
Competition Adjustments
Each week, PGA TOUR athletes deliver unforgettable physical and strategic performances. By considering new competition adjustments, the PGA TOUR is testing players and entertaining fans like never before.
Maximize Drama on Every Hole - Initiatives
- Deliver a stronger and more competitive and entertaining PGA TOUR by addressing field size and eligibility requirements
- Use data and analytics to inform course set-up, highlighted by a tool designed for rules officials as they create more compelling and entertaining tournaments
- Launch the new “Video Review Center” at PGA TOUR Studios to educate fans and make on-course rulings more accurate and efficient
- Creation of a player-led Speed of Play working group focused on increasing transparency and accountability
- Publish pace of play-related data to add competitive context to the speed of play
- Test the effects of pace of play penalty strokes at Korn Ferry Tour events in 2025
- Test the impact of Distance Measuring Devices at PGA TOUR events at six events during the 2025 season
- Formal review of the format of the TOUR Championship
Deliver a stronger and more competitive and entertaining PGA TOUR by addressing field size and eligibility requirements. Eligibility changes, including decreasing field sizes and improving tournament access for exempt members, take effect for the 2026 season, while adjustments to the FedExCup points system are in effect for the 2025 season.
‘Straight Up’ brand campaign launched ahead of enhanced FedExCup Playoffs
Highlight the skill of PGA TOUR players and the challenge of iconic golf courses through innovations such as Live Drone AR. Fans can watch towering drives like never before, as the augmented reality experience combines live aerial video with real-time analytics, a result of collaboration between the PGA TOUR, NBC, CBS and key broadcast vendors.
Reimagine broadcast coverage of the first and second rounds of competition and include a wider variety of players, more walk-and-talk interviews and focus on the Friday cutline. Collaborate with GOLF Channel and NBC to implement and test these concepts during the 2024 FedExCup Fall and continue to evolve based on fan feedback.
Create broadcast streams that provide fans new ways of engaging with PGA TOUR tournaments. In 2025, the PGA TOUR launched a live betting stream on PGA TOUR LIVE on ESPN+, providing live golf coverage in the two hours leading up to the linear broadcast window. The feed will stream on ESPN+ during six events and give fans an early look at key storylines from a betting perspective.

TOUR announces enhancements to TOUR Championship format, FedExCup race
Fan Forward research informed player-led changes, including elimination of Starting Strokes in 2025.

Multiple factors contribute to improved speed of play as PGA TOUR works toward further advancements
Based on course-level data for the 2025 season through the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday, speed of play on TOUR is trending in the right direction.

Morgan Stanley drives innovation at THE PLAYERS with AI Course Setup Tool
Stephen Cox, PGA TOUR vice president Rules & Tournament Administration, discusses how the AI Course Setup Tool presented by Morgan Stanley provides more data than ever before to help rules officials and agronomists.
Launch the new “Video Review Center” at PGA TOUR Studios to educate fans and make on-course rulings more accurate and efficient. For the first time, PGA TOUR rules staff and ShotLink data producers teamed up in the PGA TOUR Studios “Video Review Center” during THE PLAYERS Championship. By utilizing the 150+ ShotLink data-capturing cameras, PGA TOUR rules officials had access to more cameras and the ability to make more accurate rulings. Additionally, communicating the position of errant shots from the Video Review Center allowed on-course referees to strategically position themselves to complete rules situations in a timely manner.
See the Review Center in Action
Creation of a player-led Speed of Play working group focused on increasing transparency and accountability. Topics include pace of play, rules, testing the use of Distance Measuring Devices and Average Shot Time statistics.
Publish pace of play-related data to add competitive context to the speed of play. By sharing pace of play-related competitive statistics, the PGA TOUR aims to illustrate the intersection of pace of play and performance, aligning these statistics with course conditions, weather, hole locations, competitive context (i.e., performance of players in contention or near the cutline) and other advanced metrics.
Test the effects of pace of play penalty strokes at Korn Ferry Tour events in 2025. Implement a revised pace of play policy and evaluate how it affects Average Shot Time and median round times.
Test the impact of Distance Measuring Devices at PGA TOUR events at six events during the 2025 season to determine the impact on Average Shot Time and median round times. Collect data between the Masters and PGA Championship, a timeframe that includes Signature Events, full-field events, additional events and a team event.
Formal review of the format of the TOUR Championship, with a focus on driving fan engagement across all platforms, particularly linear television. Identify a format that recognizes regular-season performance and delivers consequential drama, as seen in other leagues’ championships.