Ryan Palmer Supports PGA Tour Changes but Critiques Signature Event Model

2025-03-02

Veteran PGA Tour player Ryan Palmer has voiced his support for recent changes to the Tour’s structure, set to take effect in 2026, but expressed concerns about the Signature Event model. Palmer, a four-time winner with over 500 Tour starts, praised the decision to reduce the number of exempt players from the top 125 to the top 100 and to shrink field sizes to between 120 and 144 players. He believes these changes will make the Tour more competitive, stating, “The days of playing average and keeping your card are done.”

However, Palmer criticized the no-cut, 70-player format of Signature Events, calling it a “bad product.” He suggested that fields of 120 players with a cut would be more effective, even for high-profile tournaments like the Genesis Invitational, Arnold Palmer Invitational, and the Memorial. Notably, the PGA Tour has already adjusted its 2025 schedule to include cuts at these three player-hosted Signature Events, with a 36-hole cut to the top 50 and ties, plus anyone within 10 strokes of the lead.

Meanwhile, at the Genesis Invitational, Patrick Rodgers is poised to secure his first PGA Tour victory in his 286th start. Rodgers holds a one-shot lead over Denny McCarthy heading into the final round at Torrey Pines. Both players are seeking their maiden Tour wins. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy struggled in the third round, falling five shots behind Rodgers. Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg remains in contention, two shots back, after making the tournament’s first hole-in-one on the third hole.

The final round of the Genesis Invitational will be broadcast on Golf Channel and CBS, with streaming available on ESPN+, Paramount+, and the NBC and CBS sports apps.

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