PGA Tour Unveils Major 2028 Overhaul: New Two-Tier System, Promotion/Relegation and Bigger Stakes

The PGA Tour is preparing for its most significant transformation in decades after approving a sweeping new competitive structure that will launch in 2028. Designed to create clearer pathways for players and more compelling storylines for fans, the revamped model introduces a two-tier system featuring promotion and relegation, larger signature events, and a reimagined postseason.

The changes, recommended by the Future Competition Committee and approved by both the PGA Tour Policy Board and PGA Tour Enterprises Board, were announced Tuesday ahead of the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands.

A New Era: Championship Series and Challenger Series

At the heart of the overhaul is the creation of two concurrent circuits: the PGA Tour Championship Series and the PGA Tour Challenger Series.

The Championship Series will serve as the tour's premier level, featuring up to 24 elite events each season, including 16 signature tournaments, The Players Championship, the four major championships, season-ending events, and team competitions such as the Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup.

The Challenger Series will function as the primary pathway to the top tier, giving players opportunities to earn promotion through strong performance. Golfers who win twice on the Challenger Series will receive immediate elevation to the Championship Series.

PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp described the new structure as a merit-based system that creates higher stakes and greater clarity throughout the season.

Signature Events Get Bigger

Under the new format, the 16 signature events will feature average fields of approximately 120 players, significantly larger than current signature event fields. Each tournament will remain a 72-hole stroke-play event with a cut after 36 holes to the top 65 players and ties.

Prize funds will remain substantial, with purses of at least $20 million per event.

The Championship Series season is expected to run from February through August.

Promotion and Relegation Become Reality

One of the most dramatic changes is the introduction of a true promotion-and-relegation system.

At least 90 players from the Championship Series points standings will retain their status for the following season, while 20 players will earn promotion from the Challenger Series.

Players who fall below the retention line will have one final opportunity to save their status through a new postseason "last chance" series consisting of four to six events in the fall. Those who fail to regain their standing will be relegated to the Challenger Series for the following season.

The move mirrors systems used in global soccer leagues and adds significant consequences to every event on the schedule.

New Points System Simplifies the Race

The PGA Tour will also implement a revamped points structure designed to place greater emphasis on victories, top finishes, and making cuts.

While major championships will continue to award enhanced points, the tour plans to create a more consistent system across both series to make season-long races easier for fans to follow.

Familiar Events, New Markets

Many of today's signature tournaments are expected to remain cornerstones of the future schedule, including:

AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am

Genesis Invitational

Arnold Palmer Invitational

RBC Heritage

Cadillac Championship

Truist Championship

Memorial Tournament

Travelers Championship

The PGA Tour is also targeting major metropolitan markets such as Boston, Denver, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C., as potential hosts for additional Championship Series events.

Tour Championship Rotation Planned

The Tour Championship will remain at East Lake Golf Club through 2027 before beginning a rotation among some of the country's most exclusive venues.

Potential future hosts include Pine Valley Golf Club in New Jersey, Cypress Point Club in California, and Seminole Golf Club in Florida, while East Lake will continue to be part of the rotation.

International Expansion and Development Pathways

The revamped fall schedule will feature a limited number of elevated international tournaments co-sanctioned with the DP World Tour, providing additional opportunities for top players to compete globally.

Meanwhile, developmental pathways through the Korn Ferry Tour, PGA Tour Americas, PGA Tour University, and Q-School will remain in place as the tour continues to identify and develop future stars.

Tiger Woods Helped Shape the Future

The changes were developed by the Future Competition Committee chaired by Tiger Woods and featuring players including Patrick Cantlay, Adam Scott, Maverick McNealy, Keith Mitchell and Camilo Villegas.

Woods called the overhaul a long-term investment in the PGA Tour's future, saying the committee's goal was to improve the fan experience while creating a sustainable competitive model for players and partners.

If successful, the 2028 launch could represent the biggest structural shift in PGA Tour history, creating a system where every tournament carries greater significance and every player has a clearer path to the sport's highest level.

The 3 Worst-Rated Golf Courses in Montana: What Golfers Say About These Big Sky State Layouts

Rivers Bend

Montana is home to some of America's most spectacular golf destinations. Courses like Wilderness Club Resort, Old Works Golf Course, and Rock Creek Cattle Company routinely earn national praise for their scenery and design.

But not every course in the Treasure State receives rave reviews.

