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Here's What Each Player Will Earn From 2024 Tour Championship's $100 Million Jackpot Purse

Jeff ritter | 10 hours ago.

The 2024 PGA Tour season wraps this week with the Tour Championship at East Lake, and the finale is also a huge-money week for the 30 Tour pros who advanced to the playoffs' final round. A staggering $100 million in prize money is up for grabs.

The winner this week will claim a $25 million bonus, which is a $7 million jump from Viktor Hovland's first-place prize from this event in 2023. Second place this week will bag $12.5 million and third will take $7.5 million. Scottie Scheffler started the event as the betting favorite , no surprise given that he also started at 10 under par, good for a two-shot advantage thanks to his status as the top-ranked player in the standings. Xander Schauffele, second in the standings, began at 8 under, while third-place Hideki Matsuyama started at 7 under. Players ranked 26-30 began the event at even par. The Tour Championship has used this staggered-start format since 2019, when the winner received $15 million.

Every player in the field who cracks the top 12 this week will earn at least $1 million. Last place pays $550,000.

Despite the staggered start, there's usually room for players to make moves at East Lake as the course traditionally yielded low scores. But this year it could play much differently thanks to a massive redesign .

Here are the final payouts from the $100 million 2024 Tour Championship

2024 Tour Championship Final Payouts

Win: $25 million

2nd: $12.5 million

3rd: $7.5 million

4th: $6 million

5th: $5 million

6th: $3.5 million

7th: $2.75 million

8th: $2.25 million

9th: $2 million

10th: $1.75 million

11th: $1.075 million

12th: $1.025 million

13th: $975,000

14th: $925,000

15th: $885,000

16th: $795,000

17th: $775,000

18th: $755,000

19th: $735,000

20th: $715,000

21st: $670,000

22nd: $650,000

23rd: $630,000

24th: $615,000

25th: $600,000

26th: $590,000

27th: $580,000

28th: $570,000

29th: $560,000

30th: $550,000

JEFF RITTER

Jeff Ritter is the managing director of golf content for Sports Illustrated. He has more than 20 years experience in sports media and has covered more than 30 major championships. In 2020 he joined Morning Read to help spark its growth and eventual acquisition by SI in 2022. He helped launch Golf Magazine’s first original, weekly e-magazine and served as its top editor. He also launched Golf's “Films” division, the magazine’s first long-form video storytelling franchise, and his debut documentary received an Edward R. Murrow Award for sports reporting. Ritter has earned first-place awards for his work from the Society of American Travel Writers, the MIN Magazine Awards and the Golf Writers Association of America. He received a bachelor’s from the University of Michigan and a master’s from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. A native Michigander, he remains a die-hard Wolverines fan and will defend Jim Harbaugh until the bitter end.

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Tony Finau is 3-under at the Tour Championship and he hasn’t even teed off yet. Here’s how

The tour championship uses ‘starting strokes’ to reward players who performed well throughout the season.

By Kelsey Dallas

Tony Finau is tied for 11th in a golf tournament that he hasn’t played in yet.

How? Because the PGA Tour’s Tour Championship uses “starting strokes” to reward players who performed well throughout the season.

“Whoever leads the season-long FedEx Cup points standings entering the Tour Championship begins the tournament at 10 under par, with those behind him starting with scores on a staggered scale,” per The Washington Post .

Since Finau, who grew up in Utah, is in 15th place in the FedEx Cup points standings, he’s among the golfers who get to start this weekend’s competition at 3-under par.

How does the Tour Championship work?

The Tour Championship is the finale of a three-tournament playoff series. It’s the only one of the three — and the only PGA Tour competition all year — to use the “starting strokes” format.

Only the top 30 golfers in the FedEx Cup points standings make it to the Tour Championship.

The unique format aims to ensure that whoever wins the Tour Championship will also come out on top in the FedEx Cup, per The Washington Post.

Before the starting strokes approach was adopted in 2019, “the tournament winner and playoff winner often were different players, leading to confusion,” the article said.

Because he’s No. 1 in the FedEx Cup points standings, Scottie Scheffler starts this weekend’s tournament at 10-under par, two strokes ahead of Xander Schauffele in second place.

That’s a notable advantage, but it doesn’t mean he’s guaranteed a win.

“In the five years that the PGA Tour has used the starting-strokes format at the Tour Championship, the leader at the start of the tournament has won only twice,” The Washington Post reported.

How to watch the Tour Championship

The Tour Championship starts Thursday and lasts until Sunday. It will be broadcast on the Golf Channel and NBC.

Here’s how to watch, according to The Washington Post .

• Thursday: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. MDT on the Golf Channel
• Friday: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. MDT on the Golf Channel
• Saturday: 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. MDT on the Golf Channel; 12:30-5 p.m. on NBC
• Sunday: 10-11:30 a.m. MDT on the Golf Channel; 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m. on NBC

The tournament will also stream on Peacock.

Tony Finau at the Tour Championship

Heading into last week’s BMW Championship, Finau was in 14th place in the FedEx Cup points standings. He finished in a tie for 13th, which slid him one spot down the standings.

The slide didn’t affect his starting stroke number. He would have been at 3-under par either way.

Finau will tee off in the Tour Championship Thursday at 10:38 a.m. MDT.

What are the benefits, perks of getting in the FedEx Cup top 30 & Tour Championship: Tournaments, exemptions

W ith the final round of the BMW Championship complete, the 50-player field at will be reduced to 30 for next week's playoff finale at the Tour Championship in Atlanta.

There's a lot on the line, with many benefits to the 30 players who make it to East Lake. Players who get into the top 30 and advance to the season finale obviously have a chance to win the Tour Championship, and with the Tour Championship format change, a chance to win the FedEx Cup and its $25 million first-place prize .

However, on top of the monetary benefits, players who get into the Tour Championship field also earn entry into three majors, a variety of invitation-only events and more.

What exactly do the FedEx Cup top 30 get by getting into the Tour Championship?

