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PGA Tour executives have confirmed that the format of the Tour Championship could change as early as this season. 

The Athletic first reported that the Tour was considering tweaks to the season-ender earlier this month, which could see the event end in match play. 

And, speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Tour officials said the ball is rolling on a move to alter the 30-man event at East Lake, held annually in August. 

It would rely on agreement between players, TV and FedEx, however. 

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“What’s the best version of the Tour Championship?” said Andy Weitz, chief marketing and communications officer.  

“We know how it works today; we know how the format implemented in 2019 has worked well, but the question is could it be better?” 

An answer to that may be offered soon, as the format change could be voted on for this season at the PGA Tour’s February board meeting. 

“As Andy said, if through this collaborative effort if we find a format that everyone feels really positive about, we may implement it as soon as this year,” said Tyler Dennis, the Tour’s chief competitions officer. 

Meanwhile, it wouldn’t be the first time the FedEx Cup play-off structure has introduced changes since its inception in 2009. 

The most recent was in 2019, when the Tour adopted today’s starting-strokes format that handicaps the limited field into a staggered start. 

That means – as shown by Scottie Scheffler in 2024 – the winner of the FedEx Cup does not have to shoot the lowest 72-hole score in Atlanta, Georgia. 

• Rory McIlroy urges ‘diminished’ PGA Tour to change

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Scheffler, 28, started the event with a two-stroke lead over Xander Schauffele and, ultimately, prevailed by four strokes over Collin Morikawa. 

Despite winning, the two-time Masters champion previously admitted that he thinks the current play-off format is “silly”. 

“You can’t call it a season-long race and have it come down to one tournament,” he said last August. 

“Hypothetically, we get to East Lake and my neck flares up and it doesn’t heal the way it did at the Players.  

“I finish 30th in the FedEx Cup because I had to withdraw from the last tournament. Is that really the season-long race? No, it is what it is.” 


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John Turnbull A graduate of the University of Stirling, John joined the bunkered team in 2023 as a Content Producer, with a responsibility for covering all breaking news, tour news, grassroots content and much more besides. A keen golfer, he plays the majority of his golf at Falkirk Golf Club. Top of his 'bucket list' is a round of Pebble Beach... ideally in the company of Gareth Bale.

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