PGA Tour rule to ban players who play “unauthorised tournaments’

A new PGA Tour rule could ban golfers from entering PGA Tour events for a year if they play in an unauthorised tournament, regardless of if they are a member of the US circuit.

As first reported by the Golf Channel, the regulation, which is detailed in the PGA Tour Player Handbook, says “any player who has participated in an unauthorised tournament is ineligible to compete in any event sanctioned by the PGA Tour for a period of one year.”

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An unauthorised tournament doesn’t necessarily mean a LIV Golf event, but “any golf event for which the commissioner has denied or has indicated he would deny all conflicting event releases and/or media releases or not eligible for releases because it is to be held in North America.”

The guidance goes onto state that, “To contribute to the success of a PGA Tour tournament or event and to permit PGA TOUR to fulfill its contractual obligations concerning representative fields, no PGA TOUR member shall participate in any other golf tournament or event on a date when a PGA Tour cosponsored tournament or event for which such member is exempt is scheduled.” 

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Essentially, if a player is eligible to play a PGA Tour event, but decides to skip it to play another tournament, they are at risk of a one-year ban. A player won’t be banned if they receive a release before the event, or if the event is part of their home nation’s tour.

This week, several PGA Tour players are playing the PIF Saudi International, after they were granted releases, including Cameron Young, Cameron Champ and Mito Periera.

The regulation will apply to not just main tour events, but to Monday qualifying, Korn Ferry Tour events and Q-School.