The 2020–21 PGA Tour was the 106th season of the PGA Tour, the main professional golf tour in the United States. It was also the 53rd season since separating from the PGA of America, and the 15th edition of the FedEx Cup.
As a result of changes made due to COVID-19 pandemic, there were several changes to membership criteria for the 2020–21 season:
The 2020–21 season and the preceding 2019–20 season were regarded as one season for exemption purposes. This meant that all players exempt for 2019–20 retained the same exemption status for 2020–21, and existing exemptions for tournament and FedEx Cup winners were extended by one season.[2]
Following the cancellation of ten tournaments due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the PGA Tour announced that for 2021 the field of the Sentry Tournament of Champions would be expanded to include the 30 players qualifying for the 2020 Tour Championship in addition to tournament winners during the 2020 calendar year.[3]
Due to concerns with the ongoing pandemic the Pro-Am sections of The American Express and AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am were canceled, with the tournaments being held as regular events over two courses instead of the usual three.[4][5]
The first two playoff events, The Northern Trust and the BMW Championship, reverted to four times the points of regular events, having been reduced to three times in the 2019–20 season after several tournaments were canceled.[2]
Scheduling change
The Valspar Championship, which since 2007 had been held in March as part of a run of tournaments in Florida, was moved to late April, finishing on May 2.[7]
On March 9, 2021, it was announced that the RBC Canadian Open had been canceled due to the pandemic; it had also been canceled in 2020.[11]
Relocated tournaments
Three of the major championships, the first two FedEx Cup playoff events and the RBC Canadian Open are routinely played at a different host course each year. For several other tournaments with regular host courses, there was also a change in venue for the 2020–21 season, some of them temporary.
The CJ Cup was relocated from Nine Bridges Golf Club on Jeju Island, South Korea to Shadow Creek Golf Course in Las Vegas, Nevada; the move was expected to be for one season only, owing to the COVID-19 travel restrictions.[14]
Location of official tournaments of the 2020–21 PGA Tour in the continental United States and Canada. 600-point event (Major championships & The Players) 550-point event (World Golf Championships, Genesis, Arnold Palmer, Memorial) 500-point event (Regular events) 400-point event (Official team event) 300-point event (Alternate events) FedEx Cup playoff event Unofficial event Canceled event
Location of official tournaments of the 2020–21 PGA Tour outside the continental United States and Canada. 600-point event (Major championships & The Players) 550-point event (World Golf Championships) 500-point event (Regular events) 300-point event (Alternate events) Unofficial event Canceled event
Tiger Woods finished ahead of Phil Mickelson to win the PIP rankings for 2021.[34] The rankings were based upon Google searches; social media reach; TV broadcast appearances; global media mentions and familiarity of a player's "brand". As winner, he received $8m. Second place received $6m, 3rd to 6th received $3.5m, and 7th to 10th received $3m.[35]
^A further two tournaments were scheduled but were canceled.
^The number in parentheses after each winner's name is the number of PGA Tour events they had won up to and including that tournament. This information is only shown for PGA Tour members.
^The Tour Championship has no stand-alone purse and does not carry official money; the tournament directly determines the assignment of the FedEx Cup bonus pool money, including US$15,000,000 to the winner.[20]
^OWGR points at the Tour Championship were awarded based on aggregate scores only (see Tour Championship format).[21]Kevin Na and Jon Rahm tied for the lowest aggregate score and split the assigned points for first and second places, each earning 51.2 points. Cantlay, who tied for fourth-lowest aggregate score, received 15.79 points.[22]
^The top 125 point scorers in the regular season retain their tour card for the following season, and qualify for The Northern Trust. The top 70 points scorers after The Northern Trust qualify for the BMW Championship.
^The top 30 point scorers after the BMW Championship qualify for the Tour Championship. Each player begins with a score adjustment to par determined by their point ranking, the lowest scorers in the Tour Championship in addition to this adjustment win the FedEx Cup.
^In addition to tournament prize money, the top 10 regular season point scorers receive a share of a US$10,000,000 bonus, and the US$60,000,000 FedEx Cup postseason bonus money is distributed based upon standings after the Tour Championship.