
The PGA Tour is an organiser of professional golf tours in North America. It runs most of the events on the flagship annual series of tournaments, including The Players Championship, which was introduced in 1974. The PGA Tour is a nonprofit organisation, originally established by the Professional Golfers' Association of America (PGA of America). The PGA Tour is the premier meritocracy in professional sports, where players move up and down a metaphorical ladder based on competitive results across a qualifying series or season. Each week, the PGA Tour hosts a golf tournament at different courses across the country. The tournaments are four days of golf (18 holes each), from Thursday to Sunday.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Description | Organizer of professional golf tours in North America |
| Type of Organization | Nonprofit |
| Headquarters | Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida |
| Events Organized | Korn Ferry Tour, PGA Tour Americas, PGA Tour Champions, The Players Championship |
| Number of Events | 40 official-money events in 38 weeks |
| Participants | Top-25 available players in the final FedEx Cup standings, top ten available Asian players, five sponsor's exemptions, with at least one place reserved for a Malaysian player |
| Season Duration | 52 weeks, from September to August |
| Number of Tournaments | 4 spread throughout the year |
| Tournament Duration | 4 days, Thursday through Sunday |
| Number of Holes | 18 holes |
| Winners | Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Sam Snead, Byron Nelson, Ben Hogan |
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What You'll Learn

PGA Tour tournaments
The PGA Tour organises professional golf tours in North America, including the flagship annual series of tournaments known as the PGA Tour. The PGA Tour is a nonprofit organisation, originally established by the Professional Golfers' Association of America (PGA of America). It was founded as a separate entity in December 1968 to organise tours for players, rather than club professionals.
The PGA Tour runs most of the week-to-week professional golf events on the tournament known as the PGA Tour, including The Players Championship, hosted at TPC Sawgrass. The season runs all 52 weeks of the year from September through August, with no real offseason. Each week, the PGA Tour hosts an event at different courses across the country. The tournaments are four days of golf (18 holes each), from Thursday to Sunday. After the Friday round, there is a cut where only the top 70 players and ties get to continue playing over the weekend.
The roots of the modern PGA Tour stretch back to 10 April 1916, when the PGA was formed. Various prestigious golf tournaments offering prize money were established in America before 1916, including the North and South Open, the Metropolitan Open, the Canadian Open, and the Shawnee Open. These formed the initial schedule of what became the PGA Tour. The PGA Championship was added in 1916, and The Open Championship in the UK, the oldest golf tournament in the world founded in 1860, became a PGA Tour event in 1995.
The PGA Tour also organises the Korn Ferry Tour for professional players who have not yet qualified for the PGA Tour, and PGA Tour Americas. The Korn Ferry Tour provides a pathway for players to qualify for the main PGA Tour. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, various state open tournaments were organised by sections of the PGA, including the California Open, the Florida Open, and the Wisconsin State Open. This legacy continues with the modern PGA Tour, which includes the Valero Texas Open.
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PGA Tour structure
The PGA Tour is an organiser of professional golf tours in North America. It runs week-to-week golf events, including The Players Championship, hosted at TPC Sawgrass. The PGA Tour is headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, and was established by the Professional Golfers' Association of America (PGA of America).
The PGA Tour's structure consists of various tournaments and events throughout the year. The overall season runs for 52 weeks from September through August, with no real off-season. Professional golfers are contractors to the PGA Tour and can set their own schedules. Most players compete in between 20 to 30 events annually. Each tournament is typically held over four days, from Thursday to Sunday, with practice rounds taking place earlier in the week.
The PGA Tour includes flagship events such as the PGA Championship, the Ryder Cup, and The Players Championship. In addition, there are other notable tournaments such as the World Golf Championships, the Arnold Palmer Invitational, and the Memorial Tournament. The season culminates with the FedEx Cup Playoffs, consisting of three tournaments, where the top 70 golfers compete for the championship.
The PGA Tour also includes other tours such as the Korn Ferry Tour for players who have not yet qualified for the PGA Tour, and the PGA Tour Champions for golfers aged 50 and older. The PGA Tour Americas is another tour sanctioned by the PGA Tour, showcasing events in Asia, such as the CIMB Classic in Malaysia.
The PGA Tour has undergone changes over the years, including the introduction of signature events in 2024, offering increased prize money and FedExCup points. The structure has evolved to include a season spanning two calendar years, with events like the biennial Presidents Cup, matching golfers from the US with an "International" team.
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PGA Tour players
The PGA Tour organises professional golf tours in North America, including the flagship annual series of tournaments known as the PGA Tour. The PGA Tour is a nonprofit organisation, originally established by the Professional Golfers' Association of America (PGA of America). The PGA Tour runs most of the week-to-week professional golf events on the tournament known as the PGA Tour, including The Players Championship, hosted at TPC Sawgrass.
The PGA Tour also organises the Korn Ferry Tour, which is for professional players who have not yet qualified to play on the PGA Tour, and PGA Tour Americas. The Korn Ferry Tour provides a pathway for aspiring golfers to progress to the PGA Tour, the pinnacle of professional golf in North America.