Benefits of qualifying for PGA Tour's Tour Championship

• Entry into three of the four major championships: The Masters, US Open and British Open Championship (and effectively entry into the PGA Championship)
• A minimum of $550,000 for finishing in 30th place in the Tour Championship, paid through the 2019 FedEx Cup bonus pool payout
• Entry into all Signature events next year: The Sentry, AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, the Arnold Palmer Invitational, RBC Heritage, The Players Championship, Travelers Championship, The Genesis Invitational, the Memorial Tournament, Truist Championship
• Likely improved tee-time slotting for much of the next season, including more featured groups

The post What are the benefits, perks of getting in the FedEx Cup top 30 & Tour Championship: Tournaments, exemptions first appeared on Golf News Net .

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Pga tour outlines eligibility, fexexcup points for designated events starting in 2024.

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In a four-page memo sent to players Monday, the PGA Tour outlined the adjustments to eligibility starting next year and confirmed that the designated events award substantially more FedExCup points than “full-field” tournaments, beginning in 2024.

Starting next year, there will be 16 designated events, including the four major championships, The Players Championship, three FedExCup playoff events and eight other tournaments that have not yet been announced. To qualify for those eight other events, players must finish inside the top 50 on the previous season’s points list.

The top 10 players from the current season’s points list will also be eligible for the designated events, as will the top 5 players from each “swing” between designated events. Officials plan to “minimize isolated weeks” between full-field events and designated events, like this year’s Honda Classic, which was wedged between the Genesis Invitational and the Arnold Palmer Invitational, and use those “swings” to create avenues for players to play their way into the bigger tournaments via mini points lists.

Current year tournament winners and any player inside the top 30 in the world ranking, provided they are a Tour member, will also qualify for the designated events, which will have fields of 70 to 80 players and feature no cut. There will also be four sponsor exemptions who also must be members.

The “current year” stipulation is being taken literally: Tournament winners are only guaranteed entry into the designated events in the calendar year they won, as well as the Sentry Tournament of Champions. If a player wins the last event of the year, they are eligible for the next Sentry, only, and unless otherwise exempt, will have to play their way into the other designated events for the following calendar year.

The memo also shed light on what the fall will look like.

“All players 51 and beyond [on the final points list] will carry their FedExCup points from the regular season and first playoff event and continue to accumulate points through the fall to finalize eligibility [for the next season],” the memo read.

The top 125 players on the points list through the final fall event will be exempt into all full-field events and The Players the following season, as will the top 10 players from the DP World Tour points list, the top 30 players from the Korn Ferry Tour season finale, and the top 5 and ties from Q-School.

As first reported by GolfChannel.com, the memo also confirmed that there will be more FedExCup points awarded at designated events, with 700 points going to the winner compared to 500 points to the winner of a “full-field” event. The winner of a major championship and The Players will earn 750 points.

According to information provided to players at a meeting earlier this month at The Players, designated events will award more than twice as many points as non-designated events through the top 20, with the example given of a 10th-place finish at a designated event earning 175 points compared to the same finish at a “full-field” tournament earning 75 points.

Here’s a look at the full memo:

2024 Tour Championship purse, winner’s share, prize money payout

The 2024 Tour Championship purse is set for $82.925 million, with the winner's share coming in at $25,000,000 -- more than the standard 18 percent payout according to the PGA Tour's prize money distribution chart .

The 2024 Tour Championship field is headed by Rory McIlroy , Scottie Scheffler , Xander Schauffele and more of the world's best players.

The 30-player field competes in the final playoff event on the PGA Tour schedule, with players earning their way into the field based on the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup standings through the FedEx St. Jude Championship and BMW Championship.

A cut is not made after 36 holes to the top 65 players and ties. All players who qualify for the tournament will earn money.

The prize-money payout is based on exactly 65 players making the cut and finishing the tournament. However, in PGA Tour events with a standard 36-hole cut to the top 65 players and ties, the payout formula is adjusted to account for the exact number of players making the cut and will often include adding money to the stated purse to account for additional players.

The event is played this year at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Ga.

This is the third and final playoff PGA Tour event of the 2024 PGA Tour schedule .

What else is on the line: FedEx Cup points, OWGR points, exemptions

Beyond money, there are important points, perks and benefits on the line for the field -- in particular, the tournament winner.

The winner of this event is the player who has the lowest combined total from 72 holes of golf and the starting strokes assigned based on FedEx Cup standings position heading into the tournament. The winner gets 47.6 Official World Golf Ranking points, with the points available based on field strength.

The champion will enjoy the benefits of winning PGA Tour event, including a five-year exemption on the PGA Tour and an exemption into next three years' majors.

2024 Tour Championship purse, winner's share, prize money payout

About the author.

Ryan Ballengee

Ryan Ballengee is founder and editor of Golf News Net. He has been writing and broadcasting about golf for nearly 20 years. Ballengee lives in the Washington, D.C. area with his family. He is currently a +2.6 USGA handicap, and he has covered dozens of major championships and professional golf tournaments. He likes writing about golf and making it more accessible by answering the complex questions fans have about the pro game or who want to understand how to play golf better.

Ryan talks about golf on various social platforms:

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Tour Championship

East Lake Golf Club

Money Matters

Inside the PGA Tour's new program that guarantees all exempt players will make a minimum of $500K

Rookie Cameron Young was able to make more than $6 million this season. But for first-timers less fortunate moving forward, the PGA Tour is guaranteeing they'll make at least $500,000.

Cliff Hawkins

ATLANTA — Much of the talk surrounding the PGA Tour in recent months has focused on figuring out ways top players can be compensated well enough to want to stick around and not be lured away by LIV Golf. But on Wednesday, tour commissioner Jay Monahan announced a new financial incentive program geared not just for the tour’s biggest stars, but all its members.

For the 2022-23 season, all fully exempt tour players who compete in 15 tournaments will be guaranteed to earn $500,000 through the creation of the Earnings Assurance Program. For rookies and returning members to the tour, that money isn’t just guaranteed, but will be paid up front, with the players drawing against it during the season from their earnings.

