At a time when the PGA Tour has been forced to reckon with what has gone away – primarily players such as Jon Rahm, Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka, to name a few – an old friend has returned.
The calendar season.
After working since 2013 off a wraparound schedule that began in September and concluded nearly a year later at the FedEx Cup playoffs in late August, the tour has returned to a calendar schedule this year.
No more carrying points earned in the fall into a new year. No more head starts for players taking advantage of many of the stars stepping away from tournament golf during football season.
What began officially at the Sentry last week in Hawaii will conclude September 1 in Atlanta at the Tour Championship. Neat and tidy.
There will still be fall events, but everything now happens in one calendar year.
While Jon Rahm’s departure leaves a hole – he won four times last year, including the Masters – there are plenty of familiar storylines as the ’24 season unfolds.
This is also the second year for signature events, previously known as elevated or designated events. There are eight of them, plus the three FedEx Cup playoff tournaments, the Players Championship and the four majors to give the year big moments scattered throughout the nine-month schedule.
Last week, Scottie Scheffler was named player of the year by his peers for a second consecutive year, the first player since Tiger Woods in 2005-07 to be so honored in back-to-back years. A two-time winner including the Players Championship, Scheffler played with a remarkable consistency that became one of the dominant themes last season.
“I don’t set long-term goals. I try to improve a little bit at a time. I think if I sat back and right now, looked at the season and said I want to win five times and two majors and do all these things, I would look at the season and be like, Oh I’ve got plenty of time to do that stuff. The Masters isn’t until April; the PGA is in May. I’ve got time. I’ve got time to do all that stuff,” Scheffler said.
“That doesn’t work for me. I try to stay very focused on what I’m doing at the time and stay present and just try and improve little bits at a time. Not looking too far into the past, not looking too far into the future. Just trying to stay present and improve just a little bit at a time.”
Viktor Hovland won three times last year, including the final two playoff events and the FedEx Cup title, elevating his place in the game. He is well positioned to win his first major championship this year.
While Eric Cole won rookie-of-the-year honors, fellow rookie Ludvig Åberg rocketed to prominence in the latter part of the season, and he’s suddenly the game’s most intriguing young talent.
Rory McIlroy will begin his tour season next month in Los Angeles with a refreshed focus after shedding his duties as a member of the tour’s Policy Board late last year. Justin Thomas is looking for a bounce-back year after missing the top 70 and the FedEx Cup playoffs last year while his buddy Jordan Spieth looks to build on a strong season in ’23.
All the while, the tour’s negotiations with the Public Investment Fund and a private equity group will be ongoing until a potential agreement is reached which could further reshape the landscape.
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