Signature Events represent the PGA Tour’s effort to have its best players competing against each other more often.
But this scheme is laced with irony given it was born in response to the uprising of a new Saudi-funded golf league that served to prevent the best players competing against each other more often.
Jay Monahan, the tour’s commissioner who announced himself as part of a recruitment process for his own position after the 2024 season, announced in 2022 that the circuit’s best players committed to playing together in at least 20 events in 2023.
This was news to some players and didn’t apply to others (Rory McIlroy). There were 12 ‘Elevated Events’ then with huge purses, primarily to persuade players to stop moving to LIV Golf and enjoy earning handsomely at home.
The 12-event figure decreased to eight in 2024 – none of which Jon Rahm played in because the then-Masters champion and PGA Tour star moved to LIV Golf, following Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau and Dustin Johnson.
But the best of what was left played in what were now called Signature Events, most of which didn’t have cuts and guaranteed four rounds of the most familiar faces and fan favourites.
Scrutiny surrounded the no-cut tournaments as some fans and players clamoured for the drama and significance of the second round where the slightest mistake means players miss the weekend. This element that often makes for compelling viewing was taken away and this carried into 2025.
Five Signature Events in 2025 won’t have a cut and they all feature a $20 million purse, almost resembling the riches offered at LIV Golf events which offer $25 million purses.
What is a PGA Tour Signature Event?
A Signature Event is named so because they will contain large prize pots and more FedEx Cup Points on offer than other events.
The lion’s share of $20 million is at stake as well as 700 FedEx Cup points to the winner. These features are what separate them from the other 28 regular-season events on the circuit.
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The Players Championship is not a Signature Event but offers 750 FedEx Cup points for the winner and a total purse of $25 million.
The Sentry: January 2 – 5
AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am: January 30 – Feb 2
Genesis Invitational: February 13 – 16
Arnold Palmer Invitational: March 6 – 9
RBC Heritage: April 17 – 20
Truist Championship: May 8 – 11
Memorial Tournament: May 29 – June 1
Travelers Championship: June 19 – 22
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Who can play in the Signature Events?
The top 50 from the 2024 FedEx Cup standings are qualified to play in all eight Signature Events.
The top 10 players (Aon Next 10) in the current FedExCup standings that didn’t finish in the top 50 in the previous season’s FedExCup rankings, through the tournament leading up to the next Signature Event will get a spot.
The top five players (Aon Swing 5) who accumulate the most FedExCup points during the tournaments between Signature Events will also earn a place.
Outside of these two points, four PGA Tour members will receive sponsorship exemptions and places will also be given to the top 30 players in the world rankings in the preceding week of each event, as well as current season tournament winners.
What is the format of each Signature Event?
There will still be four rounds, but they have limited fields. Between 70 and 80 players will compete and, sometimes, there won’t be a 36-hole cut.
The Genesis Invitational, the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Memorial Tournament will keep a 36-hole cut to the top 50 players and ties, and players within 10 shots of the lead.
The other five Signature Events will not have a cut and will allocate 18% of the total purse to the winner.
What has been said about this new structure?
Some players are big fans of the new structure, whereas other players have quite frankly gone to town on it in the past.
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Here are some key quotes from last year from when players were questioned on the subject:
Rory McIlroy at the 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational:
“I love it. Obviously, I’ve been a part of it and been in a ton of discussions. I think it makes the tour more competitive. I think we were going that way anyway. You think of, the playoffs used to be 125, 70, 30.
“Obviously this year (2023) they have gone 70, 50, 30 – I’m all about rewarding good play. I’m certainly not about – I want to give everyone a fair shake at this. Which I think this structure has done.
“There’s ways to play into it. It’s trying to get the top guys versus the hot guys, right? I think that creates a really compelling product. But a way that you don’t have to wait an entire year for your good play to then get the opportunity. That opportunity presents itself straight away.
“You play well for two or three weeks, you’re in a designated (Signature) event. You know then if you keep playing well you stay in them.”
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Max Homa at the 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational:
“I love the new changes. I could rant on this for a while, which I might. The reason I wanted to join the Player Advisory Council, which is what I’m on now, was on a bit last year, is because I think I do provide a unique perspective as, you know, in 2017, 2018 I guess I’ve just seen all kind of levels of professional golf between the Korn Ferry Tour and the PGA Tour.
“And I believed in this back then and I believe in this now. I didn’t maybe see exactly what is being done. I’m not quite smart enough to have planned this one out.
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“But the product is important. I think it’s easy to frame these changes as a way to put more money in the top players’ pockets. But it has been made to make it easier and more fun for the fans.
“I know it’s low-hanging fruit to jump on, Oh, this is just a money grab. This is to make it better for the fans.”
Ryan Armour to Golf Digest at the 2023 Players Championship:
“I think what bothers me most about this is that we all were in the same (PAC) meeting in San Diego and there were serious concerns about going forward with this.
“We talked about the value of full fields, what it means for hospitality, for fans who want to watch golf all day, what the tour experience is all about. And then they went forward with it.
“If this was such a great idea, we should have done it 20 years ago when Tiger was winning everything. These guys aren’t Tiger Woods. None of them are.
“The current hierarchy on the tour – what makes this generation of 20- and 30-year-olds so special to benefit the most from this?”
James Hahn told Golfweek in March 2023:
“I hate them. I’m gonna say exactly what 99.99 per cent of fans said about players leaving for the LIV Tour. If our players just said, ‘We’re doing this for the money,’ I would have a lot more respect for them.
“But how they’re covering up what they’re doing and trying to make it a thing about sponsors and fans and saving opposite-field events. I think that’s all BS.
“All the big names that are talking about this ‘new product’. If you just came out and said, ‘Hey, we’re doing this for the money,’ they want more guaranteed money and this is another way to funnel more money to the top players in the world, I’d have a lot more respect for them.
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“Right now, they’re just covering their ass and saying everything that the PGA Tour basically has trained them to say, have taught them to say and try to make it not about money when everyone knows 100 per cent it’s about more guaranteed money being funnelled to the top players in the world.
“We’ve been talking about money for the last two years and for them not to say that that’s not the No. 1 reason why they’re making these changes – it’s very, very hypocritical.”
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