“We believe it meets the challenging dynamic of how players manage and invest in their careers, and it's comparable to how other leagues approach their athlete compensation,” Monahan said when discussing the program during a press conference ahead of the Tour Championship.

MORE: PGA Tour adds more lucrative events, gets top players to commit to play together on regular basis

According to Monahan, any player making more than $500,000 will, obviously, accrue all the money they earn. And any player who comes up short of $500,000, the tour at the end of the year will pay the difference.

Typically, 215 to 220 golfers are fully exempt during the PGA Tour season. The tour is confident the majority of those players will surpass the $500,000 threshold. For that reason, Monahan said it was estimated the program would cost the tour between $2 million and $3 million to implement.

During the 2021-22 season, 163 players earned more than $500,000 on tour.

“I think what we're trying to do here is that, as you start a season and you plan for a season knowing the monies that you have to invest to compete … at the highest level,” Monahan said. “There are significant costs. So if you’re not able to play for whatever reason, you have that as a backstop. You know that that’s there for you.”

There were 28 rookies on the PGA Tour this season, led by the meteoric rise of Cameron Young. His seven top-10s this season include a third at the PGA Championship and a second at the Open at St. Andrews, which combined for $6.5 million in earnings through the BMW Championship.

MORE: Why the Player Impact Program will become even more important (and lucrative) in 2023

Down the list of rookies, however, there are six who did not earn $500,000 and thus would have been paid the difference: Paul Barjon, Dylan Wu, Curtis Thompson, David Skinns, Jared Wolfe and Joshua Creel.

The program, however, will benefit not just newcomers to the tour, but even some who already have had stand out careers. During the 2022-23 season, former FedEx Cup champion Brandt Snedeker played 22 events but struggled with just two top-25 finishes. He wound up earning $352,198. Even a player like him, however, would be entitled to the $500,000 minimum, with the tour paying the remaining $147,802.

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5 Perks Of Winning A PGA Tour Event

There's more than just a trophy on offer for those who manage to win on Tour...

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Winning on the PGA Tour is what most professional golfers dream about, but it's a feat easier said than done. To fend off more than 100 other golfers over four gruelling days and 72 long holes is something many professionals don't achieve in their careers.

To be a solid pro doesn't require winning. Many players go through their careers without a win but make a very comfortable winning as a rank-and-file Tour player who consistently keeps their card.

However, for those fortunate enough to come out on top in a Tour event, there are plenty of rewards that go far beyond the big cheque and a fancy trophy awarded to you on Sunday afternoon.

Here are a few of the perks you get for winning on the PGA Tour...

What Does A PGA Tour Win Get You?

A nice cash prize.

Perhaps the first, and most obvious, perk is a nice winner's cheque. Prize purses on the PGA Tour have been going up for a number of years to the point where there is quite a lot on offer in every event. 

In 2023, for example, the smallest winner's cheque on offer came at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship where the winner took home $1.17 million. Meanwhile, at the top end of the scale is the FedEx Cup Tour Championship, which sees the winner take home the end-of-season trophy and a cool, $18m bonus.

As well as that cash prize, players also get a healthy amount of FedEx Cup points - 500 for a regular Tour event - which gives them a helping hand towards making the lucrative end-of-season playoffs.

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Tour card extension

For many players, however, the most important thing about winning on the PGA Tour is the multi-season extension of playing privileges. A regular PGA Tour event win extends a player's Tour card for two years after the current season, meaning they don't have to make the top 125 in the FedEx Cup in those seasons to maintain full playing privileges for the following year.

Kurt Kitayama earned a three-year Tour exemption after winning the 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational

Should a player win The Arnold Palmer Invitational, Genesis Invitational or Memorial Tournament they earn a three-year exemption, while a victory at a Major Championship or The Players grants you a five-year extension. Winning multiple times in a year adds an extra year for each additional win with a maximum of five years able to be accrued in one season.

A new year’s trip to Hawaii

Rahm won The Sentry in 2023

Played on Maui at Kapalua's Plantation Course, the Sentry takes place in January and is the first event of the Tour's calendar year. Formally known as the Tournament of Champions, the competition is still largely reserved for those who have won on Tour the previous year. 

Changes to the 2024 season mean that, from now on, the top 50 players from the prior year’s FedEx Cup Playoffs will also qualify for the event but a win on Tour is a sure-fire way of punching your ticket to the event.

More tournament invites

It's not just entry to the Sentry Tournament of Champions that a PGA Tour win guarantees you. A winner on Tour also has a spot in the field at the next Players Championship, Arnold Palmer Invitational and Memorial Tournament.

Furthermore, with the revamped 2024 format, a win on Tour will gain you an invite into all of the remaining 'signature' events in the calendar year. These eight signature tournaments are limited-field events, with bigger, guaranteed prize money and points. Some are also no-cut events.

Major exemptions

And the cherry on top for any winner on Tour is a guaranteed exemption into two of the four Major Championships - the next Masters as well as the next PGA Championship. Furthermore, if a player is fortunate enough to win an event that is listed on the Open Qualifying Series, they will gain entry to that year's Open Championship. 

In 2024, there are four PGA Tour events in the qualifying series - The Arnold Palmer Invitational the Memorial Tournament, the RBC Canadian Open and the John Deere Classic - with the winners of each gaining a spot in the Open field later in the year. 

Ben joined Golf Monthly having completed his NCTJ in multimedia sports journalism at News Associates, London. He is now a freelance journalist who also works for The Independent, Metro, UEFA and Stats Perform.

There’s not much between Team USA and Team Europe after 18 editions of the Solheim Cup, but each has enjoyed periods of dominance over the years

By Mike Hall Published 28 August 24

An internal out-of-bounds call has put paid to the plans of players, including Scottie Scheffler, to use an alternate route on the 18th at the Tour Championship - but why has it made the decision?

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The most compelling part of the Tour Championship might be the potential picks

ATLANTA – The game within the game at this week’s Tour Championship, a $25 million handicapped race for the season’s best and brightest, depends on a recency bias.

