Overview
- Only the top 100 in the FedEx Cup retain fully exempt status for 2026 as the Tour cuts 25 cards and reduces Korn Ferry promotions to 20, yielding smaller fields.
- Tour officials estimate the leading 10 players who missed the top 100 will have access to about 16 tournaments next year, excluding majors, signature events, The Players and the FedEx Cup playoffs.
- The Future Competition Committee, created in August and chaired by Tiger Woods, has begun meetings with players and outside advisers under a “blank sheet” remit to redesign the competitive model.
- CEO Brian Rolapp said he could see a season that begins after the Super Bowl, though no decision has been made as the group reviews calendar options with media partners and sponsors.
- Debate over the January start has intensified with the reported cancellation of The Sentry 2026 in Hawaii, while players such as Harris English voice support for a later start and more uniformly high-caliber events.