While the PGA Tour’s 2028 schedule – a dramatically remade model that will feature Championship Series (tier one) and Challenger Series (tier two) events – has come into focus the last few weeks, one event’s future in the reimagined lineup remains unclear.
The Charles Schwab Challenge has been a Tour staple since 1946, making it the circuit’s longest-running non-major event, and despite reports that Colonial’s status as a Tour venue may be nearing an end, sources familiar with the situation said the Tour is actively working to keep the Fort Worth, Texas, event in its ecosystem.
According to the sources, Charles Schwab, which has hosted the event at Colonial since 2019, submitted a bid for a Championship Series event that did not meet the going market rate, which is estimated to be more than $30 million annually with built-in escalators. Tour CEO Brian Rolapp said at the Tour Championship in August that there is more demand to sponsor Championship Series events beginning in ’28 than there are sponsorship opportunities.
According to a report on Golfweek.com, sources say that only one tournament in the Dallas-Fort Worth area will be chosen for the Championship Series and CJ, the title sponsor for the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, submitted a better offer than Charles Schwab.
The report also said that Colonial would likely pass on hosting a Challenger Series event, although sources tell GolfChannel.com that assessment is premature.
The Tour plans to announce the entire 2028 Championship Series schedule on Feb. 22 on Golf Channel. A number of Challenger Series events and sponsors are expected to be confirmed before that February announcement, according to sources.
Charles Schwab, which is also the umbrella sponsor of the PGA Tour Champions season-long points race and its postseason, could pivot to the over-50 circuit, like the Sony Open which will be that tour’s opening event starting next year after decades as a PGA Tour stop.
The PGA Tour’s new competitive model will begin in ’28 and feature 24 Championship Series events that include the majors, The Players Championship and the international team events. The series will also include a two-event postseason that will feature a form of match play and will be played at iconic venues.
The nine Championship Series events that have already been announced are the RBC Heritage, Truist Championship, Cadillac Championship at Doral, Travelers Championship, Arnold Palmer Invitational, the Memorial, The Sentry at Torrey Pines (Calif.), The GO by Raymond James (formerly the Wyndham Championship) and a new event that will be sponsored by Japan-based Sompo and will be played in 2027 in Napa, California.