PGA Tour outlines promotion and relegation rules for 2028 Championship Series

The PGA Tour confirmed that its new two-tier format will start in 2028, with only 90 of the 120 places in the top-level Championship Series guaranteed for the following season. The remaining 30 spots will be filled by promotion from the 144-player Challenger Series, which will advance its top 20 finishers and any player who wins two Challenger events during the year.

The No. 1 finisher in the PGA Tour University program after the NCAA championships will receive an immediate Championship Series card, while the next four graduates will enter the Challenger Series. A four-event “Last Chance” series in the fall will award three additional Championship Series cards to a field that includes relegated Championship players, unpromoted Challenger players, the top 20 Korn Ferry Tour finishers, PGA Tour University graduates ranked 2-5, and the top five Q-School qualifiers.

Players in the top 50 of the career money list retain a one-time exemption to remain in the Championship Series if they are relegated, but the exemption can be used only in the year of relegation. Medical extensions will be granted on a limited basis after review by an independent committee of medical experts.

"Any Championship Series win — or one at a major championship or the Players Championship — gives players an extra two-year exemption into the Championship Series," the tour’s rules state, noting that multiple wins in a single season do not stack additional exemptions.

Exemptions earned from tournament victories through 2026 will continue for the originally specified duration. Winners of major championships, the Players Championship, or designated signature events in 2027 will secure Championship Series membership through 2029 and Challenger Series status through 2031 if needed. Winners of other full-field events in 2027 will receive Championship Series spots for 2028, while fall-event winners will obtain Challenger status through 2029.

Championship Series spots for 2028 will also be allocated based on FedEx Cup points: the top 30 point earners from the 2026 playoffs already have spots, the top 70 after the 2027 Tour Championship and the top 95 after the fall series will be locked in. Additionally, the top 10 Korn Ferry Tour finishers will join the inaugural Championship Series, with the next 30 gaining Challenger Series entry. The leading PGA Tour University graduate, the top player on PGA Tour Americas, and selected medical exemptions will also receive spots.

The tour said it is still discussing access for top performers from the DP World Tour as part of its strategic alliance, leaving the pathway for former LIV Golf players uncertain. Current PGA Tour policy suspends players who leave for LIV Golf for one year after their final LIV event, unless the policy is altered.

Players who would retain PGA Tour exemptions through 2028 based on major wins or a 20-win lifetime exemption include Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson.