PGA Tour Finale Revamp Brings Career Earnings Back in Play

The PGA Tour has confirmed that part of the US$40 million purse at next week’s Tour Championship will once again count towards players’ official career earnings. This marks the first time since 2018 that the event will contribute to the official money list, altering a system in place from 2019 to 2024 where payouts were solely treated as FedEx Cup bonuses.

From 2007 to 2018, the Tour Championship purse was classified as official money while FedEx Cup bonuses were not. The separation allowed for the possibility of different winners for the tournament and the FedEx Cup. That distinction disappeared in 2019, when the Tour adopted the starting strokes format, consolidating the season-long title and tournament result.

Return to Traditional Format

This year, the PGA Tour is abandoning the starting strokes system in favour of a conventional 72-hole stroke-play event. The winner will receive USD10 million and be crowned FedEx Cup champion. The change follows criticism of the starting strokes format, which some argued diminished the integrity of the competition’s final round.

The revised payout model at East Lake Golf Club will allocate USD25.33 million as FedEx Cup cash, and USD14.67 million as deferrals, which do not contribute to official totals. Players finishing higher on the leaderboard will see a larger proportion of their payout classified as official money.

For example, the winner will receive USD9 million in cash and USD1 million in deferrals, while the last-place finisher will collect USD100,000 in cash and USD255,000 in deferrals.

Impact on Career Earnings

For players like Scottie Scheffler, who earned USD62.2 million in 2024 with more than half coming from bonuses, the reclassification will modestly increase official career totals. Scheffler’s career earnings currently stand at USD92.15 million, with USD33 million from 2024 bonus payouts excluded from that figure.

While the new approach will not dramatically alter most participants’ lifetime earnings, the US$25.33 million in official money now available slightly exceeds the Players Championship purse, the PGA Tour’s largest regular-season prize fund.

Future Adjustments Expected

The PGA Tour is also modifying the timing of FedEx Cup bonus payments, with one distribution after the regular season and another following the BMW Championship. Further structural changes to the Tour Championship are anticipated by 2026, which may lead to additional refinements in prize money allocation and FedEx Cup scoring.

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