Finding truly "bad" golf courses in Montana is difficult because the state has relatively few courses and many enjoy strong local support. However, based on available golfer reviews, recommendation percentages, and player feedback, these three layouts have generated some of the lowest marks or most consistent criticism among Montana golfers.

1. Rivers Bend Golf Course (Thompson Falls)

Nestled along the Clark Fork River, Rivers Bend offers beautiful scenery, but golfer feedback has been sparse and largely unfavorable. On GolfPass, the course carries a recommendation percentage of 0%, with no positive reviews recorded in the site's rating index.

To be fair, the lack of reviews makes it difficult to draw sweeping conclusions. Still, when compared to many Montana courses that boast recommendation percentages above 90%, Rivers Bend stands out for the wrong reasons.

The course's remote location and limited visibility among traveling golfers have also contributed to its relatively low profile.

2. Red Lodge Mountain Golf Course (Red Lodge)

Red Lodge Mountain GC

Red Lodge Mountain Golf Course enjoys one of the most scenic settings in the state, sitting at the base of the Beartooth Mountains. Unfortunately, some golfers have reported conditions that fail to match the stunning backdrop.

In a discussion among golfers, one player described the course as being "run into the ground" and claimed it had "the worst greens in the state." While that's certainly one golfer's opinion, complaints about course conditioning have surfaced repeatedly in online discussions.

Most golfers agree the layout itself remains enjoyable, but inconsistent maintenance has hurt its reputation among players who expect premium conditions at a mountain resort course.

3. Eagle Bend Golf Club (Bigfork)

Eagle Bend

This inclusion may surprise some Montana golfers.

Eagle Bend is not a bad course by traditional standards. In fact, many golfers enjoy the facility. However, criticism often centers on value rather than design.

One golfer who traveled through western Montana rated Eagle Bend as the worst value among the courses he played during his trip, citing expensive green fees, average conditioning for a private club, and a layout that failed to justify the premium price. He gave the course a value rating of just 1 out of 5.

The reviewer noted that several holes felt ordinary compared to other Montana golf experiences and questioned whether the prestige matched the cost.

Again, many golfers would disagree with that assessment, but value complaints appear more frequently here than at many other highly regarded Montana courses.

A Word of Caution About "Worst" Lists

Unlike states with hundreds of public golf courses, Montana has only about 100 golf facilities statewide. Many courses are community-run operations serving small towns, making review samples much smaller than in golf-heavy states like Florida or Arizona.

As a result, a handful of negative reviews can have an outsized impact on a course's reputation.

The reality is that even Montana's lower-rated courses often deliver something special—whether it's mountain views, wildlife sightings, or a memorable small-town golf experience. In a state known for wide-open spaces and dramatic scenery, even the "worst" golf course might still offer a better backdrop than many highly rated courses elsewhere.

For golfers planning a Montana trip, the biggest challenge usually isn't avoiding bad golf—it's deciding which great course to play next.

2026 U.S. Open Takeaways: Wyndham Clark Makes History, Sam Burns Delivers Again, and Shinnecock Hills Yields Record Scoring

The 126th U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club delivered everything fans expect from America's national championship: drama, history, elite performances, and a leaderboard packed with some of the game's biggest stars.

While Wyndham Clark ultimately hoisted the trophy for the second time in his career, the championship produced several storylines that will be remembered long after the final putt dropped.

Wyndham Clark Joins Exclusive Company

Wyndham Clark's victory was impressive for more than just the trophy itself.

Entering the week ranked No. 34 in the Official World Golf Ranking, Clark became only the second player since the rankings were introduced in 1986 to win multiple U.S. Opens while being ranked outside the world's top 30 on both occasions. The only other player to accomplish the feat is Lee Janzen.

Clark's win also continued a recent trend in the championship. For the fourth consecutive year, the U.S. Open champion entered the tournament ranked outside the top 20 in the world, further proving that major championships remain golf's ultimate equalizer.

Sam Burns Continues His U.S. Open Consistency

Although he fell just short of claiming his first major championship, Sam Burns once again demonstrated that he thrives in U.S. Open conditions.

Burns finished runner-up after recording top-10 finishes in each of the last three championships. He tied for ninth at Pinehurst in 2024, tied for seventh at Oakmont in 2025, and followed those performances with another strong showing at Shinnecock Hills.

No other player can claim a top-10 finish in all three of the last U.S. Opens, making Burns the championship's most consistent performer during that span.

