Tour Confidential: PGA Tour changes and the great Bernhard Langer 

Check in every week for the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors as they break down the hottest topics in the sport, and join the conversation by tweeting us at @golf_com. This week, we discuss and more.  

1. Last week, the PGA Tour notified members of several proposed changes that could take place in the 2026 season, a couple of which would be handing out fewer Tour cards and reducing field sizes for some events. “I hate all the changes they’re making,” Justin Lower said last week. “Seems like anytime I do something good they make a change.” Lower, due to his ranking, would be one of the players most likely affected if these changes go through, but with all the Signature Event tweaks, field-size adjustments and constant change in the men’s game lately, does he have a point about the Tour changing too much and even running the risk of confusing the average fan? Is the Tour’s constant change good, bad, or inevitable?

News

Nick Piastowski, senior editor (@nickpia): From the fan’s perspective, I think it depends on what you like about the pro game. Do you enjoy watching the stars and mostly familiar names week in and week out? Or do you prefer the occasional underdog? In a sentence, then, the dark horses might get squeezed out — but there’s the strong possibility that the quality of play will improve, as it’ll be harder to keep a Tour card. As for me, I’m a fan of stories — and telling them! — and I think we’ll lose some here. 

Sean Zak, senior writer (@sean_zak): Lower definitely has a point, but he’s gonna have to work pretty hard to earn a ton of sympathy. He’s just not one of the 40 or 60 or even top 100 golfers in the world. The truth these days is you need to be a top player to have the system always working in your favor. That is earned by really good golf. 

Dylan Dethier, senior writer (@dylan_dethier): He definitely has a point. And there’s definitely a cost to these changes. But the PGA Tour — and its big-time new consultants — have made this decision with fans and with simplicity in mind. I think this adds clarity to a confusing system, which is a good thing. Still work to do, of course … 

2. Another one of the proposed changes was tweaking the pathway to the Tour, and 20 Korn Ferry Tour grads will now receive PGA Tour cards instead of 30. The DP World Tour will once again award 10 cards. In an interview last week following the Tour’s proposed changes, DP World Tour chief Guy Kinnings said it wouldn’t surprise him if more Americans started to consider joining the DP World Tour. Do you agree? And are there advantages and disadvantages to this scenario?

News

Piastowski: Yeah, I could potentially see that. On the DP World Tour, the purses are bigger, and the locations are more exotic. You can make a good living and travel the globe. But if your goal is the PGA Tour, 20 cards is still greater than 10. I’m questioning how much things change. 

Zak: Totally agree, but it’ll be in reverse. As in those who finish outside the top 125 on the Tour first, then head to Europe, rather than those coming from college to Europe on their way to the Tour ranks. But as long as the purses on the KFT are somewhat comparable, the proximity to home is going to be a better fit for most. 

Dethier: This week’s DP World Tour field was a reminder that it’s tough to put this circuit in a box — it’s an epic global tour that’s also a feeder tour, an outlet for LIV guys and a part-time stop for some of the biggest stars in the world. I’m all for incorporating it more fully in the PGA Tour system … but there are still big-picture identity questions it has to confront. But as Rory McIlroy said this week, it’s a tour with its options open.

3. Austin Eckroat won the World Wide Technology Championship, besting Justin Lower and Carson Young by one and Max Greyserman by two in Mexico. Greyserman talked earlier in the week about his close calls, and with his third-place finish here, he’s now placed in the top five five times in his 27 career starts (including three 2nds) and still hasn’t won on Tour. Is he the best current PGA Tour player without a victory? Or does someone else hold that title?

News

Piastowski: I’ll cheat here a bit and go with Tommy Fleetwood — the seven-time DP World Tour winner and multiple-time Ryder Cupper has stunningly never won on the PGA Tour. But if we’re playing things straight up, gimme Denny McCarthy, maybe the Tour’s best putter. Golf is a hard game. This all being said, Greyserman’s too talented not to win, and I’m thinking he jumps off this list quickly. 

Zak: I think Greyserman needs to do it more than just one season to earn that title. It’s definitely Tommy lad, as Nick points out. And it might not be close? Cameron Young comes to mind, too. 

Dethier: Let’s get more specific: He’s on the hottest current run of anyone without a Tour win. There’s no guarantee one will ever come, but Greyserman seems to be the total package. He’s high on every watch list for 2025.

4. Ageless wonder Bernhard Langer won the Charles Schwab Cup Championship on Sunday in Phoenix, extending his senior-circuit winning streak to 18 years and giving the 67-year-old pro his record-extending 47th win on PGA Tour Champions. Given Langer’s talent and longevity and the mass sums being made on the PGA Tour these days, is his PGA Tour Champions win record (which could still be added to) something that will ever be broken?

Piastowski: No. Unless that dude who wears red on Sunday — who turns 49 next month! — commits to a full Champions schedule. 

Zak: It will not be broken. It’s ridiculous. I see that level of pro golf only developing more parity moving forward, too. Langer’s records are safe. 

Dethier: The PGA Tour Champions is funny because your age works against you from the moment you make your debut. For everyone else, that is. Remarkable stuff and a testament to his discipline.

5. On Tuesday, GOLF will release its latest Top 100 Courses in the U.S. ranking, a list that dates back decades. Why do you believe this ranking continues to be important for the sport?

Piastowski: All kinds of reasons! But maybe the biggest is you, the golfer, wins. Courses typically want to be on these kinds of lists — so, in turn, you get better golf, better experiences, better everything. That said, here’s hoping we get better prices, too. 

Zak: I think it’s because we love lists, and there’s a ton of good stuff about this list. It allows for change when new courses come into play. It gives us all something to shoot for and talk about. It gives us a reason to travel! It’s a lot of things in one. 

Dethier: It’s important because we love talking about golf courses, and comparing them, and making lists of our favorites. Our Top 100 doesn’t have to be yours. It won’t be! But it’s a great jumping-off point for conversations, for debates, for dreams … and maybe even for making plans. It’s impossible to make a perfect list just like it’s impossible to compare pieces of art. But it’s worth giving it the ol’ college try anyway.