At long last it is over.
Starting Strokes eliminated from PGA TOUR Championship starting in 2025
There will officially be no more Starting Strokes at the TOUR Championship.
Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images
It was announced on Tuesday that the PGA TOUR Championship at East Lake will officially begin with every player at even par. Starting Strokes are a thing of the past.
From the PGA TOUR:
As part of its ongoing commitment to accelerate innovation on behalf of fans, the PGA TOUR announced updates to its TOUR Championship format. Beginning this year, Starting Strokes will be eliminated from the season-ending TOUR Championship as the TOUR’s top players compete for a chance to win the PGA TOUR’s Ultimate Prize, the FedExCup.
Ultimately the PGA TOUR announced three specific changes to the TOUR Championship.
Elimination of Starting Strokes - The TOUR Championship will be played as a 72-hole stroke-play event, with all players starting the tournament at even par. The best performer over the course of four rounds at the TOUR Championship will win the FedExCup.
Adjustments to Course Setup - In response to data indicating fans want to see winning scores closer to par, the PGA TOUR Rules Committee will adjust its course setup approach to encourage more risk/reward moments throughout each round, further heightening the drama and competition to determine the FedExCup Champion.
Toughest Tournament to Qualify for - Already the most elite field in golf, the TOUR Championship field size will remain at 30 players in 2025. The Player Advisory Council is studying the qualification system of future years to raise the stakes on the entire FedExCup season and reinforce the TOUR Championship as the hardest tournament to qualify for.
The second and third points here are significant obviously, but they carry far less impact relative to the past than Starting Strokes. While it made sense to reward players for their success all season long in spirit the reality is that Starting Strokes really took away a point of competitiveness in the event. It makes more sense to go at it like a traditional tournament.
Scottie Scheffler spoke on the changes:
“We want the TOUR Championship to be the hardest tournament to qualify for and the FedExCup trophy the most difficult to win,”
“Shifting the TOUR Championship to a more straight-up format with a tougher course setup makes it easier for fans to follow and provides a more challenging test for players – which brings out the best competition.”
These changes, notably the elimination of Starting Strokes as mentioned, certainly help the cause of making this event the hardest in golf to win become more attainable.
Good for the players and the TOUR on making this happen.
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