Multiple major champ goes in hard on PGA Tour changes: "They're terrible"

Multiple major champion Padraig Harrington says the proposed changes coming to the PGA Tour in 2026 are 'terrible'. 

Harrington gave his verdict on an appearance with Golf Channel ahead of the Charles Schwab Cup Championship on the American senior circuit. 

The changes were outlined to members last week in a 23-page document and within hours were leaked to various members of the media by grumpy Tour players. 

Several golfers have already blasted the plans, which include reducing field sizes, an updated pace of play policy and scrapping the number of fully exempt members from 125 to 100. 

"I can't think about how bad it is," Harrington, 53, explained. "At the end of the day, the people on the inside are voting to keep the thing tighter and more closed. 

"The Tour was running just fine. I know there's a little bit of pressure to finish on time when fields go to 156 at certain times of the season or 144, but players will deal with it.

"They will handle that. They prepare for that. They know at the start of the year [they] might miss out on a few tournament [rounds] because of light."

"Slow play is like driving in rush hour traffic. It's just too many people on the golf course, and the tee times are too tight, so yes, this is a way of solving one of the big issues… but you want to give everybody the opportunity.

"If this was like the Premier League, or the Championship, and there was a really, really good second tour, maybe the European Tour can be that. 

"Maybe it works out. But to me, it definitely looks like the people on the inside are keeping it tighter."

Harrington also gave his verdict on the proposal that some Monday qualifiers could be scrapped altogether.

In some cases, the number of Monday qualifiers will be reduced to just two spots in the field.

As far as Harrington is concerned, qualifiers separate the wheat from the chaff.

Do professional golfers really want to 'make it'?

He said: "Not having a Monday qualifier, c'mon, that's one of the most exciting things on the Tour.

"The cut line is also one of the most exciting things on the tour but I know 'no cut' fields suit the sponsors. 

"They want the leading names guaranteed to be there on the weekend."

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