The 2025 Tour Championship teed off on August 21, with plenty of discussion around how the PGA Tour’s new format will unfold. The big question is whether the event can balance rewarding season-long dominance while still creating an exciting finish for fans—a problem LIV Golf has also faced.
Just before the tournament, the PGA Tour announced a major change: instead of using the “starting strokes” system that gave top players a head start, the event will now be a traditional 72-hole stroke play with everyone beginning at even par. The adjustment, part of the Tour’s Fan Forward initiative, aims to simplify the competition and improve the fan experience. Still, some worry it may lead to fairness concerns or even make the outcome feel predictable.
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On The Golf Podcast, hosts debated whether the new approach truly helps viewership. If a player like Scottie Scheffler enters the week with a huge season advantage, fans may feel the title is already decided. A reset format levels the field, giving all players a chance and making the finale more exciting. However, others argue it could still undervalue a season of dominance.
The comparison to LIV Golf is clear. In 2025, Joaquín Niemann won five tournaments and was widely seen as the season’s best player, but finished fourth at the final event in Indianapolis. That allowed Jon Rahm—who hadn’t won a single event all year but had consistent top-10 results—to claim the $18 million Individual Championship. The result raised questions: should consistency without wins be enough to take the season crown?
The PGA Tour now faces a similar dilemma. The new format could once again create situations where the Tour Championship winner and FedEx Cup champion don’t align, confusing fans and lessening the impact of both titles. Some analysts argue that while consistency matters, it shouldn’t outweigh the importance of winning tournaments.
Players like Talor Gooch and Dustin Johnson had previously secured season titles through dominant stretches, but Rahm’s victory without a single win has left many questioning whether the system truly identifies the year’s best golfer. The debate now turns to whether rewarding steady finishes over actual victories preserves fairness—or undermines the spirit of competition in golf.