Sepp Straka admits he doesn’t like one thing PGA Tour has done in recent years

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Sepp Straka has admitted that he is not a fan of one decision the PGA Tour have taken in recent years ahead of the John Deere Classic this week.

The PGA Tour has attempted to make a number of changes in the last few years as they look to remain the place to be for the world’s best players amid the threat of LIV Golf – and some of those changes have perhaps been more positive than others.

Obviously, the bigger purses on offer can make a big difference, while there are now more occasions when the best play against each other on the PGA Tour following the decision to introduce signature events.

Seven tournaments in 2024 were designated as signature events, with the Travelers Championship proving to be the last of the season. These tournaments see a field no larger than 80 players compete, while a number of the events have no cut.

Sepp Straka says he doesn’t like one PGA Tour decision

It obviously gives the fans the chance to see Scottie Scheffler face off against the likes of Xander Schauffele and Rory McIlroy more often, but it certainly does not help those trying to break into the elite, with more FedEx Cup points on offer – and the standings subsequently having a large say in who qualifies the following year.

This week’s John Deere Classic is not a signature event, and speaking in his press conference ahead of the tournament, Sepp Straka admitted that he would like to see some changes.

“I think they’re very important, I personally don’t like the small [field] events, I just think it’s less competitive,” he said, when asked how important events like the one this week are.

“When you get 140-something guys, I think it’s always a tough environment with a cut, you kind of always have to be ready on Thursday when the bell rings. I think the bigger tournaments should have bigger fields as well, but yeah, these tournaments are massive, as most of the guys aren’t getting in those small field, big events. So, for the majority of the PGA Tour, these tournaments are huge.”

One obvious fix to make signature events better

Of course, the signature events often make for some exciting storylines at the top of the leaderboard, but there has to be a pathway for those outside to force their way onto the biggest stages.

So that is definitely something that the PGA Tour should look to change in the years to come – particularly when someone in a strong position like Straka is voicing his criticism.