PGA Tour picks Championship events

The PGA Tour has spent the past two weeks showing, piece by piece, what its new top tier will look like in 2028. So far, the confirmed Championship Series events include the Travelers Championship in Connecticut, the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, The Sentry at Torrey Pines, a new Sompo-sponsored event and the Cadillac Championship at Trump National Doral. That list matters as much for who is missing as for who made it. The PGA Tour confirmed on Wednesday that the FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis — the FedEx Cup playoff opener since 2022 — will not be part of the Championship Series, and Golf Channel reported the event was “not under consideration” for that status. (golfchannel.com) ### Which events have been locked in so far? Five events have been publicly identified for the 2028 Championship Series. Golf Channel reported that the Travelers Championship, Arnold Palmer Invitational, The Sentry at Torrey Pines, the Cadillac Championship and a new Sompo-backed tournament are in the field of 15 regular-season events that will anchor the Tour’s new structure. (yourvalley.net) The Championship Series is the premium layer of the Tour’s 2028 competitive model. AP, as republished by YourValley, reported those 15 regular-season tournaments are slated to carry purses of at least $20 million, with the remaining events placed in a second-tier Challenger Series with minimum purses of $4 million. (golfchannel.com) ### Why does Memphis stand out in the rollout? Memphis stands out because the FedEx St. Jude Championship has been one of the Tour’s most visible recent events. The tournament has served as the leadoff FedEx Cup playoff stop since 2022, yet the Tour said it will not be in the new top tier. FedEx also sits at the center of that decision. (yourvalley.net) AP, in the YourValley report, said FedEx’s current sponsorship deal runs through 2027, which leaves the future of the playoff event and its place in the broader FedEx Cup structure under fresh scrutiny as the Tour builds the 2028 calendar. ### What do the selections say about the Tour’s priorities? (yourvalley.net) Brian Rolapp, the PGA Tour’s chief executive, has pointed to market strength and event fit in discussing the new series. In the Travelers announcement, Golf Channel quoted Rolapp as saying the tournament does “a lot of things that we’re looking for in a Championship Series event.” (yourvalley.net) The venues already chosen also show a pattern. Torrey Pines gives the Tour a municipal course in the San Diego market, Bay Hill keeps Arnold Palmer’s Orlando-area event in the top tier, and Doral restores a Cadillac-branded stop at a course with long Tour history. Those are facts from the rollout; the inference that venue profile, sponsor alignment and market value are driving selections is supported by the mix of announced sites and sponsors. (golfchannel.com) ### How far along is the 2028 schedule? Roughly half of the 15-event Championship Series has now been identified, according to Golf Channel and Sports Business Journal. Golf Channel said the Tour was expected to announce more Championship Series events before next month’s Tour Championship at East Lake in Atlanta. (golfchannel.com) East Lake itself has not yet been confirmed as a Championship Series venue. Golf Channel reported this week that Atlanta remains “a priority market and a strong fit,” but said East Lake’s place in the new structure was still to be determined. ### What happens next? The next markers are already on the calendar. The Sentry moves to Torrey Pines on Jan. 27-30, 2027, and the PGA Tour is expected to reveal additional Championship Series events before the 2026 Tour Championship at East Lake next month. (golfchannel.com 1) (golfchannel.com 2) (golfchannel.com 3)