The 2021 PGA Tour had some surprising moments and changes in it with the current state of the world. While restrictions loosened this year, there are several notable changes you should be aware of when you enjoy the PGA Tour. We’re going to list out the biggest ones below for you to take a look at.
Membership Changes
During the past year, there were several membership changes that continued onto this year’s tour, including criteria for membership. First, the 2020 to 2021 season and the 2019 to 2020 season will be combined into one season for exemption purposes. This means that any player that was exempt during the 2019 to 2020 season will keep their exemptions for this year. Also, any existing exemptions for FedEx Cup and tour winners will extend by one season.
The 2020 Korn Ferry Tour season was also extended through 2021. So, the top 10 players in this tour in points standings for the 2020 Korn Ferry Tour Championship got an exemption that allowed them to play in the Puerto Rico Open, CoralesPuntacana Resort and Club Championship, Barracuda Championship, and the Barbasol Championship in 2021.
Changes to the Tournament
There were 10 tournament cancellations last year, and the PGA Tour announced that the Sentry Tournament of Champions for the 2021 field was expanded. This means that it included the 30 players who qualified for the 2020 Tour Championship and any 2020 tour winners for the calendar year.
In March 2021, the CoralesPuntacana Resort and Club Championship, the Puerto Rico Open, the Barracuda Championship, and the Barbasol Championship had their fields increased to accommodate 132 players. They also canceled the pro-am sections of the AT&T Pebble Beach and American Express Pro-Am. The tournaments were held as regular events using two courses instead of the traditional three.
There were also changes to the FedEx and Status points. Last year’s editions of the Bermuda Championship and the CoralesPuntacana Resort and Club Championship got changed to full FedEx Cup point events. The winners of these events won an invitation to the 2021 Masters Tournament. Also, the CoralesPuntacana Resort and Club Championship reverted to an alternate event in March. It was held opposite of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play.
The Arnold Palmer Invitational, Genesis Invitational, and the Memorial Tournament offered 550 FedEx Cup points. This is an increase from the usual 500 points, and it puts it on the same point level as the World Golf Championships.
The BMW Championship and The Northern Trust Championship reverted to four times the points of any regular events. This is up from the previous reduction to three times the points in the 2019 to 2020 season due to tournament cancellations.
Scheduling Changes
Since 2007, the Valspar Championship was in March as part of a Florida tournament run. However, this year, it moved to April and finished on the second day of May. A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier 2020 edition was canceled. This resort also agreed to cancel the rest of its contract that originally ran out in 2026. Also, the WGC-HSBC 2020 edition was canceled. In March of this year, the RBC Canadian Open was canceled for the second year in a row.
Tournaments That Were Relocated
Each year, the RBC Canadian Open and the first two FedEx Cup playoffs are hosted on a different course. For tournaments that feature regular host courses, the venue also changed for the 2020 to 2021 season, and some of these changes were temporary.
First, the Houston Open will be at Memorial Park Golf Course. It was originally at the Golf Club of Houston since 2003. Next, the AT&T Byron Nelson will move from Trinity Forest Golf Club to TPC Craig Ranch.
The Wells Fargo Championship will stay at its regular course at Quail Hollow Club this year instead of moving to a temporary course at Avenel Farm’s TPC Potomac. This change came about because the President’s Cup got postponed to 2022 at Quail Hollow.
The CJ Cup also had a relocation to Shadow Creek Golf Course in Las Vegas from Nine Bridges Golf Club in South Korea on Jeju Island. This is supposed to be a temporary one-season move due to travel restrictions. The Zozo Championship also moved from Japan to the Sherwood Country Club due to travel restrictions, and this is a temporary one-season move.
Tournament Additions
Finally, the tour announced that there would be a new tournament hosted at Congaree Golf Club in South Carolina. This tournament was meant to take the place of the RBC Canadian Open due to a cancellation. This tournament will be the Palmetto Championship. It takes place on June ninth.
Get Tips, Updates and More
There are many popular golf blogs that you can use to stay up to date on everything going on in the world of golf. If you’re more interested in pursuing a career in the golf industry, you may want to consider earning a degree. Nowadays, you can even attend an online golf school for more flexibility.