Some notable PGA Tour players include Byron Nelson, who achieved a record-breaking year in 1945, winning 18 out of 30 PGA tournaments, including 11 consecutively. Ben Hogan, despite injuries from a car crash, won 10 PGA Tour tournaments in the 1950s, including 6 major championships. Arnold Palmer, a crowd favourite, won 13 PGA Tour tournaments and became a TV star. Sam Snead dominated the PGA Tour with a record-setting 82 career victories. Jack Nicklaus, along with Palmer, was a dominant player in the 1960s, with 30 PGA Tour titles to his name.
The PGA Tour events are typically four days of golf, from Thursday to Sunday, with the top 70 players and ties continuing after Friday's round. The winner of each tournament takes home a substantial monetary prize, along with points towards the season-long rankings. The season usually spans two calendar years, with various tournaments and championships, including the prestigious Masters, the United States Open, the Open Championship, and the PGA Championship.
The PGA Tour also includes the FedEx Cup Playoffs, where the top 125 golfers on the PGA Tour qualify for the season-ending tournaments. The top 30 are reseeded before the Tour Championship, allowing anyone in the top 30 a mathematical chance to win the FedEx Cup. Additionally, the PGA Tour sanctions international events such as the biennial Presidents Cup, featuring a team of US golfers competing against an "International" team, and tournaments in Asia, like the WGC-HSBC Champions and the CIMB Classic.
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PGA Tour history
The PGA Tour, or the "PGA TOUR" as styled by its officials, is an organiser of professional golf tours in North America. It has been running golf events since 1916 and has a rich history. The roots of the modern PGA Tour can be traced back to April 10, 1916, when the Professional Golfers' Association of America (PGA of America or PGA) was formed.
In its early days, the PGA Tour was informally known as "The Circuit" for professional golfers in the PGA. It became more formalised in 1929 with the formation of a tournament committee. Bob Harlow, hired as the manager of the PGA Tournament Bureau in 1930, played a pivotal role in shaping the PGA Tour. He proposed the idea of an actual tour and significantly increased prize money, setting a precedent for the future.
The PGA Tour initially remained a part of the PGA of America. However, in the late 1960s, a dispute arose between touring professionals and the PGA of America over revenue distribution. The touring professionals sought larger purses, while the PGA favoured allocating funds to the general fund for local-level golf development. This disagreement led to the creation of a separate organisation for tour players, distinct from the club professionals who were the primary focus of the PGA of America. In December 1968, the "Tournament Players Division" was established, and it later adopted the name "PGA Tour" in 1975.
The PGA Tour has continued to evolve and expand over the years. It organises a range of tournaments, including the PGA Tour Champions for golfers aged 50 and older, the Korn Ferry Tour for players yet to qualify for the PGA Tour, and PGA Tour Americas. The PGA Tour also introduced "The Players Championship" in 1974, which has become the flagship event of the tour.
Some notable moments in PGA Tour history include Byron Nelson's record-breaking year in 1945, where he won 18 out of 30 tournaments, including 11 consecutively. Ben Hogan's success in the 1950s, Arnold Palmer's popularity in the 1960s, and the dominance of players like Sam Snead, Jack Nicklaus, and Tom Watson have also contributed to the rich history of the PGA Tour.
The PGA Tour has a significant impact on professional golf, with its events attracting top golfers from around the world and shaping the sport's landscape.
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PGA Tour eligibility
The PGA Tour is an organizer of professional golf tours in North America. It runs most of the events on the flagship annual series of tournaments also known as the PGA Tour. The PGA Tour is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.
The PGA Tour is a metaphorical ladder, with players moving up and down based on competitive results across a qualifying series or season. The most direct way to earn status is through the PGA Tour Q-School presented by Korn Ferry, which offers PGA Tour cards to the top five finishers.
Eligibility for the PGA Tour signature events includes the top 50 members from the FedExCup standings, current-year tournament winners, top 30 players in Official World Golf Rankings, 15 members who can play their way in through the Aon Next 10 and the Aon Swing 5, and four sponsors' exemptions. The Aon Next 10 includes players inside the top 10 of the FedEx Cup standings a week before a signature event, while the Aon Swing 5 includes players who accumulate the most FedEx Cup points in the weeks leading up to a signature event.
Players who win a PGA Tour tournament during the current year are eligible for the remaining Signature Events in that year and The Sentry in the following season, unless exempt via a higher category. Tournament winners are also eligible for the Sentry, the season's first Signature Event, which includes PGA Tour winners from the previous calendar year.
Other eligibility pathways for the PGA Tour include the Korn Ferry Tour, which is for professional players who have not yet qualified for the PGA Tour, and the PGA Tour Americas.
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Frequently asked questions
The PGA Tour is an organiser of professional golf tours in North America. It runs most of the events on the flagship annual series of tournaments, including the PGA Tour Champions, the Korn Ferry Tour, and PGA Tour Americas.
The PGA Tour is the premier meritocracy in professional sports. You can qualify for the PGA Tour by earning a PGA Tour Card through the PGA Tour Q-School, which is presented by Korn Ferry.
The PGA Tour includes several tournaments such as the Players Championship, the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the Genesis Invitational, the Masters, the Memorial Tournament, the United States Open, and the Open Championship.









































