2026 PGA Tour Season: A Blend of Tradition and New Additions

The PGA Tour is preparing for its 2026 season, which promises to maintain many of the familiar elements that fans have come to expect. However, there are a few notable changes that will shape the upcoming schedule. While the Future Competitions Committee is considering various possibilities for future seasons, the 2026 season will largely follow the structure of recent years with some key exceptions.

The Start of the Season

The 2026 PGA Tour season will begin a week later than usual. This change comes after The Sentry at Kapalua Resort’s Plantation Course was canceled due to severe drought and water restrictions on Maui. No suitable replacement event could be found, leading to the decision to start the season on Oahu at Waialae Country Club for the Sony Open in Hawaii.

West Coast Swing and Schedule Adjustments

The West Coast Swing will proceed as usual, starting with The American Express and making stops at Torrey Pines, TPC Scottsdale, Pebble Beach, Spyglass, and Riviera Country Club. However, the Mexico Open has been moved out of the FedEx Cup regular-season portion of the schedule. Instead, it will be part of the fall schedule, with reports suggesting it will be held from October 29 to November 1.

There will be no changes to the Florida Swing or the Texas Two-Step (Houston and San Antonio) leading up to the Masters.

New Signature Events

In between the majors, the Tour has introduced a new signature event, the Cadillac Championship, scheduled for April 30 to May 3 at Trump National Doral’s Blue Monster near Miami. This addition means back-to-back signature events (with the Truist Championship) leading into the PGA Championship. From the Masters to the PGA Championship, there will be three signature events and two majors within a six-week period.

Major Championships and Other Events

The U.S. Open will be held at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club on Long Island in New York, where Brooks Koepka won in 2018. The British Open returns to Royal Birkdale, where Jordan Spieth claimed victory with incredible heroics in 2017.

The Corales Puntacana Championship in the Dominican Republic will transition from its traditional March date as an opposite-field event to July, aligning with the British Open. The Rocket Classic will also shift, moving from before the Open to after it, dropping back to the second-to-last regular-season event.

Playoff Structure and New Tournaments

The three FedEx Cup Playoff events remain largely unchanged, with the exception of the BMW Championship taking the top 50 to St. Louis and Bellerive Country Club this year. Another Midwest addition to the calendar is the biennial Presidents Cup, set to take place in late September at Medinah Country Club in Illinois.

Although the FedEx Cup Fall schedule has not been officially announced, the Tour has already named two new tournaments: the Biltmore Championship in Asheville at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove and the Good Good Championship at Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa in Austin, Texas.

Qualification and Exemptions

At the conclusion of the regular season, the top 70 players will qualify for the playoffs and secure playing privileges for the following year. The top 50 after the FedEx St. Jude Championship, the first playoff event, will gain access to all eight signature events. The top 30 after the BMW Championship, the second leg of the playoffs, will make it to East Lake for the Tour Championship, where all contestants start at even par and receive a two-year Tour exemption and traditionally a spot in the four majors the following year.

The Fall season is expected to be a fierce competition for cards, with only the top 100 fully exempt.

Conclusion

While change is on the horizon, the 2026 PGA Tour season will largely mirror the structure of previous years, with only a few new additions and adjustments. Fans can expect a mix of tradition and innovation as the Tour continues to evolve.