PGA Tour eliminates starting-strokes format at Tour Championship - ESPN

The PGA Tour is eliminating the controversial starting-strokes format from the Tour Championship in its latest attempt to make its season-ending tournament more compelling and climactic for golf fans, the tour announced Tuesday.

Starting with this year's Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta from Aug. 21 to 24, all 30 players in the field will start at even par in a stroke-play tournament.

The winner after 72 holes will capture the FedEx Cup and collect a bonus and five-year PGA Tour exemption.

The PGA Tour's Player Advisory Council (PAC) and policy board approved the changes Tuesday.

«Our Fan Forward Initiative has helped us evaluate each part of the PGA Tour season and today's announcement is an important first step in the evolution of our postseason,» PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said in a statement. «The Player Advisory Council led a thorough process to respond to what our fans are asking for: The most competitive golf in the world, played for the highest stakes, in the most straightforward and engaging format.»

The PGA Tour considered other ways to play the Tour Championship, including a bracket-style format with head-to-head play. The tour said the PAC would continue to examine the field size and qualification standards for future Tour Championships.

In a news release Tuesday, the tour said golf fans indicated they wanted to see winning scores closer to par at the Tour Championship.

The tour said bonuses for the top 30 golfers in the FedEx Cup standings «will be balanced for 2025 to account for the increased volatility, reward season-long performance and recognize the significance of the FedExCup.»

«As the PGA Tour continues to evolve and respond to feedback from fans and players, additional