Despite a mountain of evidence to the contrary, the PGA Tour’s sweltering finale doubles as a 72-hole Presidents Cup qualifier with spots at next month’s matches going to the top 6 eligible players who are not otherwise exempt.

That, of course, is ridiculous.

The U.S. Presidents Cup team’s qualifying process stretches 20 months and is a weighted version of the FedExCup points list, which means for a player like Justin Thomas, that spans 38 events beginning at last year’s Sentry Tournament of Champions.

Presidents Cup: History, format, teams, records and how to watch

Everything you need to know about the 2024 Presidents Cup matches, which take place Sept. 26-29 in Montreal, Canada.

Golf Channel Staff

Jim Furyk, this year’s U.S. captain, explained last week that his selection process, which concludes on Tuesday when he announces his six captain’s picks, is a dizzying mix of art and science.

“You weigh it all. I’m not an analytics guy in my own game — when I stand on the 18 th tee to get the ball in play I know if I’m playing well, and if I’m scared, I’m probably not hitting the ball well,” Furyk said. “I understand the analytics side of it, but I understand there’s a personality side to it. There’s also guts and folks who are built for the moment.”

Players have had more than a year and half to stockpile points and impress the captain, but human nature lives in the here and now and for those who are vying for one of those captain’s picks there’s no better place to prove you’re “built for the moment” than East Lake with your back against the wall.

“A little bit,” Thomas, who shot 5-under 66 on Thursday, said when asked if this week felt like a Presidents Cup audition. “I guess I would answer that, I don't feel like I am [auditioning] for me, but if I was [Furyk], I would say I am, if that makes sense.

2024 Tour Championship gross score leaderboard: Where players stand without ‘starting strokes’

Here’s a look at how players are faring in the Tour Championship, minus the “starting strokes.”

“With how many people have an opportunity, I think he's definitely looking at guys that are potential picks and how they're playing. But most importantly, I am here and I know that some guys aren't.”

There are nine players at East Lake, from Sam Burns at seventh on the U.S. points list to Thomas at 19 th , who have one final chance to impress the captain with a big finish, and it’s worth noting that of those nine Thomas (66) posted the best score on Day 1.

Recent form, past cup experience and the dynamics of the U.S. team room will also factor into Furyk’s decision. And a rational person would acknowledge, after a 20-month qualifying process, simply earning a spot at the Tour Championship isn't enough.

But there’s rarely anything rational about captain’s picks.

For all the talk of advanced analytics and personality profiles, the decision still comes down to emotion more times than not — is this player a good fit for this team?

It’s why the pressure to pull off some sort of 11 th -hour statement performance is always in the back of even the most rational minds.

Billy Horschel has been in this position more than he’d like to admit and although he said he plays his best golf when he keeps the outside distractions, like what may or may not impress a captain, outside, he also admits it has taken 15 years of trial and error to arrive at that epiphany.

“The less information I focus on, the better I do,” said Horschel (73), who was the only player to shoot over par in Round 2. “Now, I get in little ruts where things start going well and I start focusing on other things and you start going down the other path that you don’t want to go down.”

For Keegan Bradley, who jumped to 10 th on the U.S. points list following his victory last week at the BMW Championship, the intensity of this decisive week is compounded by his status as one of Furyk’s vice captains. A “playing vice captain” is not the most outlandish idea — Tiger Woods seemed to perform just fine with both roles as an actual playing captain at the 2019 Presidents Cup — but it does add a layer of complexity to the picks.

2024 Tour Championship: Round 2 tee times, pairings and how to watch

Tee times and pairings for the second round of the Tour Championship.

“I think as it comes to this week, with the different format and stuff like that, I think it shouldn't come down to one week that you decide whether a person is going to play a month later,” said Bradley, who opened in 69. “But there's part of me that feels terrible I put [Furyk] in this position. But I want to be as up front with him and honest with him, and he's been great.”

How much stock Furyk, who spent time at East Lake this week meeting with potential picks, puts into an East Lake performance remains to be seen, but having 72 — now 54 — more holes to impress the captain is better than the alternative.

“I was in that spot last year where there were guys that were trying to get picked [for the U.S. Ryder Cup team] and I wasn't even in the playoffs,” Thomas said. “I'm definitely more at ease now than I was last year about getting picked. If I play the golf that I know I should it'll take care of itself.”

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Harry Hall excited for long-awaited first start on home soil as a professional

By Mathieu Wood

Life is good for Harry Hall at the moment. The Englishman's road to making his first start as a professional on home soil might be different from the norm, but here he is, thrilled by the prospect of embarking on a stretch of golf that will see him play at some of the United Kingdom’s most historic venues.

While he is one of the home stars teeing it up in the Betfred British Masters hosted by Sir Nick Faldo at The Belfry, Hall is perhaps better known to American fans than he is by English fans. Prior to this week, Hall had only played in seven events on the DP World Tour.

After turning professional in 2019, following a four-year stint at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas (UNLV), Hall played on the Korn Ferry Tour from 2020 to 2022, before gaining a PGA TOUR card for the 2022-23 season. As referenced earlier, it is a path trodden by many stateside but perhaps not so for players who hail from across the Atlantic Ocean.

Born in Camborne, in Cornwall, England, Hall picked up the sport from a young age, joining West Cornwall Golf Club as a member, before later going on to enjoy a successful amateur career which included him being selected to play at the Walker Cup in 2019.

So, five years on from playing alongside Alex Fitzpatrick among others at Hoylake, Hall is understandably excited by the prospect of ending his wait to play in front of home crowds in the paid ranks.

"Hopefully they know who I am and that I am English!" he joked.

The historic British Masters marks the first in a sequence of starts on British shores, with forthcoming appearances in the Amgen Irish Open at Royal County Down GC and the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club on the DP World Tour to come in September.

“I always wanted to play over here since I turned professional, and it just didn't work out that way,” he said at a pre-tournament press conference on Wednesday.

“Worked my way through the Korn Ferry Tour to the PGA TOUR to then win a co-sanctioned event which was fantastic. Hopefully I can get a lot of friends and family to come up and watch this week and over the next few weeks.

