Tensions Grow in PGA Tour as Scottie Scheffler & More Clash Over $100 Million Tournament Format

Scottie Scheffler has long expressed his concern over the current PGA Tour Championship format, calling it “silly” just last year. Despite being far and away the leader in the FedEx Cup standings heading into the playoffs, Scheffler believes that, for a tournament that runs throughout the year, the current format does not judge a player’s performance over the entire season in fairly and consistent manner. If not for the last year, this was the only title the 2x Masters winner did not have in his cabinet. Still, Scheffler stands true to his stance. On the other hand, the reigning Masters champion Rory McIlroy, who has won the FedEx format a record three times, favors the current format, because “if it wasn’t this format,” then no one would stand a chance against Scottie because “he’s so far ahead.” 

Now, a year later, when the playoffs are just four months away, it’s not just Scheffler pushing for change. Just a month back, during his presser at the 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational, Scheffler confirmed that he and the other PAC (Player Council Members) are discussing multiple new formats. “There are a few different formats that I think we’re looking at right now. Some of ’em good, some of ’em were bad. I’m not really going to go into details of those formats because we’re still ironing them out,” Scheffler explained. Amid Scheffler’s strong stance, Adam Scott, who has joined the PGA Tour’s policy board to “help turn the FedEx Cup into one of the biggest trophies in sports—like the Stanley Cup or Lombardi Trophy,” has only intensified the debate with his latest take. “I’ve been sidetracked a lot,” Scott confirmed.

According to Scott, the starting strokes format, which was introduced in 2019, has been a point of contention among players, with Scott describing it as “gimmicky.” This format gives FedEx Cup leaders a head start in the Playoff finale, but players believe it undermines the prestige of winning the $100 million Tour Championship. Sam Burns added that the current format can be confusing for fans, saying, “There’s a bit of a disconnect.” 

The idea of changing the format isn’t new, and players have been discussing potential changes. As Charlie Hulme mentioned on the Smylie Kaufman show on YouTube, Scottie Scheffler noted that “we were getting closer to where we need to be,” suggesting that players are working towards a compromise. Match play, however, has been ruled out due to concerns about TV ratings and competitiveness. Scott expressed concerns about a match play format, saying, “The players did not want to play a format for the Tour Championship that was materially different from stroke play that they play all season long, and they found that to be silly.” With match play off the table, the Tour is looking to create a more straightforward and respected format. Scott stated, “It’s hard to wrap your head around you play one style all season and then your final event is an entirely different format.” This year might serve as a “bridge year” to more significant changes in 2026. The players are working to get buy-in from TV networks, including NBC and CBS, as well as sponsors like FedEx, before finalizing the new format.

Additionally, there isn’t much time left as the tournament is only a few months away, and a lot of things need to be confirmed before that for the changes to get implemented. Scott emphasized that securing player support is crucial before moving forward with a board vote, saying, “It’s a good start. Look, things have to move quickly now. I’d be surprised if it isn’t dealt with in the next couple of weeks.”

Smylie Kaufman shared his thoughts on the potential format changes, stating, “I think if you get the eight guys playing on Sunday… it could be really interesting. But it just kind of feels like a Monday qualifier to me… it’s just like a shootout.” Kaufman also questioned the logic of changing the format from stroke play to a different format for the final day, saying, “If you’re basing an entire year off of stroke play, well, why would you just change your entire way you judge the format?” The discussions around the format changes are ongoing, with players and TV networks having different opinions on the matter.

Jay Monahan on the Format Changes

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan discussed the potential changes to the Tour Championship format, stating that the topic was heavily covered in last week’s policy board meeting and will be further discussed by the player advisory council. Monahan expressed optimism that the input from players and others will lead to a positive outcome, saying, “If we’re spending this amount of time on it and getting this level of input, and the players are taking an active role in helping us define what would ultimately be an improvement in the Tour Championship, I’d like to think that that’s going to lead to a result.”

Top Comment by Severamp99

I believe the pga tour has lost its «prestige» Why wouldn’t its marquee event cave also. There will be no viewership gains...more

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Monahan also highlighted the Tour’s goals for making any changes, emphasizing the need for the new format to resonate with fans and players alike. “We want to make sure that the moves that we’re making… respond to fans, and that the players themselves believe in and have advocated for before we make any changes,” he said. While there’s no hard deadline for finalizing changes, Monahan noted that it couldn’t happen once the playoffs have already started. The Tour is aiming to implement changes, if any, in time for this year’s FedEx Cup playoff finale at East Lake.