Designated Events Without Cuts Appear Likely Next Year as PGA Tour Refines New Format
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CHARLOTTE, N.C. – By most accounts, the new designated event series on the PGA Tour has gone reasonably well, with some growing pains along the way. Not everything is perfect, nor was that expected given the hasty unveiling of the plan. And more changes are on the way.
But generally, the events that included the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow have achieved the goal of having the top players competing in the same tournaments outside of the major championships more often, with plenty of good leaderboards and finishes along the way.
Seven of the nine designated events—non-major, non-Players Championship, non-FedEx Cup playoffs—have now been played with the conclusion of the Wells Fargo. The remaining two are the Memorial Tournament in three weeks and the Travelers Championship the week after the U.S. Open.
Figuring out what events will be designated next year is ongoing, with indications that the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am could take the spot of the WM Phoenix Open. RBC Heritage, the week following the Masters, the Wells Fargo and Travelers are all strong possibilities to return, but nothing is set.
"One of the things we’re working on for next year to make certain as it relates to cadence ... is that there's clear separation between designated events and our full‑field events and we get out of the position we've been in this year where we have a few isolated weeks," PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said at Quail Hollow.
That is important to help the Tour avoid the difficult instances this year such as the Honda Classic following two designated events and preceding two, including the Players; or the Valspar Championship also being wedged between the Players and the WGC-Match Play.
Other aspects remain more controversial. When eight events— minus the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play—are in place for 2024, the PGA Tour plan is to have 60- to 80-player fields with no 36-hole cut. This year, events such as Wells Fargo had full fields and a cut. The legacy events, such as Jack Nicklaus’ Memorial, will have 120 players and a 36-hole cut.
Despite suggestions from Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, who said at the Masters he prefers a cut at the Genesis Invitational, Monahan appears set on the no-cut concept. He said: "Our preference would be no-cut events."
Monahan is selling the idea that having all players there for the weekend is important, and clearly that has to be a point of contention with the TV partners who pay a rights fee and title sponsors who are being asked to pony up more sponsorship dollars to account for $20 million purses.
Still, there is some resistance.
"I like having the cut," Jason Day said. "I'm on the other side of what most people think in regards to having a shorter (field)—we're just going back to the WGC days, essentially. You're going to have a great field, which is great. If you play well in those events, typically you'll stay inside the top 50 (OWGR) every single year and that typically it's a lot easier for you to stay in the top 50 that way.
"I think this year's worked out great with the cuts. We’ve had the best players in the world rise to the occasion multiple occasions now ... if the best players are supposed to stick around for the weekend, we should play better, and I understand that. If we don't play better, then we have to reevaluate why we didn't play better and get ourselves in contention."
Day acknowledged that the reason behind these changes is at least indirectly related to LIV Golf, which has no-cut guaranteed events in addition to considerable sums paid to many players up front.
The Tour’s reaction to LIV Golf was the designated event series, with an increase in purses. Next year, it will take the concept a step farther by—for now—having the eight events including the Sentry Tournament of Champions, the legacy tournaments and the four others all limited fields with no cut.
"We've played golf our whole lives," Day said. "I think the majority of the fans out there know that you come in, you play two days. If you don't play well, you're out, you don't get paid. That's just how our lives work.
"Don't get me wrong, if I'm in those events and we're playing for guaranteed money, tremendous. I mean, that's great. I think the biggest thing we've got to work out is see how this year goes, see how next year goes and then put them up against each other.
"Did the tournaments around the designated events with the no cuts, did they get better as in fields? Were there more players there? Was there just better play in general to having a no cut to a cut? And then make the decision from there.
"I think a lot of the decisions we've made, the Tour and the policy board has made over the last year, there obviously has been a reaction to what LIV has brought to the table. To be honest, I think everyone's better for it. We're playing for more money on both sides. What's more sustainable, I'm not sure."
Adam Scott said he’s fine with no cuts "only from a commercial sense. The sponsors and the television who are helping us play for all this money get to capture a top player in case he has a bad couple days one of the weeks of the year. I think it's not a big deal. I really don't see or haven't felt like the best players pushing for no cut because they're afraid of missing a cut. I don't think it really crosses their mind."
Scott also noted that the designated events feel bigger.
"Each week we've had exciting golf tournaments coming down the finish with a host of top players and also some guys that are not necessarily household names challenging the top players," he said. "I think they have been exciting events, stacked fields. I certainly have had the sense in the players' lounge or the locker room it's like major-championship golf. You look around and every big name is here. I think it's been fantastic so far."