This season, Daniel Hillier is in the mix for PGA Tour qualification through the same route, currently 11th on the DP World Tour standings, with three PGA Tour players – Rory McIlroy, Patrick Reed and Aaron Rai – above him.
A representative of the PGA Tour told the Herald that eligibility criteria for both series was still to be finalised, but would be ahead of the 2027 season – including access for DP World Tour players as part of the strategic alliance between tours.
The current alliance expires next year and PGA Tour chief executive Brian Rolapp said this week that discussions around what the partnership between the two tours would look like were ongoing.
Daniel Hillier, who won the New Zealand Open this year, is 11th on the DP World Tour season standings. Photo / Photosport
“That’s all being discussed. It hasn’t been decided. We’ve had a really successful relationship with the DP World Tour, inclusive of those cards,” he said.
“I think as we create this new model – and the timing is very good because we’re having current discussions with the DP World Tour. That is yet to be decided, but that’s one of the many things we’re speaking about.”
Rolapp did, however, indicate pathways such as the Korn Ferry Tour and PGA Tour Americas would lead into the second-tier PGA Tour Challenger Series.
“This system is really designed to bring more value to our partners. The details of how all of our commercial agreements will work, we’re going to work that out. But our hope is to create more value for FedEx and everybody else. We’re in an existing contract, and we’re going to honour that.
“As far as the other pathways … whether that’s Korn Ferry or PGA Tour Americas, I think we have more work to do on that, but we remain committed to investing in that in order that we continue to build a pipeline of the next generation of PGA Tour players. So there will be pathways into the Challenger Series to do that.”
The change to the tour structure also brings a shift in the PGA Fall Series – generally contested by PGA Tour players looking to hold onto their cards for another year or prospects looking to earn their way into the main tour for the next year.
The new autumn calendar will touch every level of the Tour and was set to include a limited series of elevated international events with top players from the Championship Series, which the PGA Tour intended to deliver in partnership with the DP World Tour.
“The DP World Tour, I mentioned we’re currently having conversations around our strategic alliance that expires in 2027. We would like to partner with them as part of our fall and for lack of a better word, off-season, so that we can actually bring more of our players internationally.”
Under the current PGA Tour format, the top 125 players in the FedEx Cup rankings at the season’s end retain their card for the following season. This includes the autumn tournaments, despite those being played after the Tour Championship winner is crowned.
In the new format, the two tiers will have separate points lists, with Championship Tour events having a consistent points system for every event, as opposed to the current format, which has four levels of events with different point allocations.
The Challenger Series will have a minimum of 20 promotion spots available, with promotion ensuring entry into every event on the Championship Series outside of the four majors and The Players Championship.
The Championship Series is expected to feature 130 golfers, with at least the top 90 retaining their place for the following season. Those who fail to meet that mark will go into the autumn series to try and earn their place that way.
Players will also be able to be relegated out of the Challenger Series, however the PGA Tour has not yet released specific information about that process.
Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.