The PGA Tour separates superstars from other professional golfers with a grading system

The PGA Tour is reportedly set to split into tiers, meaning fans may officially only see stars competing in elite events, while other events will be open to others. According to veteran golf journalist Eamonn Lynch, Tour CEO Brian Rolapp will soon announce the new structure, which may upset every group associated with the game.

This week the PGA Tour is at Palm Beach Gardens for the Cognizant Classic 2026. However, over the years, the field has gradually seen fewer and fewer highly ranked players. This trend isn’t just limited to this week’s event, many other events have been star-less.

Earlier on Tuesday, February 24, the Future Competition Committee chaired by Tiger Woods held a meeting. According to Lynch’s latest article in Golfweek, Rolapp is set to announce the changes next month during the Players Championship.

For starters, the Tour introduced the signature event concept a few years ago, which actually split the schedule into two parts. While higher-ranked players had to compete in it mandatorily, they could choose from unsigned events.

Last week, at the Genesis Invitational, Tiger Woods spoke about the challenges of fixing the schedule.

“It was a huge challenge,” he said, according to the Herald Tribune. “It’s trying to serve literally everyone, from the player side, from our media partners, from all our title sponsors, from local communities or even changing places and going into bigger markets.”

“This is what we have to do from a competitive model to make our tour the best product it can be every year and still have room to improve. How can we do all of that at the same time?”

What’s next on the PGA Tour?

After the 2026 Cognizant Classic, the PGA Tour will move to Orlando for the Arnold Palmer Invitational, its third marquee event of the season. The event will take place March 5-8 at Bay Hill Club & Lodge in Orlando, Florida.

Furthermore, the PGA Tour will also host the opposite event, the Puerto Rico Open, which will be played simultaneously at Grand Reserve Golf Club in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico.

Here’s a look at the upcoming PGA Tour schedule:

• March 5-8: Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard (Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge)
• March 5-8: Puerto Rico Open (Grand Reserve Golf Club)
• March 12-15: Players Championship (TPC Sawgrass Stadium)
• March 19-22: Valspar Championship (Innisbrook Copperhead Resort Course)
• March 26-29: Texas Children’s Open in Houston (Memorial Park Golf Course)
• April 2-5: Valero Texas Open (TPC San Antonio Oaks)
• April 9-12: Masters Tournament (Augusta National Golf Club)