Shinnecock Hills Offers More Birdie Opportunities

Known as one of the toughest tests in championship golf, Shinnecock Hills played noticeably more forgiving on Sunday.

The final-round scoring average was 71.389, the third-lowest Sunday scoring average in U.S. Open history. Only the 2019 championship at Pebble Beach and the 2015 championship at Chambers Bay produced lower final-round averages.

The number also established a new record for the lowest final-round scoring average among the five U.S. Opens contested at Shinnecock Hills.

For a venue often associated with survival rather than scoring, Sunday's conditions allowed players to attack.

Under-Par Rounds Pile Up on Sunday

The scoring trends were reflected throughout the leaderboard.

Seventeen players finished Sunday's final round under par, the highest total in a U.S. Open final round since 33 players broke par at Pebble Beach in 2019.

Interestingly, the performance was still in line with previous championships at Shinnecock Hills. The course produced 15 under-par final rounds in 2018, 16 in 1995, and 13 in 1986.

While the course remained challenging, it rewarded aggressive play and precise execution more than many expected heading into the week.

Scottie Scheffler's Historic Run Continues

Even without adding another major trophy to his collection, Scottie Scheffler continued to strengthen his place among golf's modern greats.

Scheffler finished tied for fourth, marking his 17th top-10 finish in his last 22 major championship starts. That level of consistency places him in extraordinarily rare company.

Since 1950, only four other players have achieved at least 17 top-10 finishes in a 22-major span: Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods.

It's a statistic that highlights just how dominant Scheffler has been on golf's biggest stages and serves as another reminder that his next major victory may not be far away.

A Championship to Remember

The 2026 U.S. Open featured a little bit of everything: a repeat champion making history, a rising star continuing his major championship breakthrough, record-setting scoring at one of golf's most demanding venues, and another remarkable chapter in Scottie Scheffler's sustained excellence.

For a championship that has spent 130 years defining greatness in golf, Shinnecock Hills once again delivered a week worthy of the U.S. Open legacy.

Five Branson Golf Destination Courses Voted in Missouri’s Top 10 including the Top Four

(BRANSON, MISSOURI) – Golfweek recently released its “Best Courses by State” compilation on June 15 and Ozarks National, Buffalo Ridge, Payne’s Valley, and Branson Hills ranked as Missouri’s top four courses in that order. A fifth Branson Golf destination course, LedgeStone, is Missouri’s No. 7 rated layout, improving one place from its No. 8 ranking last year.

“It’s an honor to be considered one of the best courses in a state with more than 300 of them, especially when we’ve improved our ranking year over year,” said Phillip Drips, Head Golf Professional, LedgeStone Country Club. “That 50 percent of the state’s best public-access courses are in the Branson golf destination underscores why discerning golfers should consider us for their next golf round or group getaway.”

To determine Golfweek’s Best rankings, the media outlet’s course-ratings panel continually evaluate courses and rate them using 10 criteria on a 10-point scale. The raters also file a single, overall rating on each course. Those overall ratings are averaged to produce a cumulative rating for each, which is then ranked against other layouts.

Ozarks National (Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw course design), Buffalo Ridge (Tom Fazio and Johnny Morris), and Payne’s Valley (Tiger Woods and Beau Welling) are Big Cedar Golf’s 18-hole courses. The golf resort also has three short courses rated among the nation’s best – Cliffhangers (Johnny and J.P. Morris design), Mountain Top (Gary Player), and Top of the Rock (Jack Nicklaus). They showcase the same rustic elegance that permeates all places owned and operated by Big Cedar Lodge and Bass Pro Shops Founder, Johnny Morris.  

In addition to its No. 4 ranking in the state, Branson Hills (Chuck Smith-Bobby Clampett) was voted No. 10 in the nation earlier this year via Golfers’ Choice, a compilation of players’ favorite courses in America curated by GolfPass/GolfNow. The layout’s woodsy, brawny layout is as beautiful as it is challenging. LedgeStone, a destination favorite by area golfers, winds through heaving Ozarks’ terrain to deliver a thrilling experience that requires players to choose their shot strategy wisely.

Branson’s other three courses are Thousand Hills (Bob Cupp), The Pointe, and Holiday Hills. Thousand Hills is part of a multi-faceted resort complex with condos, cabins, and Reunion Lodges overlooking the golf course that are ideal for golf groups. It located in the heart of the destination adjacent to a myriad of live entertainment theatres and other attractions.

