In a note sent to its members on Wednesday, the PGA TOUR announced four additional events that will have high purses and guaranteed appearances by the TOUR’s top players in 2023. These four events join the 13 announced by commissioner Jay Monahan during the championship of this year’s TOUR.
RELATED: How players qualify for 2023 events with high purses
The four events announced Wednesday, which will each have a $20 million purse, are the WM Phoenix Open, RBC Heritage, Wells Fargo Championship and Travelers Championship. Previously announced events that will offer increased scholarships and have commitments from top TOUR players are:
• The four majors and THE PLAYERS
• Three FedExCup Playoffs events (FedEx St. Jude Championship, BMW Championship, TOUR Championship)
• Three invitational tournaments organized by players (Genesis Invitational, Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, Memorial Tournament presented by Workday)
• Sentry Tournament of Champions
• WGC-Dell Technologies correspondence game
Players who finished in the top 20 of the Player Impact 2022 program must participate in all high events for which they are eligible, as well as at least three additional events. The commitment to compete on a pre-determined schedule and play at least 20 times per year is the result of unprecedented collaboration between the TOUR’s top players.
“Our best players are firmly behind TOUR,” Commissioner Monahan said at the TOUR Championship, where Rory McIlroy won his third FedExCup title. “Helping us deliver an unparalleled product to our fans, who will be almost guaranteed to see the best players compete in 20 or more events throughout the season. It’s an extraordinary and unprecedented commitment, a testament to who are these guys and what they believe in.
Gathering the best players in the game more often is also a huge win for fans and partners.
“When I watch a Tampa Bay Buccaneers game, I expect to see Tom Brady throwing a football,” McIlroy told TOUR Championship. “When I log on to a Formula 1 race, I expect to see Lewis Hamilton in a car.
The four events announced Wednesday represent some of the oldest events on the TOUR and take place at some of its most recognizable venues. The WM Phoenix Open dates back to 1932, while the RBC Heritage (1969) and Travelers Championship (1952) each debuted over half a century ago. TPC Scottsdale hosts the TOUR’s busiest event and is home to the famous par-3 16th. Harbor Town Golf Links, which has hosted the RBC Heritage every year since its inception, was a collaboration between World Golf Hall of Fame members Pete Dye and Jack Nicklaus and the first every man designed course to be used on the TOUR . The host site for travelers, TPC River Highlands, has hosted the TOUR for almost 40 years and is home to one of the TOUR’s most exciting arrival stretches. The Wells Fargo Championship debuted 20 years ago; its host site, Quail Hollow Club, first hosted a TOUR event in the 1960s and also served as the site for that year’s PGA Championship and Presidents Cup.
The four events announced Wednesday will continue to award 500 FedExCup points to the winner, up from 550 to the winner of the Sentry Tournament of Champions, The Genesis Invitational, Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard and Memorial Tournament presented by Workday, as before. announcement.
The strong slate of events with high purses and top player commitments is the result of an ongoing process of collaboration between the TOUR and its top players which included a players-only meeting at this year’s BMW Championship in Wilmington, Delaware. While the unprecedented commitment of the stars of the game to participate in these events is revolutionary, players from all TOUR members can benefit from these high purses. Events with high purses will retain their traditional eligibility criteria in 2023, allowing over 120 players to compete for these increased purses most weeks. Players will also continue to have the chance to make history each week they play on the PGA TOUR, just like Tom Kim did by winning the Wyndham Championship, where he became the second-youngest winner on the TOUR. since World War II. Only Jordan Spieth, who won the 2013 John Deere Classic at 19, was younger.
The changes for 2023 are in concert with other improvements Commissioner Monahan announced during the TOUR Championship, including an expansion of the Player Impact Program and a minimum of $500,000 in revenue for anyone with a TOUR card. , as well as other sweeping changes.
The four newly announced elevated events are only for 2023; four entirely different tournaments could achieve this designation in 2024. As always, the PGA TOUR will continue to evaluate and evolve to ensure the legacy and success of every tournament on its schedule.
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