Padraig Harrington has heavily criticized the brand new proposals presented by the PGA TOUR labelling them as “just terrible” for the sport.
Last week, the PGA TOUR’s Player Advisory Council 23-page long proposal was leaked outlining a number of changes that would come into effect at the beginning of the 2026 season. Among some of the changes revealed include:
- The top 100 players keeping full status (as opposed to 125)
- Smaller fields for regular season events
- Decreasing PGA TOUR cards from Korn Ferry Tour from 30 to 20
- Reducing number of Monday Qualifying events on PGA TOUR
- Handing out smaller fines for slow play
The three-time major winner spoke to the Golf Channel prior to this week’s Charles Schwab Cup Championship and explained why he is not in favor of the changes.
“Just terrible, it really is,” Harrington said. “I can’t think how bad it is. In the end of the day, the people who are inside are voting to keep the things tighter and more closed.
“I can’t think about how bad it is. Sure, yeah, why don’t we just have 12 people in the event, if I’m included, and everybody else can go home.”
The changes will be voted upon by the PGA TOUR’s Policy Board on November 18 and if the changes are agreed upon, then they will come in effect from 2026.
“I know there’s a little bit of pressure to finish on time when fields go to 156 at certain times of the season or 144, but players will deal with it,” Harrington added.
“They will handle that. They prepare for that. They know at the start of the year [they] might miss out on a few tournament [rounds] because of light.
“Slow play is like driving in rush hour traffic. It’s just too many people on the golf course, and the tee times are too tight, so yes, this is a way of solving one of the big issues… but you want to give everybody the opportunity.
“If this was like the Premier League, or the Championship, and there was a really, really good second tour, maybe the European Tour can be that. Maybe it works out. But to me, it definitely looks like the people on the inside are keeping it tighter.
“Not having a Monday qualifier, c’mon, that’s one of the most exciting things on the tour. The cut line is also one of the most exciting things on the tour but I know ‘no-cut’ fields suit the sponsors. They want the leading names guaranteed to be there on the weekend.”
The 53-year-old Dubliner went onto describe the advantages of LIV Golf and the PGA TOUR Champions, explaining that the fact that events on these tours do not have a cut means that some of the best and most recognizable players in the world are always sure of taking part in the final round.
“LIV have that advantage, the tour are struggling with that, and this is why they’re trying to get the better players into the same events, so that they can be dependable,” he said.
“You know, tightening up fields is good for the TV and it’s good for dependability. But honestly, I really don’t think the system was broken.
“Maybe if I was in that top 60 [group of elite players], I’d be going, ‘Hey, this is great’, but it seems that if you’re on the outside, it’s not a very good move.”