Jason Day has hinted at a division in the PGA Tour schedule, following the introduction of the lucrative Signature Events. The golfer is currently participating in the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, marking his third event of the season after playing in The Sentry and last week’s American Express.
The start of the PGA Tour season has been slow to attract the biggest names to compete together. Two of the Tour’s biggest stars, Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, are yet to play in the States this year, with the former injured and the latter starting his season on the DP World Tour in Dubai last week.
Meanwhile, world No. 2 Xander Schauffele has only played once so far at the season-opening Sentry, before he pulled out from the American Express and not competing at Torrey Pines this week.
A number of stars on the entry list at Torrey Pines have also withdrawn, with Will Zalatoris being the latest, following Collin Morikawa and Akshay Bhatia. However, one man who is competing is Day.
Ahead of the tournament, the Australian expressed his belief that the circuit has been divided into two following the launch of the Signature Events, which are exclusively available to the PGA Tour’s top players. Day believes this two-tiered system has emerged due to the establishment of LIV Golf.
He explained: “Well, there are two tours within a tour now if you could understand that,” he remarked on the new dynamic in professional golf.
“I think you have the top guys playing the Signature Events and you have the other side of it, too. I think that just happened purely because of the way that when LIV came about, and it’s unfortunate but that’s what — ultimately that’s what we’re dealing with now.”
Amidst ongoing discussions on how seldom the world’s top golfers compete against each other, Day suggested a radical change – slimming down the PGA Tour schedule, reflecting the approach taken by their LIV Golf counterparts who only hold 14 events annually.
“Yeah, it is tough. The two tours are difficult,” Day said. “I mean, ultimately I think at the end of the day you would probably, you know, if you wanted everyone to play in a tournament, you have to shrink the schedule down dramatically. It used to be 48 events on the schedule and you knew that it wasn’t — you weren’t going to have the best players in the world.
“The only way you’re going to get the best players in the world is to shrink the schedule down dramatically, and I think essentially that’s kind of what they’re doing now within the Tour is that you have the Signature Events and you have the major championship.
“Then you have — you throw in your Memorials, your Bay Hills, your Tiger events, all that stuff, those bigger events within that offer three-year exemptions instead of the typical two-year exemptions. Then you might sprinkle in some golf tournaments that you actually like and play well in. Then the rest of the guys that are not quite in those Signature Events yet.”
Day is ready to begin his pursuit for victory in Wednesday’s opening round, playing alongside Hideki Matsuyama and Max Homa.
This article originally appeared on Mirror
