PGA Tour Revamps FedEx Cup TOUR Championship Format, Eliminates Starting Strokes
The PGA Tour has announced a major change to its Tour Championship format, scrapping the Starting Strokes system in favour of a more traditional structure.
In a significant shift aimed at enhancing competitiveness and viewer engagement, the PGA Tour has announced the elimination of the controversial “Starting Strokes” format for its season-ending Tour Championship. Introduced in 2019, the format gave players a head start based on their FedEx Cup standings, with the leader beginning the tournament at 10-under par.
While it simplified the path to determining the FedEx Cup champion, it often led to confusion and diminished the drama of the final event.
Starting in 2025, the Tour Championship will revert to a traditional 72-hole stroke-play format, with all 30 qualifying players beginning at even par.
The player with the lowest aggregate score over four rounds will be crowned the Tour Championship winner, while the FedEx Cup champion will be determined based on a separate points-based system that accounts for performance throughout the playoffs.
This change is designed to restore the integrity of the tournament as a standalone competition while still rewarding season-long excellence.
PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan emphasized that the decision was driven by feedback from players, fans, and broadcasters who wanted a more straightforward and exciting conclusion to the season.
“We believe this format will deliver the most compelling competition and best showcase the incredible talent of our players,” Monahan said. The move also aligns with broader efforts to make the Tour more fan-friendly and transparent in its scoring and storytelling.
The revamped format is expected to bring renewed intensity to the Tour Championship, as all players will now have an equal shot at winning the tournament title. Meanwhile, the FedEx Cup race will retain its prestige, with the season-long points system ensuring that consistent excellence is still rewarded. This dual-focus approach aims to strike a balance between fairness and spectacle, potentially setting a new standard for how golf’s biggest prizes are decided.