And then there were 14. That’s how many bids the PGA Tour received to sponsor the remaining Championship Series events beginning in 2028 when the circuit moves to a new competitive model, according to industry sources.
At last month’s Tour Championship, Tour CEO Brian Rolapp said the circuit had already identified two of the remaining six regular season upper-tier events beginning in 2028. He also said the Tour had 14 “prospective partners” for the remaining four Championship Series events.
According to sources familiar with the situation, the Tour asked those 14 prospective partners to submit their best offers — which are estimated to be more than $30 million annually with built-in escalators — by Sept. 30. The Tour will go through the evaluation process now and final decisions on the remaining Championship Series events are expected later this fall.
The Tour’s new competitive model will begin in 2028 and feature 24 Championship Series events that includes the majors, The Players Championship and the international team events. The series would also include a two-event post-season 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, Calif.
The Tour plans to announce the entire 2028 Championship Series schedule on Feb. 22 on Golf Channel. Sources say the Tour will also begin confirming Challenger Series events this fall.
Based on what’s already been announced, it’s likely current signature events would be included in the Championship Series. That would include the Genesis Invitational in Los Angeles and AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, which have not been announced as Championship Series events. It’s also likely the WM Phoenix Open would be a candidate for top-tier status.
The Tour has also suggested a desire to add major markets to its Championship Series lineup like Boston, Denver, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C.
The Tour’s policy boards are scheduled to meet on Nov. 16 for the final time in 2026.
