Korn Ferry Tour Doubles PGA Tour Cards In Major 2027 Shakeup

The road to the PGA Tour is about to get a whole lot more interesting, and for dozens of aspiring professional golfers, the opportunity of a lifetime just got considerably bigger.

The PGA Tour unveiled its 2027 Korn Ferry Tour schedule Wednesday, announcing 25 tournaments across seven countries and 15 states. But the biggest development isn't where players will compete. It's what's waiting for them at the finish line.

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A total of 40 PGA Tour cards will be awarded following the 2027 season, doubling the 20 available under the previous system.

The expanded promotion opportunity comes ahead of the PGA Tour's revamped competitive structure in 2028.

Players finishing among the top 10 on the Korn Ferry Tour Points List will qualify for the PGA Tour Championship Series, while those ranked 11th through 40th will receive Challenger Series membership.

That's a significant increase in opportunity, although where a player finishes will determine exactly what kind of PGA Tour access he receives.

Korn Ferry Tour President Alex Baldwin called the upcoming campaign "the most competitive season in our Tour's history," emphasizing the circuit's growing importance in developing golf's next generation.

The season opens Jan. 17 in the Bahamas and concludes October 10 at The Federal Club in Glen Allen, Virginia.

Along the way, players will visit familiar destinations and experience several changes.

Chile joins the schedule with the historic Scotiabank Abierto de Chile, scheduled for March 4-7 in Santiago. The tournament's history stretches back to 1927, with legendary champions including Gary Player and Roberto De Vicenzo.

The Argentina Open moves to Olivos Golf Club, while Illinois' Evans Scholars Invitational shifts to Stonebridge Country Club.

Golf Channel will televise 10 tournaments, including the four-event Korn Ferry Tour Finals.

Those playoffs will progressively narrow the field, beginning with 156 players at the Simmons Bank Open in Tennessee. Only 60 competitors will reach the season-ending championship in Virginia.

The stakes could be especially meaningful for emerging players such as Thomas Ponder, Corey Pereira, Étienne Papineau and Patrick Flavin, who secured Korn Ferry Tour membership for 2027 through their PGA Tour Americas performances.

College golf's top seniors will also get their opportunity. Players finishing second through 10th in the PGA Tour University rankings can join the circuit beginning in June.

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With twice as many PGA Tour cards available but different levels of access attached to the final standings, 2027 won't simply be about earning a promotion.

It'll be about finishing high enough to determine just how big that promotion becomes.