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PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan Sends Letter to Members Announcing Changes Amid Battle with LIV Golf

A flurry of changes is coming to the PGA Tour in the near future in an attempt to stay competitive with the upstart LIV Golf league, which has poached several top golf stars. Commissioner Jay Monahan released a list of upcoming changes on Wednesday.

Monahan sent out a memo to PGA Tour members this week regarding the changes, most of which will take effect for the 2022-23 season. Money and exposure prove to be two major themes.

The Tour will identify 20 top players from the PIP (Player Impact Program) and those individuals will commit to a 20-event schedule — playing for more money. The schedule will include 12 “elevated events,” the four major championships and four more tournaments to be identified later.

Players will also receive a $5,000 stipend for missed cuts in an effort to combat travel expenses and other tournament-related costs. There will also no longer be a 15-year minimum for lifelong membership. Those who accumulate 20 wins will earn that honor.

Below are the other changes coming to the PGA Tour:

PGA Tour Announcement Comes After Players Meeting

During the week of the BMW Championship, the PGA Tour made headlines when Tiger Woods called a “private meeting” among the league’s top players. During those discussions, “everything” was on the table regarding change with the tour.

Rory McIlroy said Woods still carries a ton of weight on the PGA Tour.

“I think it’s pretty apparent that whenever we all get in the room, there’s an alpha in there, and it’s not me,” McIlroy said, per USA Today.

The PGA Tour searched for ways to combat LIV Golf, especially as it builds momentum. Early on, it seemed as though the startup league didn’t have much popularity among the sport’s top players. With Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson and others leaving, it’s now a much more formidable opponent.

For the PGA Tour to create a more appealing opportunity for the sport’s top players, it had to get creative. It should elevate the interest level among fans, too.