The PGA Tour want ‘nothing to do with’ change asked by professional golfers as request rejected

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Golf Channel pundit Rex Hoggard has been discussing a change that PGA Tour players want made to Signature Events.

The eight Signature Events were successful in 2024, as Scottie Scheffler won the Memorial Tournament, Arnold Palmer Invitational and Travelers Championship.

The reduced 70-man fields are designed to benefit the PGA Tour elite with elevated purses and increased FedEx Cup points.

However, Billy Horschel wants fields increased, and Golf Channel pundit Hoggard has claimed several players are behind the inclusion of adding more names to the lucrative events.

PGA Tour refuse change to Signature Events

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Speaking on the Golf Channel, Hoggard shared his latest information on whether the PGA Tour will contemplate increasing the current 70-man fields.

“When you looked even 20 years ago, and you talk to players who were struggling to stay right around 125, they certainly would not want any part of this conversation of cutting field sizes, cutting exempt cards, cutting exemptions,” Hoggard explained. “It was supposed to be for the players. At that time, the tour was all about creating playing opportunities for the members.

“Now, this is about providing playing opportunities for the top players. They are trying to make it more and more top-heavy going forward.”

Hoggard added: “My understanding is that when the pack was given these proposals, they were saying, ‘Okay, we can drop full field sizes to 120 players, but they wanted to expand the field sizes for the signature events. Trying to trade these two things off and keep roughly the same amount of tour cards. But I was told by one member of the pack that the Tour wanted nothing to do with that. It’s clear the Tour is leaning more towards the stars now than they ever have.”

Signature Events make the PGA Tour a closed shop

Unfortunately, the eight Signature Events have somewhat made the PGA Tour a closed shop. Those players attempting to break into the eight-event circuit must do so by breaching the FedEx Cup top 50 the season prior.

Another route into the lucrative 70-man fields involves finishing in the Aon Nex 10, which includes the top ten players on the FedEx Cup points list who are not otherwise exempt via a higher category.

The Aon Swing 5 is an alternative route that includes the top five FedEx Cup points earners during the swing of tournaments between Signature Events.

Finally, any player who wins a PGA Tour event during the current season, along with those inside the OWGR top 30, gains exemption.