Disgruntled PGA Tour players circulate petition requesting special meeting with tour leadership

A petition has been circulated to PGA Tour membership requesting a special meeting with tour leadership. The note, first reported by No Laying Up and Golf Channel, was sent by an anonymous group of players.

The letter reads:

Dear PGA Tour membership, A group of us are requesting a special meeting to address issues related, but not limited, to the following: 1. FedEx Cup points allocated to Signature Events versus full field events. Example: Currently, a 5th place finish in a no cut 78-player field is awarded 272 percent more points than a 5th place finish in a traditional event with a cut. We are requesting significant reduction before the first designated event. 2. Number of limited field signature events. 3. PIP Program. 4. PGA Tour leadership, PGA Tour policy board and player directors. If you want to be a part of this meeting, please sign this petition.

The petition comes amid a flurry of changes to the tour’s infrastructure, changes that some of the rank-and-file have asserted caters heavily to the tour’s best players. There’s a belief the tour’s signature events with limited fields and larger purses create a two-tour system, and that the current format restricts promotion and relegation between those tiers.

Moreover, many players, no matter their station, expressed frustration with the tour’s secretive, and surprising, framework agreement with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund in June. The tour has tried to be more transparent with its membership following the announcement, highlighted by adding Tiger Woods to the policy board and bringing in Colin Neville of the Raine Group to ensure a collaborative process during the ongoing negotiations. On Friday, the policy board sent a memo to membership with some, relatively vague updates on the negotiations.

"Since Tiger joined the policy board on Aug. 1, the player directors have been doing everything we can to ensure the PGA Tour is best positioned to thrive for decades to come,” the memo said. "We have learned a lot, and we are encouraged by progress on multiple fronts.” Additionally, the memo acknowledged a number of investor groups that have been part of the talks, an element multiple previous letters had noted.

Nevertheless, a group of players continue to feel their voice is not being heard, with Lanto Griffin, Jimmy Walker and Nate Lashley, among others, airing their grievances in recent weeks via social media and in various media interviews.

The framework agreement outlined that the tour and PIF have until the end of the year to come to a deal for the proposed for-profit entity, although both parties have the option to extend the deadline. The first event of the 2024 season begins the first week of January with the Sentry (formerly the Tournament of Champions), which is classified as a signature event. The first full-field tournament will come the following week at the Sony Open.