Padraig Harrington blasts “terrible” PGA Tour proposals

You can add Padraig Harrington’s name to the list of players unhappy at proposed changes coming to the PGA Tour.

Appearing on the Golf Channel ahead of this week’s Charles Schwab Cup Championship, the three-time major champion described plans to, amongst other things, reduce the number of playing opportunities, scrap Monday qualifiers and reduce fines for slow play as “just terrible”.

The proposed changes were leaked last week and, if ratified, will come into effect from the start of the 2026 season.

“I can’t think about how bad it is,” Harrington told the Golf Today show. “At the end of the day, the people on the inside are voting to keep the thing tighter and more closed.

“The tour was running just fine. I know there’s a little bit of pressure to finish on time when fields go to 156 at certain times of the season or 144, but players will deal with it.

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“They will handle that. They prepare for that. They know at the start of the year [they] might miss out on a few tournament [rounds] because of light.”

Using the thorny issue of pace of play to illustrate his point, the Irishman added: “Slow play is like driving in rush hour traffic. It’s just too many people on the golf course, and the tee times are too tight, so yes, this is a way of solving one of the big issues… but you want to give everybody the opportunity.

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“If this was like the Premier League, or the Championship, and there was a really, really good second tour, maybe the European Tour can be that. Maybe it works out. But to me, it definitely looks like the people on the inside are keeping it tighter.

“Not having a Monday qualifier, c’mon, that’s one of the most exciting things on the tour.

“The cut line is also one of the most exciting things on the tour but I know ‘no cut’ fields suit the sponsors. They want the leading names guaranteed to be there on the weekend.”

Michael McEwan is the Deputy Editor of bunkered and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

Deputy Editor