All 11 destination courses are located near one another as well as hundreds of restaurants, scores of lodging options, and after-golf things to see and do. Branson regularly garners top rated tourism destination status in America according to Trip Advisor.

For more information about the destination, visit ExploreBranson.com.

Worst Golf Courses in Each State: Missouri

Drumm Farm Golf Club

Missouri is home to some of America's most celebrated golf destinations. From the Ozark Mountain masterpieces around Branson to classic parkland layouts in St. Louis and Kansas City, the Show-Me State offers golfers plenty of memorable rounds.

But not every course earns rave reviews.

While every golf course has loyal supporters and conditions can change dramatically from season to season, golfer reviews reveal a handful of Missouri layouts that have consistently struggled with maintenance, value, or overall player satisfaction. Based on publicly available golfer ratings and reviews, these three courses rank among the lowest-rated in the state.

1. Drumm Farm Golf Club — Independence

At one time, Drumm Farm Golf Club was considered one of the premier daily-fee facilities in the Kansas City area. Designed by renowned architect Tom Watson's design team, the course features dramatic elevation changes and a challenging layout stretching more than 7,100 yards.

Unfortunately, golfer reviews tell a different story in recent years.

The course carries one of the lowest rating indexes among reviewed Missouri golf facilities on GolfPass, with just 14.6 percent of reviewers recommending the course. Golfers frequently cited poor course conditions, disappointing value and maintenance issues across greens and fairways. The layout itself still receives praise from some players who recognize its architectural potential, but many reviewers felt the condition of the course failed to match its once-strong reputation.

For golfers who remember Drumm Farm during its peak years, the reviews are particularly disappointing because the property clearly possesses the bones of a strong championship course.

2. Rangeline Golf Center — Joplin

Located in southwest Missouri, Rangeline Golf Center offers a shorter, more casual golf experience. However, recent golfer feedback has been harsh.

While the facility maintains a respectable overall rating, numerous recent reviews describe it as one of the worst golf experiences players have encountered. Complaints focus heavily on course conditions, pace of play and perceived value. Several golfers specifically criticized maintenance issues and questioned pricing relative to the quality of the course.

To be fair, shorter municipal-style and executive courses often serve a different audience than championship layouts. Beginners and casual golfers may find the course perfectly suitable for practice rounds. Yet among Missouri courses receiving substantial public feedback, Rangeline has generated some of the state's most negative recent reviews.

3. Hidden Valley Golf Course — Lawson

Hidden Valley Golf Course, located northeast of Kansas City, presents another example of a course with a solid layout that has struggled to win over reviewers.

The Leo Johnson-designed course stretches nearly 6,700 yards and features rolling terrain and a traditional Midwestern design. Yet golfer ratings have consistently placed it near the bottom tier of reviewed Missouri courses. Reviewers have frequently mentioned maintenance concerns and uneven playing conditions.

What makes Hidden Valley's ranking notable is that many golfers believe the course has significant potential. The property offers enough natural movement and variety to create an enjoyable round when conditions are favorable. Still, golfer feedback suggests that consistency has been difficult to maintain.

The Reality of Online Ratings

Before writing off any golf course, it's important to remember that ratings are snapshots in time.

Golf courses are living, breathing businesses that can improve dramatically with new ownership, additional maintenance budgets or favorable weather conditions. A course that struggled one season may look completely different the next.

Missouri's golf landscape remains one of the Midwest's strongest, anchored by nationally recognized destinations such as Branson Hills, Buffalo Ridge, Payne's Valley and Ozarks National. Those highly rated facilities help showcase the state's golf potential.

As for the state's lowest-rated courses, their rankings serve less as a final verdict and more as a reminder of how difficult it is to maintain a golf facility in an era of rising costs and increasingly demanding golfer expectations.

Sometimes the difference between a hidden gem and a golfer's nightmare is simply a few seasons of investment, attention and care.

Troon Country Club Embarks on Comprehensive Practice Facility and Water Storage Enhancement Project

(Scottsdale, Ariz.) – Troon Country Club in Scottsdale, Arizona has initiated a significant enhancement project focusing on its practice facilities and water storage systems, aiming to elevate the member experience and improve resource management. Construction began on May 1, 2026, and is being led by golf course architect Phil Smith, the late Tom Weiskopf’s design partner. The $4.3-million-dollar project is expected to take six months to complete.

The redesigned practice facility will feature expanded tee space on the practice range, a larger putting green mirroring slopes found on the golf course, and a 50,000-square-foot short game practice area. These enhancements are designed to position Troon Country Club at the forefront of premier practice facilities in the Southwest.

