The PGA Tour's 2027 overhaul is already meeting significant resistance. Major sponsors are pushing back against a proposed two-track tournament system. This friction is forcing leadership to scale back planned changes.

According to Golfweek, the backlash has already prompted PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp to dial back some of his original proposals, with the Future Competitions Committee now favoring a gradual transition rather than a complete overhaul.

A longtime PGA Tour player, who spoke anonymously to Golfweek, described the sponsor discussions in direct terms.

"You sit down and ask what type of an event do you want to be and, oh, by the way, your contract is either going to stay the same and get half what you got from a tournament experience, or you can pay double, and we'll move you to a town you've never been to," the pro said.

Sponsors are pushing back against the plan from several angles. Rocket Mortgage, the sponsor of the Rocket Classic in Detroit, is reportedly unsure about extending its agreement.

The PGA Tour has discussed moving the John Deere event from the Quad Cities to Chicago and is exploring Denver and Nashville as potential tournament locations beginning in 2028, potentially with support from existing sponsors.

One PGA Tour tournament director explained the main concern about Track Two events in simple terms.

"Track 2 is just another name for Korn Ferry Tour," the director told Golfweek. "Who's going to pay up for that?"

The sponsors may view Track 2 as little more than a developmental circuit, making it harder to justify the higher costs associated with the Tour.

The Tour has slowly unveiled its 2027 plans, with the latest confirmed change being Sentry replacing Farmers Insurance as title sponsor at Torrey Pines. Rolapp is expected to make another major announcement at the Travelers Championship in three weeks.

What the Two-Track System Means for Players Who Fall Outside the Top 120

Track One events are expected to cost around $30 million, compared to $12 million to $15 million for Track Two tournaments. Sponsors are concerned about spending that much money if the lower-tier events do not attract strong player fields.

The PGA Tour has countered by highlighting the financial upside for players. Under the proposed system, the top performer on Track Two could earn between $6 million and $8 million, well above what the leading Korn Ferry Tour player currently receives.

The system would also feature promotion and relegation, with the top 20 players from Track Two moving up to Track One and the bottom 20 from Track One moving down.

Another concern is television exposure. According to Golfweek, most Track Two events would not air on major network channels, making them less attractive to sponsors and players.

With several details still unresolved, attention now turns to the Travelers Championship, where Rolapp is expected to provide a clearer picture of how aggressively the PGA Tour plans to move forward.

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Written by

Sneha Abraham

Edited by

Pulkit Prabhav