Tiger Woods has broken his silence on a major change coming to the PGA Tour, just as Scottie Scheffler closes in on one of Woods’ longest-standing records.
The PGA Tour announced on August 25 that its season-ending competition will move to a new format beginning in 2028, culminating in a two-week, 32-player match play competition.
Woods, who has played a major role in shaping the Tour’s future competitive structure, quickly reacted to the announcement on social media.
“The conclusion of the season should be worthy of the journey it takes to get there,” Woods wrote on Instagram. “Today’s announcement is a result of the hard work and passion of our players. Excited to usher in a new era of match play on the PGA Tour.”
The announcement comes during a significant week for Woods’ legacy. Scheffler enters the Tour Championship within striking distance of breaking the 15-time major winner’s PGA Tour career earnings record, a mark Woods has held since February 13, 2000.
Tiger Woods Celebrates Major Tour Championship Format Change
Beginning in 2028, the PGA Tour’s Championship Series Finale will become the season’s final 72-hole stroke play event and feature the top 90 players in the standings.
The top 32 will then advance to a two-week match play competition to determine the champion.
Golfweek’s Adam Schupak reported details of the new format following the Tour’s announcement.
The move toward match play has a notable connection to Woods. The 50-year-old owns a 54-20-2 career record in professional singles match play.
The PGA Tour leaned into that history when promoting Tuesday’s announcement.
A promotional video included a throwback to Woods’ memorable 2006 WGC Match Play matchup against Stephen Ames.
Before facing Woods, Ames was asked about his chances of winning.
“Anything can happen, especially with where he’s hitting the ball,” Ames said.
Woods responded on the course by defeating Ames 9 and 8.
“I think he understands now,” Woods famously said afterward.
Woods Helped Shape PGA Tour’s New Competitive Structure
Woods has done more than publicly support the Tour’s changes.
PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp has repeatedly credited Woods for his work as the leader of the Tour’s Future Competitions Committee.
That committee has helped develop the new competitive structure, giving Woods a significant role in shaping the PGA Tour’s future even as he has remained largely away from competitive golf.
His latest statement directly credited the players involved in developing the new format.
“Today’s announcement is a result of the hard work and passion of our players,” Woods wrote.
While Woods celebrated the PGA Tour’s future, another part of his legacy could change much sooner.
Scottie Scheffler Is Closing In on Tiger Woods’ 26-Year PGA Tour Record
Scheffler is now just $608,505 behind Woods on the PGA Tour’s all-time official career earnings list.
The world’s No. 1 golfer earned $426,250 for his T12 finish at the BMW Championship, bringing his career total to $120,390,661.
Woods remains No. 1 at $120,999,166.
He has held that position for more than 26 years, since February 13, 2000.
Scheffler moved into second place on the career list after his eight-shot victory in Memphis, passing Rory McIlroy in the process.
Now, he has an opportunity to pass Woods at the Tour Championship.
The playoff finale features an official $40 million purse, including $10 million for the winner and $5 million for solo second. Scheffler would need approximately a 13th-place finish to move ahead of Woods.
McIlroy isn’t out of the race either. He enters East Lake with $117,848,372 in career PGA Tour earnings, giving him a chance to potentially move past both players depending on the final results.
Tiger Woods Breaks Silence on Major PGA Tour Change as His Longtime Record Faces Threat