"I've never played the Belfry, Royal County Down, or Wentworth. I'm excited to play some of the UK's finest golf courses over the next few weeks."

The 27-year-old, who welcomed his first child with wife Jordan last month, only took up membership after winning his first PGA TOUR and DP World Tour title at the ISCO Championship in July, the same week that the Genesis Scottish Open took place on the Rolex Series.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Harry Hall (@harryhall)

With the victory, achieved with a chip-in birdie in a play-off, and one which saw him emulate Seamus Power (2021) and Vincent Norrman (2023) in landing their breakthrough triumph in the event, Hall is now exempt on the DP World Tour and PGA TOUR through to 2026. He also earned exemptions into the 2025 editions of The Sentry, THE PLAYERS Championship and the US PGA Championship.

Yet, there is no doubt over what is Hall's burning ambition in the game: to win the Green Jacket at Augusta National.

Asked what his plan is going forward now that he is a dual member, he replied: "Play on both tours, play all the majors and hopefully take the green jacket home. That's the plan."

Should he do so, he would achieve something that even ‘Long’ Jim Barnes, who cut his teeth at West Cornwall Golf Club, couldn't do early on in the 20th century.

To this day, even after years living stateside, Hall's Cumbrian accent remains intact. He is well aware of what Barnes achieved in his career, winning the 1916 and 1919 PGA Championship, 1921 U.S. Open and 1925 Open Championship.

It is partly thanks to Phil Rowe, who himself played at the Walker Cup in 1991 and also comes from Cornwall, for where Hall is today.

"Philip Rowe, who was all over the clubhouse, played great amateur golf," he reflected.

"He went to Stanford University and fast forward ten years I was looking to go to college over there and he moved from being the assistant coach at Stanford to UNLV at the time and just because of our connection, he offered me a scholarship."

The rest is history as they say.

"I think if you're good enough, you can turn professional when you're 18 over here (England)," he said of his route into the paid ranks.

"You can do that, or if you're not quite good enough, and you need a bit more time, the U.S. college system is a great way to just get an education of how to play golf.

"So, I needed to do that. I wasn't quite good enough at 18 to turn professional. Four years on the field and it worked out pretty good for me."

Since his life-changing victory at the ISCO Championship in Kentucky last month, Hall has played twice on the PGA TOUR and arrives at the Belfry on the cusp of moving inside the top 100 in the world.

But after years of playing on the PGA TOUR, Hall admits it took support from his family to motivate himself in the days leading up to the tournament.

"I remember talking to my dad at the start of the week because it is an opposite-field event, and sometimes they are pretty tough when you are playing against the best players in the world in the biggest PGA TOUR events," he said.

"I had to fit my mind-set and go what does 300 points do for me for the FedExCup or what does a two-year exemption do for my life.

"It was massive. My dad kept me grounded and kept my mind in a good place. Since then it's so good to be back here creating a schedule that's worldwide, and that's exactly what I'm going to do."

But, here this week on his homecoming, Hall is not short of motivation as he looks to make a quick impression in front of a new audience.

Why Danish golf is in 'dreamworld' and what has driven their success

By Mathieu Wood Nurturing talent and providing a structure to enable success is the goal of any nation in sport. When it comes to golf, Denmark is punching above its weight.

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A Brief Look at the PGA Tour Exemption System

There are a variety of ways to acquire an exemption on Tour, but the bottom line is that you have to play well to get it at some point in your life. That time is now for many.

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Last week, at the Ginn sur Mer Classic in the developing region of Palm Coast, Florida, Ryan Palmer, who was previously on the “bubble,” (he was ranked 143 entering the week), secured himself a spot in the aforementioned 125 with a victory (and a two-year exemption, of course, for winning). Exempt status often seems to be a vague, mysterious, and perhaps sinister thing, even though the qualifications for such a status are laid out on the Tour’s website and the information is readily available to any seeker. In order to save you the trouble of additional navigation deeper into the recesses of cyberspace, a variety of ways (and a few exemplary individuals satisfying the various requirements) will be looked at here, along with any potential “exempt status drama” brewing in the final relevant tournament of the year (officially referred to as an “event cosponsored by the PGA Tour”).

The Big Tournaments Contrary to a certain opinion, Tiger Woods is not permitted to play on the PGA Tour just because he’s a very good golfer, people generally like him, and he makes the Tour a great deal of money. Under the current system, Woods would be exempt for a variety of reasons, but officially, he received an exemption for the 2008 season because of his status as “Winner of a PGA Championship or U.S. Open prior to 1970 or in the last 10 calendar years.”

As the web site points out, “each PGA Tour player has earned a position on the priority ranking system that will be used to select tournament fields.” Of the 33 qualifications for exempt status, “Winner of a PGA Championship…” is given top priority. This is also a five-year exemption, which is the longest given by the PGA. It’s interesting that top priority is placed upon winning the PGA’s Major, but when this is considered in light of the fact that the other majors hand out exempt status to their own tournament, and indeed to other majors, it seems to be a logical choice for top priority in the PGA’s system.

Following this, winners of the Players Championship, The Masters, and the British Open during the past ten years are granted an exemption. Members of this five-year exempt status entering the current year include Davis Love III, Zach Johnson and Ben Curtis. The next tier below this are winners of the Tour Championship, or any World Golf Championship event since 2005. The latter is the reason for David Toms’ exempt status entering this year.

It’s certainly not particle physics, but it’s easy to see why players generally designate between the Majors, the second level events (Players, Tour, WGC) and the remaining events of significance. It makes sense that a golfer is compensated more fully in the system for a victory in one of the more difficult tournaments, thus giving the golfer a better chance for further self-preservation by guaranteeing him tournament appearances for a longer period of time. As an example, Ben Curtis and Todd Hamilton, respectively, are neither the highest earning nor the winningest golfers on Tour, but the magnitude of their wins has ensured them an exempt status for a period of ten years. However, it could be asked whether or not the PGA Championship is five times more difficult than the average event on Tour, which is what the decision to allow exemption for a period of 10 years versus only two seems to be suggesting.

