Sign In Join the conversation Saved Articles Display AA Display Background Auto Light Dim Dark Text Size A Small A Default A Large A Extra PGA Tour Play-Off Shake-Up a ‘Big Swing’ in 2028 Rory McIlroy praised the PGA Tour's decision to introduce matchplay to the end-of-season play-offs, calling it a 'big swing' that…
Rory McIlroy, the back-to-back Masters champion, has endorsed the PGA Tour’s upcoming changes to its end-of-season play-offs, which will feature matchplay for the first time since 2023.
PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp announced on Thursday that starting in 2028, the Tour Championship will be held over two weeks at two different courses and will adopt a head-to-head format.
McIlroy, the world number two and a three-time winner of the FedEx Cup, said the decision reflects the PGA Tour’s responsiveness to fan preferences.
“I think the PGA Tour and the Future Competition Committee and Brian and everyone involved have really taken on board what the fans have been calling for and have wanted, which is matchplay,” said the 37-year-old Northern Irishman.
McIlroy admitted he learned about the plan only recently and found the two-week, two-course structure intriguing. “It’s certainly different. Two weeks, two different venues, but it’s cool. I think they’ve taken a big swing, and conceptually, I think I really like it,” he added.
The FedEx Cup play-offs have seen several changes over their two-decade history. Currently, the play-offs consist of a three-event strokeplay series that begins with the top 70 players from the season-long points list.
This week’s concluding Tour Championship at East Lake in Atlanta has a $40 million (£29.3 million) purse. While the events have been lucrative for players, there have been ongoing questions about fan engagement.
McIlroy acknowledged the financial benefits for players but emphasized the importance of fan input. “I think they’ve been great for players. Obviously we play for a ton of money, and it’s sort of like the culmination of the entire season. The players have been rewarded. I think what the Tour are really trying to do is listen to the fans and what they want, and I think this idea of matchplay over two weeks is something that came mostly from what the people that watch golf wanted, so I think that’s a really good thing,” he said.
The revised play-offs are part of broader changes set to take effect in 2028. A new Championship and Challenger series will be established with promotion and relegation between the two divisions.
The regular season will include 15 events and run from February to August. McIlroy expressed hope that more star players based on the PGA Tour would follow his lead in playing an increased number of events on the DP World Tour.
McIlroy, a six-time major winner, said the DP World Tour could capitalize on the PGA Tour’s schedule changes. “I think if the PGA Tour are going to play from February through to August, DP World Tour have five months where, with the help of the PGA Tour and maybe some others, [it] can really shine a spotlight on international golf and put on some of the biggest international events in golf,” he added.
He continued: “I think with what the PGA Tour has been through with changing its competitive model and its structure, I think if the DP World Tour could do something similar, where you host all of your best events in that five-month time frame, it would allow guys to take up membership, to then have something to play for at the end of the DP World Tour season – if they choose to do that.”
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