A PGA Tour Latinoamerica occasion in Mexico in 2020.

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You thought the Designated occasions and all the opposite scheduling modifications on the prime had been all of the PGA Tour was engaged on for 2024? Suppose once more.

The Tour introduced Tuesday that it’s going to merge the PGA Tour Latinoamerica and PGA Tour Canada, creating the PGA Tour Americas, which is able to start play subsequent season.

For the final decade or so, the Latinoamerica and Canada excursions have operated separate 12- and 10-event schedules, respectively, with distinct memberships, each rewarding the top-5 finishers for the season Korn Ferry Tour playing cards for the next season.

However beginning in 2024, these two circuits will likely be rolled right into a unified PGA Tour Americas with a 16-event schedule consisting of a Latin American swing and North American swing, with occasions in each the USA and Canada. The highest 10 finishers will acquire full standing on the Korn Ferry Tour.

Right here’s what you have to know:

16-event schedule

As a substitute of two separate excursions, the PGA Tour Americas will encompass two swings; one in Latin and South America from February to Might and one other in the USA and Canada from June to September. There will likely be a complete of 16 occasions.

Presently, the Latin American tour begins in December whereas the Canadian tour doesn’t begin till June.

The brand new system will keep away from the overlap between the 2 excursions that presently exists from June to early-July.

Solely the top-60 gamers on the PGA Tour Americas factors checklist will likely be assured to maneuver on from the Latin America swing to the North America swing. In between the 2 legs will likely be a midseason Q College.

The total schedule for the 2024 season will likely be introduced in September. Purse sizes and level distribution will come near the beginning of the brand new tour in February 2024.

Who will play?

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Full eligibility standards for the brand new tour are usually not but outlined, however the PGA Tour introduced the top-60 finishers on each this yr’s Latinoamerica Tour and Canada Tour factors lists will likely be exempt for the Latin America swing.

From there, eligibility standards can be just like that of the present excursions and embody finishers from past the fortieth spot in PGA Tour Q College. There’s additionally an exemption for the highest finisher on the APGA Tour who’s a member of the APGA Improvement program. The Latinoamérica Dev Sequence will even provide entry to the primary swing.

When the Tour shifts to North America, the mid-season Q college will provide entry each to gamers with out standing and those that didn’t end within the prime 60 of the primary swing. That is additionally when finishers 6-20 within the PGA Tour College rating will likely be added to the membership after graduating school.

Korn Ferry playing cards and Q-College exemptions

On the finish of the North American swing, the top-10 finishers on the PGA Tour Americas factors checklist will likely be granted Korn Ferry Tour playing cards for the next season and exempt by the third reshuffle.

However there are additionally 5 extra conditional Korn Ferry Tour playing cards accessible to the top-two finishers from the Latin America swing and the top-three finishers on the North America swing, in the event that they weren’t within the season-long prime 10.

All of these gamers will then be exempt to the ultimate stage of PGA Tour Q College the place, beginning once more this yr, the top-5 finishers and ties will likely be awarded PGA Tour playing cards. The subsequent 15 finishers on the season-long checklist, together with the rest of the top-10 performers in every swing will likely be exempt into the second stage of Q-College. All PGA Tour Americas members will likely be exempt into the primary stage.

Nonetheless with us?!

What do gamers suppose?

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When the PGA Tour held a gathering with gamers on the Latinoamerica Tour Tuesday night from this week’s occasion in Peru to debate the modifications, emotions had been considerably combined, mentioned Josh Goldenberg, who has performed on each excursions since turning professional in 2019.

“It’s good that now there are going to be 15, roughly, playing cards for Korn Ferry, whereas for Latin and Canada this yr there’s solely 5,” Goldenberg informed GOLF Tuesday night. “However on the similar time, the competitors might be going to be higher as a result of they’re taking the most effective — prime of each [tours] — and it’s a must to play effectively on that first collection of occasions to then get to the second a part of the season.”

Ryan Davis, who holds conditional standing on the PGA Tour Canada for the upcoming season, informed GOLF he additionally felt “detached” towards the modifications. He mentioned a variety of the draw back might be from elevated journey. Many aspiring execs beforehand picked one tour or the opposite, whereas these with means may try and play each.

“It’s just about the identical as a result of now there are 10 spots for Korn Ferry Tour up for grabs and it was 5 for every tour earlier than,” Davis mentioned. “It’s good to have one thing to play in all yr lengthy now, although. Hopefully, the purses are elevated as a result of, with that a lot journey, it’s going to be laborious to make any cash.”

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Purses for this season’s Latinoamerica tour had been $175,000 with the Tour Championship providing $200,000. The Canada tour’s purses are barely bigger, between $200,000 and $225,000, relying on the occasion. Winner’s shares vary from $31,500 for many Latinoamerica occasions whereas the winner of the Canada tour’s last occasion will take house $40,500.

Goldenberg, who’s seventeenth on the PGA Tour Latinoamerica factors checklist, mentioned these purses have been the identical since earlier than he turned professional. Increased purses may make the distinction for gamers who had been solely anticipating to play on one tour.

Total, Goldberg mentioned, the trail to the Korn Ferry Tour turns into just a bit bit extra environment friendly and simpler to grasp with the brand new Tour.

“You could have the power to plan your schedule higher,” he mentioned. “Whereas earlier than you had one season or one tour you performed on and you then needed to both go to Q college for the opposite tour if you happen to didn’t have standing from the yr prior. So your season wasn’t as clear as to what occasions you’ll play in.

“I feel this enables you the power to try this if you happen to play effectively. And I feel on the finish of the day enjoying effectively takes care of every thing.”

Jack Hirsh
Patacon.org Editor

Jack Hirsh is an assistant editor at GOLF. A Pennsylvania native, Jack is a 2020 graduate of Penn State College, incomes levels in broadcast journalism and political science. He was captain of his highschool golf staff and nonetheless *tries* to stay aggressive in native amateurs. Earlier than becoming a member of GOLF, Jack spent two years working at a TV station in Bend, Oregon, primarily as Multimedia Journalist/reporter, but in addition producing, anchoring and even presenting the climate. He may be reached at [email protected].