The Regular Tour Events A bit further down the list of possibilities for exemption come winners in Tour-approved events within the past two years. Fred Couples may have earned the gross domestic product of several small countries in the Skins Game, but it doesn’t contribute to his exempt status for the 2008 season. Interestingly, he is insured this as a player “among the Top 25 in career earnings as of the end of the preceding calendar year” who “elect[s] to use this special exemption for a second year, provided that the player remains among the Top 25 on the career money list.” J.B. Holmes, Rory Sabbatini, Jonathan Byrd, and Charles Howell III all are exempt because of a victory during the previous two seasons.

Other Means of Exempt Status After a number of other less than common classifications, such as “Two international players designated by the Commissioner,” comes a rather interesting category: “Life Members (who have been active members of the PGA TOUR for 15 years and have won at least 20 co-sponsored events),” in other words, golfers who were formerly winning a number of tournaments but are now, essentially, past their prime. Tom Watson, a fan favorite and arguably one of the 15 greatest golfers of all time, is the only member of this category. Watson, of course, spends the majority of his time playing on the Champions Tour, where he is anything but past his prime, having won twice this year.

Next, the contentious and highly visible “Top 125 on previous year’s Official Money List.” Jose M. Olazabal, Tommy Armour III, and Shigeki Maruyama are exempt coming into this year for this reason. The chief drama surrounding a potential leap into the top 125 this week ought to be provided by Jeff Overton. Overton, who underwent an emergency appendectomy only weeks ago and is wearing a naproxen patch because of the immensity of the pain he is enduring, is teeing it up this week in hopes of maintaining — if not bettering — his 125th place status. We’ll return to a glance at players “on the bubble” this week, but the rest of the list awaits.

A few categories past medical exemptions – which allowed David Duval to play this year – comes another visible battle for inclusion in an exempt group. Membership in the category “Top 25 and Ties from the previous year’s PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament… and players 2-25 on the 2007 Nationwide Tour money list” allowed Chez Reavie and Kevin Streelman to compete on Tour this year. Reavie did not earn an exemption for 2009 with his victory at the RBC Canadian Open, however, as this is not a Tour cosponsored event. Following this are a number of “special” classes, including past tournament winners and “Veteran Members who have made a minimum of 150 cuts.”

Returning to players around the “125” number, a few names stand out. David Toms is perhaps the most notable. However, there’s no need to panic, golf fans. Toms is exempt through 2001 because of his status as a winner on Tour in the previous few years, even though he will no longer be exempt as a result of his 2005 victory at the Accenture Match Play Championship. Davis Love III, at 118, has recently increased the value of his stock with good play. Should he finish in the top 125, he won’t be forced to use an exemption based upon his place in the career money list. This may be a mere technicality, but the perception that he earned his exemption based upon good play recently, rather than past success, is surely worth something to the man and keeps him free (at least temporarily) of the “has-been” label.

Jason Gore is presently situated at number 136 on the money list. Having played well in previous years, Gore was comfortably situated in the top 125 on the list last year. He’s been invisible in 2008, save for a few weeks. Unless he rights the ship in Orlando this week, the man will be in trouble. Perched at number 131, Bob Tway also finds himself in an uncomfortable position entering the week. Regardless of these two individuals, the standout story is Overton, who has defied doctor’s orders in an attempt to keep his card.

There are a variety of ways to acquire an exemption on Tour, but the bottom line is if you haven’t won recently, haven’t played well in the present year, or don’t have a legacy of great play to fall back upon, you might find yourself in a very undesirable spot entering a tournament, as a few players do this week at the Children’s Miracle Network Classic. Of course, a miracle victory by someone well outside the top 125 is always a possibility, and an assurance of exemption for the upcoming year.

14 thoughts on “A Brief Look at the PGA Tour Exemption System”

I’m guessing that if you add up all those who are exempt under the 33 criteria, you’d have more than can fit into a PGA Tour event field.

Can you do a follow up on how a player gets into a PGA Tour event based on how he got his exemption?

How many 2009 PGA Tour event starts would the guy who came 25th at Q School or 25th on the Nationwide Tour expect to get with their exemptions earnt in 2008?

Further to Mark’s question, can you explain what each exemption entitles a player to do? In other words, I thought some of the exemptions do not necessarily entitle a player to enter any tournament he wants (not talking about special invites like Masters, etc.) on the tour, but others do, and that some exemptions are limited as to number of tournaments. Also, how is the pecking order established?

I have never understood how all this is done.

Thanks for the comments. I would be more than happy to do a follow up on the subject and answer the questions you have posed. If anyone else has further inquiries, please post them here and I’ll try to include a response to all of them in a follow up article in a few weeks.

Thanks again,

I get the top 125 money list and the exeptions it provides a given player for the following year. What I do not get is when the commentator says it is important because the top 125 players can set their schedule for next year.

Another question I have is the same as TRAV’s, how are the pairings determined at each tournatment? Bill Haas never seems to play with Vijay, Tiger or Phil. If the threesomes were selected at random you would think he would end up playing with someone in the top 25 once in a while.

Finally, how are the tee times determined for the first two rounds?

And these aren’t enough questions to keep you busy, please let us know …..

“Reavie did not earn an exemption for 2009 with his victory at the RBC Canadian Open, however, as this is not a Tour cosponsored event.”

Yes it is, and yes he did earn a two year exmemption. I was at his winning press conference when he was asked about it.

hi just wondering when a player is lucky enough to win more than once in a season, how does the exemption work for each event, do they run concurrently or one after another

regards colm

same question as colm. if a player wins more than once in the same year how does the exemption work.do they run concurrently or consecutive.

also how do you earn a lifetime exemption?

Davis Love III scored his 20th PGA Tour victory last November. Why was he not in the field of this years Masters?

Because he won a Fall Series event after the Tour Championship. They don’t count for the Masters the same way a “regular season” win does.

