Is Colonial Leaving the PGA Tour? What the 2028 Report Says
Rabbit Hole
44 minutes ago
Colonial is probably losing its place on the PGA Tour’s top level, just not yet. Golfweek reported Thursday that Colonial Country Club and title sponsor Charles Schwab are not expected to land a spot in the new Championship Series when the two-tier schedule starts in 2028. Nothing is official, and the 2027 Charles Schwab Challenge is still on the calendar in Fort Worth for May 27 to 30.
We think the report is right. The reason is money. The new top tier requires a purse of at least $20 million, and the Fort Worth purse in May was $9.9 million.
Why Colonial is expected to miss out
Golfweek, citing multiple sources, reported that the circuit wants only one Dallas-Fort Worth event in the Championship Series and that the CJ Cup Byron Nelson is better placed to get it after CJ made the stronger financial offer. The same report said the club has little room to expand. And CEO Brian Rolapp has already said more tournaments want a Championship Series date than there are dates to hand out.
Here’s the part that jumps out. On this year’s purses, the two Dallas-area events are almost dead even, and both sit at about half the new floor.
The table below compares the 2026 purses for the two Dallas-area events with the minimum purse for each tier of the 2028 schedule, per the PGA Tour, as of Nov. 5, 2026.
| Event or tier | Purse | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge (Colonial) | $9.9 million | Russell Henley won in a playoff |
| 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson (TPC Craig Ranch) | $10.3 million | The other Dallas-area stop |
| Championship Series minimum, from 2028 | $20 million | About 120 players, no sponsor exemptions |
| Challenger Series minimum, from 2028 | $4 million | At least 20 events |
Look at the first two rows. The Nelson’s purse was $400,000 bigger than Schwab’s in 2026, which is nothing at this level. What decides this is what each sponsor puts up from 2028 on, and Golfweek’s sources say CJ made the stronger offer. To keep a top-tier date, the Schwab event would have to more than double its purse at a club that, by Golfweek’s account, can’t easily grow. That last part is our read of the numbers, not something the league has said. We’d still bet on it.
What is the PGA Tour Championship Series?
The Championship Series is the top tier of the two-level schedule the PGA Tour announced on June 23, 2026, to start in 2028. Every event will carry a purse of at least $20 million and a field of about 120 players, with no alternate list and no sponsor exemptions, on a season expected to run from February through August. Underneath it, the Challenger Series will run at least 20 events with purses of at least $4 million, at traditional host venues, and at least 20 of its players will move up each year.
When they announced the plan, officials said they already had 10 of an expected 15 regular-season Championship Series events lined up. They didn’t name them, and said they would in the first quarter of 2027.
What happens to the Charles Schwab Challenge if Colonial is left out?
The obvious fallback is the Challenger Series, and Golfweek reported that the club has little interest in it. A source told Golfweek that club leadership would see a move down as “an insult.” The other path in the report runs through PGA Tour Champions, with Fort Worth possibly becoming the home of the Charles Schwab Cup Championship, the senior circuit’s season-ending event.
That one isn’t simple either. Golfweek noted the two tournaments are owned and run in different ways, so moving the senior finale to Fort Worth would take a deal with the Tour itself, not a handshake with the sponsor. Schwab putting its name on both events is the one thing pushing in that direction.
When will the PGA Tour decide?
Probably not before late February. Golfweek reported the Tour plans to unveil the full 2028 schedule on Feb. 27, 2027, which lines up with its own promise to name events in the first quarter of 2027. Until then this is a report built on sources, and Golfweek said the club and Schwab are still hoping for a spot.
- June 23, 2026: the two-series model for 2028 is announced
- Nov. 5, 2026: Golfweek reports Colonial is unlikely to make the Championship Series
- Feb. 27, 2027: the full 2028 schedule is expected, per Golfweek
- May 27 to 30, 2027: the Charles Schwab Challenge, still on the schedule in Fort Worth
How long has Colonial hosted a PGA Tour event?
Since 1946. Ben Hogan won the first one, defended it in 1947, and won again in 1952, 1953, and 1959. That 1959 win was the 64th and final PGA Tour title of his career. It’s why the place is still called Hogan’s Alley.
The PGA Tour itself calls the club and this event its longest-running tournament-venue partnership. Losing that over a sponsorship bid would be a strange way for it to end. It’s still where this looks headed.
What it means for bettors
Colonial is one of the few weeks on the schedule where length barely helps you. Our prep notes for the 2026 event built the card around strokes gained approach, driving accuracy, proximity from 100 to 175 yards, and bogey avoidance, on a par-70 course with tight, tree-lined fairways and small bentgrass greens. The comp courses in those notes were Harbour Town, Sedgefield, and TPC River Highlands.
The winners back that up. Ben Griffin in 2025, Davis Riley in 2024, Emiliano Grillo in 2023, and Sam Burns in 2022 all won there as precise ball strikers, not bombers. Pull Colonial off the top tier and the 2028 schedule loses one of its cleanest course-fit weeks. The short, straight hitters lose the most.
None of that changes for 2027, though. If next May turns out to be the last edition at the top level, handicap it like any other year at Hogan’s Alley, with fairways and approach play first. You can build that kind of model in The Rabbit Hole by choosing which strokes gained categories and stats to weight.
Handicap the week the way we do, on us. First-time depositors at ReBet using code BSG get a free Betsperts Golf subscription plus a 100 percent match up to 100 dollars on a 10 dollar deposit.
FAQ
Has Colonial ever skipped a year?
Twice. Flooding canceled the 1949 tournament, and in 1975 the club hosted the Tournament Players Championship, now THE PLAYERS, instead of its own event, per the PGA Tour.
Who won the last Charles Schwab Challenge?
Russell Henley won the 2026 edition in a playoff over Eric Cole after both finished at 12 under. His share of the $9.9 million purse was $1.782 million.
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