ATLANTA (AP) — The Truist Championship at Quail Hollow Club is the latest tournament to be set for the top-tier Championship Series starting in 2028, another announcement that was expected because the tournament has been elite since it began in 2003 and already is a signature event.
That makes eight tournaments announced for the Championship Series, the only two surprises being the new Sompo Championship and the Greensboro, North Carolina, event that
has changed sponsorship and now is the GO by Raymond James.
PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp said Tuesday that seven — now eight, with the Truist announcement Wednesday — of the 15 tournaments on the Championship Series have been announced. That doesn't include the four majors, The Players Championship and the postseason.
He said an additional three have been identified, and those will be disclosed shortly. There will be plenty of assumptions of current signature events, such as the AT&T Pebble Beach, the RBC Heritage and the Genesis Invitational.
The Genesis Invitational is the only player-hosted event — Tiger Woods — not yet announced. Part of that is due to the future of Riviera Country Club, which just finished a U.S. Women's Open in June, has the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and the 2031 U.S. Open. The private club might want a breather. Discussions are ongoing.
“Of the remaining four regular-season events, we are currently in active discussions with 14 prospective partners,” Rolapp said. “Given that level of demand and interest, we expect to be making final decisions soon.”
He said he expects to announce the full 2028 Championship Series schedule on Feb. 22 at a special television show from PGA Tour headquarters.
Jim Furyk is no longer just dipping his toes into the television world. The 2003 U.S. Open champion and two-time Ryder Cup captain has been named Golf Channel's lead analyst for PGA Tour events and the major championships.
Furyk agreed to a multiyear deal that takes him into the revamped 2028 schedule of Championship Series events. Golf Channel next year has full coverage of The American Express to start the season, and weekday coverage of the rest of the PGA Tour events (along with the U.S. and British Opens).
“I’m thrilled to expand my role with USA Sports and Golf Channel to call the action at men’s majors and the biggest PGA Tour events for years to come,” Furyk said. “I have really enjoyed my time in the booth and look forward to continuing to develop in the role.”
The announcement would seem to end speculation about Furyk joining the NBC booth because Golf Channel and NBC are now separately owned.
The PGA Tour on Wednesday put out its full schedule for 2027, the last one before it changes to what amounts to a two-tour system.
It looks to be similar to this year, with a few tweaks. The Dallas-area tournaments are no longer in consecutive weeks in May. The CJ Cup Byron Nelson in Dallas will end in the first weekend of May, followed by the Valspar Championship in the Tampa Bay, Florida, area. That will lead into the Truist Championship, the PGA Championship and then Colonial will be the last week in May.
The Valspar previously was in March. That was been moved to clear the way for the Cadillac Championship in Miami to return to the Florida swing in March.
Also, the new Sompo Championship to be held in Napa, California, will be the last week in July and take the spot of the Rocket Classic in Detroit.
Pebble Beach again will have two events — the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February and the U.S. Open in June. The British Open returns to St. Andrews and the PGA Championship is at its new headquarters in Frisco, Texas.
That means the Dallas-Fort Worth area will have three tournaments in five weeks — The CJ Cup Byron Nelson, PGA Championship and Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial — with the PGA Championship and Colonial going back-to-back.
Colonial is about 50 miles southwest of Frisco.
Gary Woodland is the feel-good story at East Lake simply by making it to the Tour Championship while trying to cope with the effects of his brain surgery three years ago.
That doesn't spare him from getting plenty of grief from last week at the BMW Championship.
He was on the bubble of being in the top 30, playing well in the final round at Bellerive, when he topped a tee shot into a creek about 100 yards in front of him on the ninth hole, leading to a double bogey. He was rock-solid the rest of the way, shot 69 and tied for fourth to advance.
Now about that tee shot?
He heard about it from Xander Schauffele on the putting green at East Lake on Monday. At the Payne Stewart Award ceremony Tuesday night, former award winner Brandt Snedeker was being interviewed on stage when he was asked if Woodland — one of Snedeker's assistant captains for the Presidents Cup next month — would be considered a captain's pick if he played well this week.
Snedeker paused during his answer, smiled and everyone knew what was coming. He mentioned the topped tee shot.
“I’ve hit some good shots this year, and I haven’t got as much attention as that shot has,” Woodland said.
Woodland even heard it from his father. They plan to play together again in December at the PNC Championship in Florida.
“When I turned my phone on after the round, it wasn’t, ‘Congrats’ or ‘Good playing.’ It was: ‘Hey, get that shot out of the way. I can’t afford to have that in the scramble,’” Woodland said.
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