As the PGA Tour moves closer to launching its new two-tier structure in 2028, Maverick McNealy says one principle will remain unchanged: players will earn their way to the top through performance.

The PGA Tour confirmed on X that the PGA Tour Challenger Series will give players a chance to earn promotion each year into the new Championship Series, which launches in 2028.

Ahead of the Travelers Championship on Tuesday, McNealy, a member of the Tour's Future Competition Committee, explained how that pathway will work.

"The best part about our sport is no one subjectively decides when you get a promotion," the 30-year-old said according to the X post.

"If you shoot a number and you play well, that meritocratic framework is what decides our TOUR. Figuring out the Challenger Series and making sure we decide the right eligibility for those guys to be able to play their way up to the Championship Series and to get the best players up through the system quickly and give everyone the best chance to compete and make it to the top of the game is what we're most interested in."

That message is important because the Tour has finalized the new two-tier system, but it has not yet decided on all the eligibility rules.

McNealy summed up the changes in simple terms. He said, "It's going to be the PGA Tour you know and love. It's just that you'll know where to find it."

Starting in 2028, players will move up based on how well they play in tournaments and the scores they achieve.

McNealy has spent the past 10 months working on those details as part of the Tiger Woods-led committee, which consulted golfers, media partners, sponsors, and fans before finalizing the framework with PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp.

Officials have discussed requiring two event wins as a possible benchmark for promotion from the Challenger Series, though the eligibility rules have not yet been finalized.

Not everyone supports the new system, and one concern stands above the rest

The two-tier structure could prevent some players from competing in their own national open. If the RBC Canadian Open becomes a Championship Series event, Canadian pros limited to the Challenger Series would not be eligible to play.

Canadian golfer Nick Taylor raised that exact scenario during the RBC Canadian Open press conference. He said (as transcribed by ASAP Sports):

"Yeah, that would certainly s***."

The Tour is still working through several unresolved issues while finalizing the eligibility rules.

According to the conference, the Championship Series will carry 23-24 events, while the Challenger Series will run at least 20 events, giving players more control over their schedules than before.

The divide between the tiers, though, is still raising questions the Tour hasn't fully answered yet.

Do you think the new promotion pathway will make the PGA Tour fairer for rising players? Drop your thoughts in the comments.

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Written by

Sneha Abraham

Edited by

Pulkit Prabhav