“It’s interesting. I mean, there’s definitely a new sheriff in town with Rolapp,” he said when asked about the sweeping changes, speaking to Trey Wingo on The Wingo Network. “…You need to have a boss, and you need to have someone making plans and the rules and the plans going forward. You don’t need this big old committee of people. It’s like things usually never work well that way.”

However, the 44-year-old also pointed out that several questions surrounding the PGA Tour’s sweeping changes remain unanswered.

“[Does] that mean the Korn Ferry Tour is gone? Or does that mean they get swallowed up, and we’re going to make the Korn Ferry Tour smaller, and then we’re bringing those guys down? There [are] just a lot of questions,” he added. “That’s always a frustrating part of the tour… It’s hard to get a sense of it.”

Despite Mahan’s concerns, the Korn Ferry Tour will continue to serve as a vital developmental pathway in 2028. However, its promotion system is undergoing significant changes. During the 2027 transition season, the top 10 finishers will earn direct membership in the Championship Series.

Meanwhile, the next 30 will secure spots in the Challenger Series, which will feature $4 million purses compared to the Championship Series’ $20 million. In any case, Mahan especially doesn’t agree with the idea that once a player finds himself in the Challenger Series, he is stuck there for an entire year, claiming there needs to be a pathway for them to move to the Championship Series.

“I don’t love the idea that it’s a year-long [process],” he added. “You get your card for a year [on the Championship Series], and so you get all this opportunity and [make] all this money for a year. And the other guys don’t have the opportunity to rise up through the ranks. I think there needs to be some sort of pathway for those guys… [If a guy is] killing it, but he’s not allowed to go up during the season.”

As per the new format, players will have several opportunities to earn promotion from the Challenger Series to the Championship Series. Just not in the middle of the season. The top 20 finishers on the season-long points list will secure full membership in the top tier, while those who win two Challenger Series events in a single season will earn automatic promotion.

Winning a major championship will also grant immediate access to the Championship Series. Additionally, a post-season Fall Last Chance Series, comprising four to six events, will provide players with another opportunity to fight for promotion spots. Nevertheless, Mahan also claimed that players wouldn’t want to play as many tournaments and would want clarity about their schedules before the season.

“I wish there was a little bit more movement among the events, and guys aren’t really going to love having to play that much golf,” he claimed. “And guys really have always liked playing knowing their schedule and sort of sticking to that. So… they really want some clarity on understanding where they’re going to have to play if you’re going to make them play those events and play that many.

“… What about the DP World Tour? If you’re a European player, and you’ve got to go back and play all those events? Like, that’s a lot of golf for some of those guys. So, how’s that going to work? My guess is they’re not going to have to do that, but I don’t know. So there just seems to be a lot to figure out when you have all these tours and everything sort of trying to work together in some way.”

Under the format, the Championship Series will feature 23 to 24 events, including the four major championships, The Players Championship, regular-season tournaments, and a two-event post-season. Meanwhile, the Challenger Series will comprise at least 20 events, running concurrently with the top tier from February through August. Around seven of those tournaments are expected to take place during Championship Series off-weeks, giving the lower-tier circuit greater exposure.

As for the schedule, the PGA Tour plans to formally announce the complete 2028 Championship Series schedule on February 22 on Golf Channel. That said, all of Hunter Mahan concerns about the PGA Tour’s 2028 overhaul will be answered in the coming months.

The post ‘New Sheriff in Town’: Former PGA Tour Star Sounds Alarm Over Tour CEO’s Vision for Players’ Future appeared first on EssentiallySports. Add EssentiallySports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.