The PGA Tour sent an email to its players last night announcing the suspension of Jon Rahm, after he publicly announced his agreement to play from 2024 in LIV Golf last week, and responded to the doubts of several of its members about how the departure of the Spanish player affected the points list and the various exemptions for designated events or even to maintain playing rights.
PGA TOUR MEMORANDUM TO ITS PLAYERS
Dear PGA TOUR Member:
We would like to inform you about two important issues affecting PGA TOUR members. The first issue is an adjustment to the 2022-2023 FedExCup Eligibility and Playoffs Points List, based on the recent announcement made by Jon Rahm. The second issue is related to concerns expressed by members about the FedExCup points system.
Firstly, as you may recall, last year we communicated our commitment to ensuring that suspended members do not negatively affect other players’ eligibility for tournaments, their ranking position or their eligibility to compete in playoffs and designated events. Consequently, the Policy Board established a new ranking – called “FedExCup Playoffs & Eligibility Points List” – which removes from the FedExCup Points List players who are under suspension for their participation in an unauthorized tournament or their association with a series of unauthorized tournaments.
In accordance with the PGA TOUR Tournament Regulations, Jon Rahm has been notified that he is suspended and is no longer eligible to participate in PGA TOUR tournaments due to his association with a series of unauthorized tournaments.
This situation has led to adjustments both in the 2022-2023 FedExCup Playoffs and in the Eligibility Points List through the Playoffs and through the Fall FedExCup. If any further changes occur, the FedExCup Eligibility and Playoffs Points List would continue to be updated until the conclusion of the calendar year 2023, with final eligibility for the 2024 season established on December 31, 2023.
Secondly, the PGA TOUR Policy Board and management team recently held a conversation to discuss various issues, including the concerns we are receiving from PGA TOUR Members about the 2024 Calendar Model that was unveiled last spring and, specifically, the revised distribution of FedExCup Points for designated events, starting in January. Please know that the Board is listening to the concerns expressed by individual members and takes them seriously.
Considerable effort was devoted over the past winter to the creation of the 2024 Calendar Model, including the revised points system. Numerous scenarios were considered, and the chosen version was the result of significant modelling work in an effort to maintain the features of the existing system while taking into account changes in the 2024 calendar. After doing this work, we believe that the model approved by the Board is the best to achieve this goal.
As the season progresses, we will closely monitor the FedExCup points system and other attributes of the 2024 calendar model. At the June 2024 Policy Board meeting, we will conduct a thorough review, compare the system’s performance with projections, and assess whether any adjustments need to be made before the 2025 season.
If you have any questions about the 2022-2023 FedExCup Eligibility and Playoffs Points List or about the 2024 Calendar Model, please feel free to contact a member of the Player Relations or Competitions staff.
CONSEQUENCES OF JON RAHM’S SUSPENSION
Jon Rahm finished the 2022-23 season, in which he won four tournaments, as the 18th ranked player in the FedEx Cup. His points, once suspended by the circuit, do not count for the 2024 season eligibility list. In other words, three players directly benefit from the departure of the Spanish golfer to LIV Golf as they automatically see their status on the circuit modified.
This is the case of Canadian Mackenzie Hughes, who finished 51st in the autumn calendar and, with the departure of the champion from Barrika, moves to 50th place on the list and automatically qualifies for the eight designated events of 2024, which each distribute 20 million dollars in prizes and more FedEx Cup points. Another is Alex Smalley, who moves from 61st to 60th place, thus gaining access to the first two designated events of 2024, the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the Genesis Invitational at Riviera.
Finally, perhaps the happiest about Rahm’s departure is Carl Yuan, who had lost his tour card by a single position and now moves from 126th to 125th place and retains his playing rights. To these three names, more may be added if there are any more departures from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf by December 31, when the eligibility list closes.
As for the second part of the memorandum, the tour talks about concern over the distribution of points for this new calendar. The larger number of points distributed at designated events (700 for winners compared to 500 at the rest of the regular calendar tournaments) causes concern among players who do not have access to these tournaments as it will be more difficult to reach positions that allow them to compete in them in the future.
This also affects, logically, the PIP program, so the PGA Tour commits to the golfers to conduct an in-depth analysis of the situation after the first half of the season, to see how the changes really affect, and to make the necessary adjustments, if they are, already thinking about the 2025 season of the circuit.
