PGA Tour Becomes First Major Sport To Announce Sweeping Change Without Any Earthly Idea How It Will Work

For Immediate Release, with reporting and press conference dissection to come...

PGA TOUR Policy Board Approves Restructuring of Qualifying System for PGA TOUR via the Nationwide Tour

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem announced today that the Policy Board has approved significant changes to the structure of the qualifying system for the PGA TOUR, dramatically elevating the importance of the Nationwide Tour by establishing it as the primary pathway to the PGA TOUR.

But wait, weren't we told it's already the better proven way, so why isn't it the primary way now?

Additionally, the Policy Board approved changing the start of the PGA TOUR season, beginning in October 2013.

With these changes, all 50 PGA TOUR membership cards will now be awarded through the Nationwide Tour;

Note...the semi-colon is a sign they're about to contradict themselves...50 spots from the Nationwide Tour, kind of.

the three final tournaments on the Nationwide Tour will combine PGA TOUR and Nationwide Tour players to determine who earns those 50 cards; and the annual Qualifying Tournament will become a pathway exclusively to the Nationwide Tour.

The start of the PGA TOUR 2013-14 season will begin in October, 2013 and conclude in late September, 2014 with the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola, the fourth and final FedExCup Playoff event. In making this change, the fall tournaments will begin awarding FedExCup points in 2013.

We just don't know how many! This graph is hilarious...

Finchem said that certain details must still be finalized, such as the competition system which will determine the 50 PGA TOUR cards, the level of FedExCup points to the PGA TOUR’s fall tournaments and other details.

So pretty much everything is on the table still.

The fields for the three final Nationwide Tour events, which will be held during the FedExCup Playoffs, will include the top 75 players on the Nationwide Tour’s money list, the players ranked 126-200 on the PGA TOUR’s FedExCup points list and non-members who meet certain eligibility standards.

Let's see, 75+75+__=big fields and slow play nightmares as guys are playing for their livelihood.

“We are excited to announce these significant changes, as we strongly believe that they will strengthen both Tours,” Finchem said. “The Nationwide Tour, which has proven to be the most effective indicator of future success on the PGA TOUR, will now become the primary path to the TOUR starting in 2013 by awarding all 50 cards. And with the restructuring, those final three events will create a particularly exciting and dramatic finish to the season.

For all of the friends and family watching on the Golf Channel tape delayed telecasts following the PGA Tour "Playoff" telecasts.

“In regard to the change to the start of the PGA TOUR season, the fall tournaments certainly will benefit by becoming part of the FedExCup season. But the benefit also extends to FedEx, our telecasts of those tournaments and the understanding among fans that there’s a true finality to the season, with the FedExCup and eligibility for the PGA TOUR concluding at the same time.”

Until it all starts again two weeks later...