The PGA Tour on Sept. 15 unveiled the membership criteria for its 2028 competitive overhaul, replacing the FedExCup format with a two-tier system built around promotion and relegation. Tour officials made the announcement from headquarters in Ponte Vedra Beach.

New two-tier system splits Tour rankings

The new structure splits the Tour into a Championship Series and a Challenger Series. The top 30 players from the 2026 Tour Championship and those holding current winner exemptions will form the initial Championship Series field, according to the Tour's announcement.

Career money list offers path to top tier

An additional pathway exists for players among the top 50 on the career PGA Tour money list, who can use a one-time exemption into the Championship Series, according to the Jacksonville Times-Union. That exemption carries a catch: Players must hold active PGA Tour membership at the end of the 2027 season to use it.

Woods' Tour membership status unclear amid case

That membership requirement raises an immediate question about Tiger Woods. The 50-year-old's last official PGA Tour event was the 2024 British Open at Royal Troon. He has since undergone two major back surgeries, in 2024 and 2025.

Woods' situation grew more complicated in March. Martin County sheriff's deputies arrested him March 27 on charges of DUI with property damage and refusal to submit to a DUI test after a crash on Jupiter Island, Yahoo Sports reported. On Sept. 2, Woods pleaded no contest and was adjudicated guilty of reckless driving, second offense, and refusal to submit to a lawful test. He received a $1,500 fine and a five-year driver's license suspension.

The last time Woods swung a club in competition was March 24 in a TGL finals match. Days later, he issued a statement saying he was stepping away from golf to prioritize his well-being and completed an inpatient program in Switzerland.

Whether Woods retains active PGA Tour membership, or whether his legal issues trigger any conduct clause under the new rules, has not been publicly addressed.

Rolapp rules out return for LIV defectors

Commissioner Brian Rolapp used the Sept. 15 media briefing to close the door on LIV Golf defectors seeking a return.

"We are not currently contemplating a Returning Member Program like the one you saw in January," Rolapp said during the virtual news conference, as reported by the Times-Union. He said LIV players missed a window that allowed Brooks Koepka to return earlier in 2026.

Only two LIV players, Dustin Johnson (sixth on the career money list) and Jon Rahm (19th), would otherwise qualify for the career money exemption. Neither holds active Tour membership.

LIV Golf itself filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New Jersey on Sept. 8, listing assets between $100 million and $500 million and liabilities between $500 million and $1 billion.

Next steps for the Tour's 2028 overhaul

The PGA Tour's Policy Board, which includes Woods and fellow player Adam Scott, approved the broad competitive model in June. Rolapp has indicated the process requires two rounds of approvals, with further decisions expected at the board's Nov. 16 meeting.

The Tour has targeted Feb. 22, 2027, for the release of complete 2028 schedules, including a Fall International Series.