The Tournament developments that you need to know...

Richard Barker PGA, Executive Director - Business Development, provides an update on the progress made under the Tournament Strategy, launched in early 2024. As part of a five-year plan, we are committed to regular and transparent communication with our Members. Following previous updates, Richard highlights key developments from the past six months. 

In June, the Board and Executive Committee approved several strategic changes and initiatives, which align directly with Pillar Two of the Tournament Strategy, specifically focusing on Objectives Two and Three. You can find the Tournament Strategy in full here. 

Pillar Two focuses on the development of an overarching tournament framework from County to National level. The two key objectives in relation to the approved changes are: 

• To proactively expand and create new tournament formats which inspire more Members to participate in competitive golf; and 

• To remove tournaments that no longer contribute to the strategic direction of the Association. 

What are the changes? 

England and Wales Tournament Schedule 

From 2026, the England and Wales tournament schedule will become open to all Members from across both nations, regardless of their Region, in order to boost accessibility and increase overall participation. In short, this means any Member based in England and Wales will be able to enter any tournament within the schedule, subject to the Terms of Competition and Playing Exemptions. 

Regional Orders of Merit 

Regional Orders of Merit across England & Wales will be removed from the schedule. This decision is based on declining participation, low prize money and a reduced sense of purpose following the removal of the PGA Play-Offs. The Regional Orders of Merit currently account for 14 events across the 2025 season. 

Introduction of a “PGA Sprint Series” 

A new PGA Sprint Series will be introduced, consisting of nine 18-hole, pro-only events, which will be open to all Members in England and Wales. These events will each feature a £10,000 prize fund. 

Several legacy and historic tournaments are being considered for inclusion in either the PGA Sprint Series or the Chrome Tour PGA Open Series. This builds on the success of integrating similar events, such as the Northern Open, Leeds Cup and Manchester Open, into the Chrome Tour PGA Open Series in earlier years. 

Overseas Pro-Ams 

From 2027, it is intended that Regional Overseas Pro-Ams will be developed into a National Overseas Series. 

National Tournaments 

PGA National Tournaments will remain unaffected. However, National Tournament pre-qualifiers will be optimised based on demand and location. 

Scotland and Ireland 

Scotland and Ireland will continue unaffected. Both Scotland and Ireland continue to show strong Order of Merit demand and participation, with sustainable prize money delivered through commercial and club partnerships as key components, so will continue without any structural changes.  Ireland also operates a unique Order of Merit system. 

The removal of the central funding into Order of Merit events in 2024 had no impact on the Scottish and Irish schedules, since they had not been supported in the same manner as in England and Wales.  

However, for 2026, central financial support of 10,000 each will be provided to enhance the prize funds for the Irish and Scottish PGA Professional Championships. 

Initiatives under consideration  

Plans for a potential Winter / Spring Series and the delivery of additional playing opportunities for Seniors and Assistants in England and Wales remain under consideration and updates on these initiatives will be provided in due course. 

How will these changes be implemented? 

Operational adjustments 

Tournament administration will become centralised, with a new tournament phone line made available to all Members providing a quick and direct route for support and queries.

Across England and Wales, the tournament structure will be consolidated. Some specific regional events will transition into the open structure, where appropriate Counties may be empowered to run smaller events currently delivered Regionally, and where tournaments do not align with the Association’s strategic direction they will be removed from the schedule 

Pro-Am strategy 

Alongside these changes, a two-phase strategy will be introduced, to redefine how pro-ams are delivered across The PGA. These changes are designed to increase opportunities for Members, enhance the overall experience and achieve the long-term sustainability of top-quality pro-am events. 

Phase 1 (2026 Season)  

In this first phase, a select number of large, well-established pro-am tournaments will be formally centralised. These events, many of which are currently recognised on the National schedule, will become national Pro-Ams, open to all Members, subject to Terms of Competition and Playing Exceptions. 

For now, most existing pro-ams will remain unchanged and will continue to be delivered under the Regional construct due to confirmed bookings and the time required to manage transitions and club relationships. 

Phase 2 (2027 Season) 

All pro-ams in England & Wales will be open to Members in these two countries, again subject to Terms of Competition and Playing Exceptions.  

Alongside this: 

• As part of our Strategy, a fresh review is being undertaken to define the optimum pro-am model , with a defined brand and financial standards; 

• A full audit of existing pro-ams will be conducted to assess their fit within the new product and the open pro-am structure; and   

• A dedicated communication strategy will be launched to support the changes. 

Why are these changes needed? 

The open model introduced through the Chrome Tour PGA Open Series has proven successful. With the exception of Ireland, all events have attracted full fields in 2025, with waiting lists in place. These results show that opening up events drives both participation and interest and, importantly, creates a sustainable tournament model. An open structure also enables the Association to manage its staffing resources in a more dynamic and efficient manner. 

Regional barriers can also restrict play, particularly for Members based near regional boundaries who may live closer to events in neighbouring Regions which they are not currently entitled to enter. 

Order of Merit participation continues to decline across England and Wales while the average prize fund for these events is unattractively low at £6,000, The purpose of the Orders of Merit has been diluted since the PGA Play-Offs were removed from the schedule. 

Continued progress in creating a financially sustainable tournament operation is essential, and each of the changes will contribute to supporting this objective.  

The PGA, as a Members’ association, remains committed to investing in areas that demonstrate growth potential and where participation levels are sustainable. 

We will be working through the implementation plan over the coming weeks and months and further details of the upcoming changes will be communicated in due course.