Hope to answer some of these:

1. You get up to five additional years for multiple wins (ie if you win three times you get a 5 year exemption) 2. The top 50 golfers ranked in the world that play in each non invitationals get the preferred times and the rest are picked at random. 3. Jay Williamson (25th Q) got into 19 events as of 10/4 and Ricky Barnes (25th NW) got into 20 events. 4. Each non invite tournament is has 132 or 144 players. They are ranked by each of the 33 categories. In order for a PGA player to keep his card he must play in at least 15 events per year. The top 100 players average about 20. So the tournaments get probably 90-100 of the 1-19 exempt status players enter each week. That is done on the Friday before the tournament. Then there is a stand by list where you are ranked by priority. Each week, there is always a couple of people that commit drop out.

If a PGA player missed the 125 players for the year, however qualified and made it to play in a tournament.. What is his status for that year if he wins a tournament,

What is Billy Hurley III’s Past Tour Winner Status ?

What exemptions do you get for second or third in a major?

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What do players get for winning the PGA Championship?

Rory McIlroy lifts the Wanamaker Trophy at the 2012 PGA Championship at Kiawah Island.

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Winning any major will bestow upon its winner a lifetime of prestige and a permanent spot in history . However, there’s more to winning than just being able to hoist the trophy above your head; the winner of the 2020 PGA Championship will also receive a litany of additional benefits.

Things like this:

• The grand prize of $1,980,000, 18% of the $11,000,000 purse
• A smaller, replica version of the Wanamaker Trophy (they get to keep this one)
• 600 FedEx cup points (the winner of the FedEx Cup at the end of the season is awarded $10 million)
• 100 Official World Golf Ranking points
• Eligibility to participate in the PGA Championship for life
• Automatic invitation to play in the Masters , U.S. Open, Open Championship and Players Championship for the next five years
• Guaranteed membership on the PGA Tour for the next five years
• Guaranteed membership on the European Tour for the next seven years

Not a bad haul. Dustin Johnson leads the field by one heading into the final round on Sunday at TPC Harding, but two-time defending champion Brooks Koepka is just two strokes back and looking for his fifth career major title.

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'Framework agreement' details PGA Tour, PIF alliance

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The five-page agreement signed by PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, DP World Tour CEO Keith Pelley and Public Investment Fund governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan to form a new entity that will align men's professional golf gives the PGA Tour "full decision-making authority with respect to all strategic and operational matters related to competition."

The "framework agreement" was signed May 30 and sent, along with other documents, to a Senate subcommittee looking into the alliance Monday ahead of a July 11 hearing in Washington.

The agreement stated that the "parties share a common goal of creating a global golf partnership and of growing and promoting the game of golf globally, ending divisions and unifying the game of golf for the benefit of all of their shareholders, including players, sponsors, and fans of the game worldwide."

ESPN obtained a copy of the framework agreement Monday. Details of the final agreement are still being worked out, sources told ESPN. Once completed, it will need approval by the PGA Tour Policy Board.

The stunning alliance, which was announced June 6, combines the commercial activities of the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund (PIF) into a new for-profit entity, called "NewCo" in the framework agreement.

Monahan will serve as CEO of the new entity; Al-Rumayyan will be chairman.

"The framework outlines a future for professional golf under the PGA Tour's leadership that benefits players, fans, and the sport," the PGA Tour said in a statement Monday. "Following the recent resolution of litigation, we're working productively towards a definitive agreement. Any resulting agreement will have to be approved by the full board of the PGA Tour, including our player directors."

Under terms of the framework agreement, the PGA Tour will control the majority interest in the new entity, regardless of the size of PIF's investment. PIF will make an initial investment into NewCo and have the right of first refusal to make additional ones.

"The PGA Tour will at all times maintain a controlling voting interest, not withstanding any incremental investment by PIF or exercise of its rights of first refusal," the agreement says. "The PGA Tour parent organization will retain its current level of regulatory oversight of the game of golf with respect to the assets contributed by the PGA Tour where applicable (e.g., sanctioning of events, setting of competition rules and managing inside the ropes) but will conduct its commercial businesses through NewCo. PIF and the PGA Tour will cooperate in good faith and agree on the economics, valuation and governance terms for NewCo and PIF's investment in NewCo."

The agreement doesn't specify what will happen to the LIV Golf League, which is being financed by PIF and fronted by two-time Open Championship winner Greg Norman . The agreement says that "NewCo will undertake a full and empirical data-driven evaluation of LIV and its prospects and potential and will make a good faith assessment of the benefits of team golf in general, and PIF, the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour will work together in an effort to determine how to best integrate team golf into PGA Tour and DP World Tour events going forward."

The PGA Tour suspended players once they competed in a LIV event last year. Under terms of the framework agreement, the tours "will work cooperatively and in good faith to establish a fair and objective process for any players who desire to re-apply for membership with the PGA Tour or the DP World Tour following the completion of the 2023 season and for determining fair criteria and terms of re-admission consistent with each Tour's disciplinary policies."

The proposed alliance is being scrutinized by the U.S. Department of Justice's Antitrust Division and two U.S. Senate committees. The U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations has invited Monahan, Norman and Al-Rumayyan to testify at the July 11 hearing regarding the entities' planned partnership.

"Our goal is to uncover the facts about what went into the PGA Tour's deal with the Saudi Public Investment Fund and what the Saudi takeover means for the future of this cherished American institution and our national interest," Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., chairman of the subcommittee, said in a statement June 21. "Americans deserve to know what the structure and governance of this new entity will be. Major actors in the deal are best positioned to provide this information, and they owe Congress -- and the American people -- answers in a public setting."

The PGA Tour has said the new agreement with PIF would not affect its operations. The tour said it would continue to operate as a tax-exempt nonprofit and would control its scheduling, sanctioning of events, rules and competition. Blumenthal told Monahan that the tour's alliance with the Saudis might put its tax-exempt status at risk.

"This assertion raises additional questions about the terms of the agreement and whether a foreign government may indirectly benefit from provisions in U.S. tax laws meant to promote not-for-profit business associations," Blumenthal wrote in a letter to Monahan and Norman.

