Mark SchlabachMay 27, 2025, 07:28 PM ET
CloseSenior college football writer Author of seven books on college football Graduate of the University of GeorgiaOpen Extended Reactions
The PGA Tour is eliminating the controversial starting-strokes format from the Tour Championship in its latest attempt to make its season-ending tournament more compelling and climactic for golf fans, the tour announced Tuesday.
Starting with this year’s Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta from Aug. 21 to 24, all 30 players in the field will start at even par in a stroke-play tournament.
The winner after 72 holes will capture the FedEx Cup and collect a bonus and five-year PGA Tour exemption.
The PGA Tour’s Player Advisory Council (PAC) and policy board approved the changes Tuesday.
“Our Fan Forward Initiative has helped us evaluate each part of the PGA Tour season and today’s announcement is an important first step in the evolution of our postseason,” PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said in a statement. “The Player Advisory Council led a thorough process to respond to what our fans are asking for: The most competitive golf in the world, played for the highest stakes, in the most straightforward and engaging format.”
The PGA Tour considered other ways to play