The practice range is slated to reopen in early November immediately following overseeding, while the new putting green and short game areas are expected to be available December 1st. Additionally, the club plans to introduce Celebrity Greens artificial turf practice mats on the south end tee, coinciding with the start of the 2026-27 season, to allow members to utilize the practice range during frost delays and after inclement weather.

The entirety of the new practice tee will be equipped with TrackMan range technology to provide members with the benefit to practice with feedback and purpose. TrackMan will give all players eight actionable data points that they can use to improve their game. Even more exciting is the virtual course feature that will allow members to play and practice on some of the best courses in the world, including Troon Country Club, as TrackMan will produce a digital 3D animation of the course.

The new 12,500-square-foot practice putting green is 4,000 square feet larger than the original green and will offer increased slope and movement, providing members with practice conditions that mirror on-course scenarios.

The north end of the practice facility is being expanded to create a new 50,000-square-foot short game practice area, more than four times the size of the current facility. This area will enable members to practice various aspects of their short game, including chips, pitches, bunker shots, and short wedge shots ranging from 50 to 60 yards. The design includes a large primary greenside bunker accommodating multiple members simultaneously. A second, smaller bunker offers an additional option for greenside and longer fairway bunker practice.

In parallel, the club is addressing its water storage capabilities by enhancing the three ponds located on the seventh, eighth, and ninth holes. These ponds, occupying 2.1 acres and storing 3.5 million gallons of water, are essential for irrigating the golf course. Engineers have determined that by increasing the surface area by the maximum allowed 0.47 acres and expanding the width and depth below the surface, the storage capacity will be more than doubled. Relining the ponds aims to mitigate seepage caused by perforations in the original liners, thereby improving water conservation. The club is utilizing the sand and gravel material from the ponds in the mounding and slopes of the new practice facility.

These initiatives build upon the club’s 2020 golf course renovation, which upgraded and modernized the irrigation system. Since then, Troon Country Club’s overall water usage has decreased compared to pre-renovation levels, even considering lower average annual precipitation in recent years.

“This project marks another important milestone in the continued evolution of our club and underscores the strong commitment of our membership,” said Troon Country Club General Manager Garrett Wallace. “Since the 2017 clubhouse renovation, we have experienced remarkable positive momentum throughout the club. Our members have consistently demonstrated their belief in the long-term vision by reinvesting in the property, and with these latest enhancements, total member investment now exceeds $30 million. This level of support not only strengthens our foundation but ensures we continue delivering an exceptional experience for our membership today and well into the future.”

For more information on Troon Country Club, visit www.trooncc.com or call Nicole Niemann, Director of Sales and Marketing, at 480-473-5093.

Coeur d'Alene Casino Guests Cash Higher Average Jackpot Payouts in 2026

Golf resort home to SBC Americas “Tribal Casino of the Year” for North and South America

(WORLEY, Idaho) – Golfers love to gamble almost as much as they like to play award-winning courses. Few places indulge those passions as successfully as Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel, home to Circling Raven Golf Club, the top-ranked layout in Idaho and a “Top 100 Resort Course” in America.

Coeur d’Alene Casino reported in late 2025 that visitors to the Coeur d’Alene Tribe-owned entertainment venue hit more jackpots and collected more winnings for the year, the third year in a row that new highs were set in each stat. Good news keeps coming as guests are cashing an average of nearly $1,000 more per jackpot thus far in 2026 ($3.3k in ’26, $2.4k in ’25).

The casino’s Director of Video Gaming, Michelle Whaley, said that the time to process jackpots continues to remain at faster payout times, too. “Our quality of customer service is not lapsing with these increased volumes,” she said.

One would expect nothing less from Coeur d’Alene Casino, which was named “Tribal Operator of the Year” in North and South America by SBC Americas in June 2025. The Tribal Operator of the Year award honored the company that “demonstrated exceptional achievements across multiple areas, including operational excellence, market growth, branding expertise, innovation, commitment to responsible gaming, and dedication to tribal community development,” SBC Americas stated.

Giving back to guests and the community are a core pillar of the Tribe – it has donated more than $37 million to local, state, and regional entities, leading with education. These latest jackpot statistics illuminate how the giving extends beyond philanthropy.

For more information about Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel, call 1 800-523-2464 or visit cdacasino.com.  Information can also be found at:

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