New look to Q score: Five things to know about PGA Tour 2023

The PGA TOUR will see several dramatic changes in the new calendar year. The changes involve everything from newly-designed events to new pathways to the TOUR and more frequency of top players facing off against each other.

As per PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan, all members will benefit from the changes introduced.

“The TOUR is going to continue to grow by having the best players in the world committed to it, by us continuing to lean into and invest in our ethos, which is the single-best competitive platform.”, said Monahan during the TOUR Championship in August.

Here are 5 things to know about the New Year:

NEW LOOK

Rory McIlroy said they are committed to make product more compelling

The most significant change this year will bring is that we will see more faceoffs from the top players on tour, most importantly in designated events like THE PLAYERS, FedExCup Playoffs, Majors, and a few other tournaments.

“We’ve all made a commitment to get together more often to make the product more compelling.When I tune into a Tampa Bay Buccaneers game, I expect to see Tom Brady throw a football.” said Rory McIlroy, Player Director on the PGA TOUR’s Policy Board.

Tiger Woods’ Genesis Invitational, the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Jack Nicklaus’ Memorial Tournament World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play and Sentry Tournament of Champions will have elevated purses and the top 20 players in the Player Impact Program will feature in them.

Other tournaments include the WM Phoenix Open, RBC Heritage, Wells Fargo Championship and the Travelers Championship.

Tough Qualifications for the Playoffs

Fifty-five fewer players will make it to the 2023 FedExCup Playoff, and only the top 70 will qualify for the FedEx St. Jude Championship. This is to make qualification for the FedExCup Playoffs more difficult.

The BMW Championship will feature only 50 playerscompared to 70 in past seasons and the season-ending TOUR Championship will have a 30-man field.

WRAPPED UP

The wraparound season started with the 2013-14 campaign. After a decade-long stint, it is coming to an end as the TOUR schedule is set to move back to a calendar-year format.

The PGA TOUR will go back to a calendar-year schedule in 2024. Players who did not qualify for the smaller FedExCup Playoffs field or were not previously exempt for 2024 will compete for their TOUR cards in the new fall series. Details are expected to be announced in early 2023.

Q SCORE

TOUR cards will be available at Q-School once again. The top five finishers (and ties) at Q-School will qualify for the PGA TOUR while the others will get Korn Ferry Tour status.

“Bringing back the awarding of PGA TOUR cards at Q-School will be exciting for our fans, membership and potential new membership,” said Korn Ferry Tour President Alex Baldwin.

The top 10 finishers in the DP World Tour points race will receive TOUR cards. The top 30 from the KFT Points List will be getting the PGA TOUR cards.

The No. 1 player from the PGA TOUR University will get the PGA Tour Membership.

A REIMAGINED SEASON

The reimagined Korn Ferry Tour Finals, which includes the final four events of the season, will see an increased purse and points for players trying to get one of the 30 TOUR cards available.

Furthermore, the KFT season will be stretched till October for its 26 events so that players can get natural breaks.