On November 25, 2025, the PGA Tour revealed a series of fresh financial policies meant to offer more stability for players on its developmental circuit, a move opponents say was long overdue as the road to top-tier professional golf continues to tighten.
Starting in the 2026 season, the PGA Tour will include two different supporting programs geared toward players who find themselves on the periphery of full Tour status: the Member Support Program and the Pathways Player Achievement Grant.
Could These Changes Finally Help Players on the Edge?
Golfers under the Member Support Program who placed below Provided No. 126 on the FedExCup standings from the previous year participate in at least twelve total events on either the main Tour or the Korn Ferry Tour over the season, they will be assured a minimum earnings of US $150,000, even though they were completely exempt.
This total acts as an ‘earnings floor,’ guaranteeing that a player won’t go away empty-handed even if tournament results disappoint. For those who have naturally made more than the threshold, the confidence is meaningless, and they just maintain their usual winnings.
Korn Ferry members, as well as top performers from feeder routes like the PGA Tour Americas and PGA Tour University, receive a $15,000 grant under the second program, Pathways Player Achievement Grant. This grant is especially important since it lacks a minimum event requirement, therefore allowing players the flexibility they need to budget money toward expenditures, including travel, lodging, training, or caddie fees.
These events occur at a critical time. The PGA Tour will drastically cut the number of fully exempt ‘cards’ from 125 to 100 in 2026, making the competition for complete Tour status more challenging than in recent years.
That contraction has caused great worry over whether lesser-known pros, often working on shoestring budgets and paying their own way week to week, would be squeezed out. Providing a financial safety net, Tour management seems to recognize the growing financial stress on development players.