PGA of America Adds New PGA Championship Exemption Category

The PGA of America today announced a new exemption category for the PGA Championship. Beginning with the 2023 PGA Championship, set for May 18-21 at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York, the top three players on the International Federation Ranking List as of April 24 will earn exemptions into the field.

The International Federation Ranking List, which was announced last month by the Governing Board of the Official World Golf Ranking, ranks international players competing on the Asian Tour, Japan Golf Tour, PGA Tour of Australasia, and the Sunshine Tour.

"This new category will help identify current or emerging international players who may not yet have had the opportunity to showcase their talents in the cauldron of a Major Championship setting,” said PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh. “It provides all players from these four International golf tours an opportunity to compete throughout their respective seasons to be rewarded by access into the PGA Championship."

Let the countdown begin. 100 days. #PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/WjUFUmyS40 — PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) February 4, 2023

The complete list of PGA Championship exemptions may be found below. Any player who qualifies through these exemptions will be eligible to compete in the PGA Championship. The PGA of America also reserves the right to invite additional players not included in the categories listed below in pursuit of our annual goal to deliver the strongest field in golf.

“Our decisions are always based on what’s in the best interest of the PGA of America and conducting the best Championship possible,” said PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh. “Sadly the current division in the professional game is not good for the sport or the future of the game. We hope there might be some resolution soon. In the meantime, as always, our focus will be on our mission to grow the game and improve the lives of our members, who work so hard to impact millions of lives every day.

PGA CHAMPIONSHIP ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

The total field will be a maximum of 156 players.

The PGA of America has approved the following list of players who qualify for the 105th PGA Championship:

1. All former winners of the PGA Championship

2. Winners of the last five Masters (2019-23)

3. Winners of the last five U.S. Opens (2018-22)

4. Winners of the last five Open Championships (2017-22). [Note: Canceled in 2020]

5. Winners of the last three THE PLAYERS Championships (2021-23)

6. The top three on the OWGR’s International Federation Ranking List as of April 24, 2023.

7. Winner of 2022 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship

8. The top 15 finishers and ties from the 2022 PGA Championship

9. The top 20 finishers from the 2023 PGA Professional Championship.

10. The top 70 players who are eligible and have earned the most PGA Championship points from the 2022 AT&T Byron Nelson through the 2023 Wells Fargo Championship (ending May 7, 2023).

11. Playing members of the last named U.S. and European Ryder Cup teams (2021), provided they remain in the top 100 on the Official World Golf Rankings as of May 7, 2023.

12. Winners of PGA TOUR co-sponsored or approved tournaments whose victories are considered official, from the 2022 Charles Schwab Challenge through the 2023 AT&T Byron Nelson.

13. If necessary to complete the field, those players beyond the top 70 players who are eligible and who have earned the most PGA Championship points from the 2022 AT&T Byron Nelson through the 2023 Wells Fargo Championship (ending May 7, 2023) in order of their position on such a list.

*Note: The PGA Championship points list is based on Official Money earned in PGA TOUR events within the defined period in Nos. 10 and 12 above and is available at https://www.pgatour.com/stats/stat.132.html . Announcement of the final field is planned for May 10.

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The Creator Classic captures attention at East Lake

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ATLANTA – Scottie Scheffer arrived to a crammed East Lake Golf Club practice green. On his right, Nick “Fat Perez” Stubbe of Bob Does Sports worked on his alignment. Tyler Toney of Dude Perfect stood to Scheffler's left, practicing his speed.

At least on this afternoon, they shared the spotlight.

Scheffler found an open hole at the back of the green and began a putting drill alongside his coach Phil Kenyon, finding a bit of calm amidst a frenetic scene as he prepped for the TOUR Championship. Soon after, Perez and Toney walked off heading for their tee time with camera crews behind them and a horde of shouting fans following.

Bryan Bros’ interview after regulation at Creator Classic

“The response from fans and from the content creators themselves has been overwhelming,” PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan said Wednesday.

It was a momentous day for YouTube golf, which has slowly begun to intertwine with the professional golf world. In March, a mix of YouTube creators and pro golfers competed in “The Q at Myrtle Beach,” an 18-hole qualifying event that awarded an exemption for the PGA TOUR’s Myrtle Beach Classic. It was won by Matt Atkins, a former PGA TOUR player who has made cameos on the Bryans’ channel. TOUR pros make regular guest appearances for creators, who morphed into friends. The Bryan brothers and fellow content creator Grant Horvat hosted an alternative ESPN+ stream on Thursday and Friday of the FedEx St. Jude Championship, with Horvat calling the golf on-site at TPC Southwind.

Wednesday’s event was perhaps the most unprecedented, as the creators were the first to play the renovated East Lake on television, less than 24 hours before the first round of the TOUR Championship was scheduled to begin.

It caught the attention of plenty pros. Joel Dahmen provided on-course commentary for the broadcast, caddies Austin Kaiser and John Ellis watched Perez tee off and Akshay Bhatia watched from his rental home that backed up to the course.

Fat Perez’s interview during playoff at Creator Classic

The event mirrored the competitive, but zany YouTube scene that many of the creators occupy. The event began with ceremonial tee shots from Barstool's Fore Play members Riggs, Trent and Frankie. Left-handed Mac Boucher, a Canadian trick-shot artist, flipped a right-handed driver upright and smacked his opening tee shot 285 yards. Mason Nutt, of BustaJack Golf, hit driver off the deck. Garrett Clark, of Good Good, made a quintuple bogey on the par-4 12th. Steele, who hosts Callaway’s Range Talk, uncorked a 346-yard drive on the 10th, touching 195 mph ball speed. The whole way, TV, Netflix and YouTube cameras documented the experience. Several hundred fans remained when play finished just before 8 p.m. ET.

The top-four finishers after eight holes of stroke play advanced to a one-hole sudden-death playoff. Bryan finished 2-under in the eight-hole stroke-play portion, while Steele, Walsh and Kwon carded 1-under. Kwon won with a birdie on the 18th hole, pouring in a 15-foot putt.

See the full leaderboard below.