (The system) has never rewarded the best player throughout the regular season. I won the ’14 FedEx Cup. Rory McIlroy was clearly the best player that year. He had won two majors. He came in on a high note. I was 69th at the start of the FedEx. However, I missed the first cut. I go second, win, win, and I win the FedEx Cup.” The 2014 FedEx Cup winner, Billy Horschel, stated.

In 2014, Horschel finished T2 at the Deutsche Bank Championship and won the BMW Championship after failing to make the cut at the Barclays. He ended up winning the Tour Championship in Georgia, beating out Jim Furyk and Rory McIlroy by three strokes and claiming the overall victory on points over Chris Kirk. The format change will be unfortunate news for the likes of Billy Horschel and other fans of the format, especially considering that it has only been six years with the new format. Now, whether these changes are going to be effective in bringing out the best golf, only time can tell.

What do you think of the change in format? Is it better than the previous one or does it level the playing field?