Positive Change

A memo was sent to PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour members Tuesday morning outlining several policy updates, including a new initiative the Tour is calling the “Member Support Program.”

The first component is an incentive aimed at certain 2026 Korn Ferry Tour members. The Tour will award a $15,000 “Achievement Grant” to players who finish 21st–75th on the 2025 KFT Points List, the 10 players graduating from the Americas Tour, and the Top Five from PGA Tour U Rollover. With the first five KFT events taking place internationally (two in the Bahamas, then Panama, Colombia, and Argentina), this support provides meaningful financial relief during an expensive start to the season. The grant is a true bonus and does not come out of future earnings or require repayment.

The second part of the Member Support Program applies to PGA Tour members who finished outside the top 125 this season. These players will have an $150,000 earnings assurance  for next season as long as they compete in at least 12 events across the PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour. If a player in this category earns less than $150,000 combined on KFT and PGA Tours during the 2026 season, the Tour will pay the difference at the end of the year, provided they have met the 12-event requirement. (Example: Player A earns $90,000 for the season, he would be given a $60,000 check at the end of the year) 

The memo also included several general policy updates. One of the most notable involves rangefinders. The KFT tested allowing them last season, and according to the memo, the feedback was almost unanimously positive. As a result, rangefinders will be permitted for the entire 2026 season. While there is ongoing debate about whether they truly speed up play for professionals, this feels like a smart move for the KFT. Many players do not work with full-time professional caddies, relying instead on friends, spouses, or parents. For those amateur caddies, having access to a rangefinder will make it much easier and quicker to get accurate yardages.

The Tour also informed players that the pace-of-play policy used last season will remain in place for 2026. Under this policy, players receive a one-stroke penalty for their first bad time after being put on the clock, a measure designed to encourage quicker decision-making and maintain tournament flow.

Lastly, the Tour announced significant changes to the Americas Tour. There will no longer be two separate segments; instead, the schedule will run as one unified season with small breaks built in. In addition, Q-School will now take place in March before the season begins, rather than between the Latin and Canadian swings.

These updates aren’t major reforms, but they’re helpful and worth recognizing. I’ve criticized the Tour plenty for past decisions, so it’s only fair to acknowledge when they get something right.

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