PGA Tour to Introduce Two-Week Matchplay Finale in 2028

The PGA Tour will introduce a two-week matchplay finish to its end-of-season playoffs from 2028, replacing the current conclusion based on strokeplay. BBC Sport reported that PGA Tour chief executive Brian Rolapp confirmed the revised Tour Championship will be staged across two courses and use a head-to-head format.

The change will bring matchplay back to the PGA Tour for the first time since 2023. Rory McIlroy, a three-time FedEx Cup winner, said the plan shows officials have listened to supporters who wanted the format restored. The world number two said Rolapp outlined the proposal to him last week and described the overhaul as a major move that he likes in principle.

Under the present system, the FedEx Cup playoffs comprise three strokeplay events. The series starts with the top 70 players on the season-long points list and ends at the Tour Championship. BBC Sport reported that this week's finale at East Lake in Atlanta has a $40 million purse, while noting that the lucrative series has continued to face questions about fan engagement.

McIlroy said the existing playoffs have rewarded players and provided a clear culmination to the season. He also linked the new matchplay concept directly to audience demand, arguing that the two-week plan grew largely from what golf viewers wanted. Detailed mechanics for progression through the two events were not included in the BBC report, leaving the precise competition structure still to be clarified.

The playoff revision forms part of a broader PGA Tour reorganization planned for 2028. A Championship series and a Challenger series are due to be established, with promotion and relegation connecting the two levels. The regular season is expected to consist of 15 tournaments played from February through August, creating a more defined competitive calendar before the postseason begins.

McIlroy said the shorter PGA Tour window could also give the DP World Tour an opportunity to concentrate major international events in the remaining five months of the year. He suggested that a compact run of leading tournaments could encourage more primarily US-based players to take membership and compete for an end-of-season objective. For now, the confirmed change is that the PGA Tour's 2028 champion will emerge from a two-venue matchplay finale rather than the current three-event strokeplay sequence.