PGA Tour Playoff Locations
PGA Tour Players Share Diverse Views on Future Postseason Locations Amid Schedule Changes
The PGA Tour's FedEx Cup playoffs have been brutal this summer. Three straight events in Memphis, St. Louis, and Atlanta during a heat wave left players frustrated and looking for answers, according to Daily Item. Relief is coming — but not until 2028, when the BMW Championship leaves Bellerive and moves to Liberty National in New Jersey.
With that change locked in, players are now speaking up about where the postseason should go long-term. The debate touches on weather, TV ratings, and what makes the best golf experience for fans and competitors alike.
Players Push for Southeast Swing, Reject West Coast
Several players suggested the Southeast as the ideal home for playoff golf. The region offers reliable late-summer weather and strong golf fan bases. Meanwhile, the West Coast drew near-universal skepticism. Houston Chronicle reported that players said the West Coast swing isn't in a good spot on the calendar and that moving playoffs there would not help TV ratings.
Beaumont Enterprise noted that players specifically said the West Coast should only be played "when it should" — meaning earlier in the season. Moving major postseason events there late in the year, they argued, would hurt viewership and momentum heading into the Tour Championship.
BMW Championship Is the Only Event That Moves
Of the three FedEx Cup playoff events, only the BMW Championship will change venues. It moves from Bellerive — this year's host — to Liberty National in New Jersey starting in 2028, according to Yahoo Sports. The other two events stay put. That limited flexibility has pushed players to call for bigger structural changes down the road.
"Playing in the Southeast once would be a good idea," one player noted, per Yahoo Sports. The idea is to rotate into cooler, fan-friendly markets rather than stacking consecutive events in the same sweltering region during peak summer heat.
McIlroy and Scott Offer Competing Visions for the Future
Not everyone agrees on the fix. Rory McIlroy took a broader view, pointing to Formula 1's decision to move from Las Vegas to Qatar as a model for bold venue changes. McIlroy suggested the Tour should think just as boldly about where it stages its biggest events, according to Las Vegas Sun.
Adam Scott, who sits on PGA Tour player boards, raised a different concern. He suggested the best and most iconic courses don't always suit how modern Tour players actually play, according to Beaumont Enterprise. That tension — between prestige venues and player-friendly setups — is a key part of the postseason debate.
$40 Million Tour Championship Purse Adds More Stakes
The financial pressure around the playoffs is also rising. The Tour Championship now carries a $40 million purse, and all of it counts as official money, according to Daily Item. That makes the FedEx Cup postseason one of the richest stretches in professional golf — and raises the stakes for getting the format and locations right.
On the women's side, the American Solheim Cup team is nearly complete. Captain Angela Stanford still has three captain's picks to make, which will round out the U.S. squad, per Las Vegas Sun.
Sentiment
NeutralPublishers
5
Articles
4
Reach
5
