The tradition of PGA Tour winners in the fall gaining access to events like Kapalua and Augusta National has changed. Previously, winning the fall portion of the FedEx Cup guaranteed a spot on The Sentry at Kapalua, an invitation to the Masters in April, and a two-year exemption from the tour. While the two-year exemption remains, Augusta National has modified its criteria, eliminating automatic entry for fall winners and opting instead for winners of six designated national tournaments worldwide.
This year, Kapalua will not be held due to a drought-induced water shortage and problems with a century-old water delivery system. The Plantation course closed on September 2, and the PGA Tour determined it would not be ready for the start of the season. A month ago, it was announced that Kapalua would not host The Sentry, and it is increasingly likely that the tournament will be canceled rather than moved to a temporary site on the West Coast or in Florida.
The situation raises questions about what will happen to players like Steven Fisk, who won the Sanderson Farms as his first PGA Tour victory, as well as William Mouw and Karl Vilips, who also won tournaments this year but failed to crack the FedEx Cup top 50.
Possible alternatives for the players
One possibility is to find another high-profile event with a $20 million purse for these players to compete in, either at Pebble Beach, which already has an 80-player field for the pro-am, or by giving them a choice of different tournaments. If the event is canceled, the Sony Open, scheduled for January 15-18, would be the first PGA Tour season opener, becoming the seventh tournament to have that distinction. It would also be the latest PGA Tour season opener since the modern era began in 1969.
Dustin Johnson in the International Series
In other news, the Asian Tour's International Series features 15 LIV Golf players in the Philippines this week, plus three reserves. Former world number one Dustin Johnson is one of the notable names. Since signing with the Saudi-backed league in 2022, he hasn't competed outside of LIV Golf, except for the Saudi International in 2024 and the Dunhill Links Championship this month alongside his father-in-law, Wayne Gretzky. With a full LIV schedule, Johnson has played in 20 tournaments this year, his most since 2021.
“What I love most about golf is that it takes me to places I would otherwise never have visited, and the Philippines is one of those places,” Johnson commented. He also noted that “the International Series is a perfect fit for where I am in my career.” Even though the LIV Golf season has ended, Johnson expressed his desire to continue competing and challenging himself against some of the best players.
Projections for the fall of 2026
The PGA Tour will return to Black Desert with a new sponsor (Bank of Utah) and a smaller purse of $6 million, compared to $7.5 million last year. This is common across all tournaments in the fall portion of the FedEx Cup. In 2023, the PGA Tour held seven fall events with a total prize purse of $56.6 million, nearly all with purses of $8 million or more. Last year, there were eight tournaments with $58.3 million in prize money. Las Vegas is no longer part of the schedule, and the seven tournaments in 2025 will have a total purse of $45 million.
The future of next year's fall schedule is still being developed, as sponsorship of the Mississippi tournament ended this year. The PGA Tour has added the Good Good Championship in Austin, Texas, in November 2026. Additionally, the Mexico Open, which followed the West Coast swing, is expected to move to the fall portion of the schedule.
Victory at home for Sei Young Kim
Sei Young Kim, who won five times in two years on the LPGA Korea Tour and then excelled on the LPGA Tour, secured her first home victory at the BMW Ladies Championship, ending a five-year title drought. “It took me more than 10 years to win in front of my family and friends,” Kim said after her four-stroke victory. “It means so much to me. It’s a tournament I really wanted to win, and I can’t put into words how I feel.”.
The energy from the fans was incredible and I'm so grateful for it.” Now, Kim is looking to repeat her success at the International Crown in South Korea.
Short notes
Lauryn Nguyen, who helped Northwestern win an NCAA women's golf title, has been selected to make her LPGA professional debut at The Annika next month at Pelican Golf Club. Nguyen was chosen for her performance on the golf course and her work organizing a youth event in her hometown of Seattle, as well as managing the Duc Foundation, which provides scholarships to underprivileged children.
The PGA Professional Championship will be held at Superstition Mountain in Arizona in 2028, two years after the senior version of the tournament takes place there. Maverick McNealy is the only player in the Bank of Utah Championship who qualified for this year's Tour Championship.
Statistics of the week
Three European Ryder Cup players are outside the top 70 in the race to Dubai: Ludvig Aberg (75), Shane Lowry (107) and Sepp Straka (148).
Final words
“I think golf can grow, but it needs to do so in a way that people coming into the game respect and recognize that it’s a little different from other sports.” — Rory McIlroy.
