Is There a Cut at the 2024 Travelers Championship? Format Explained

It’s the final shot this season for PGA Tour pros to snag their share of an increased purse and 700 FedEx points! After an enthralling performance at Pinehurst No. 2, the PGA Tour pros have returned to the TPC River Highland for the last signature event of the year, the Travelers Championship in Connecticut. Rory McIlroy withdrew from the event. After a heartbreak at the U.S. Open, the field has been shortened to only 71.

Will there be a 36-hole cut to further cut down the limited field? Per the PGA Tour rule book, the five signature events out of eight, which are not hosted by players, will not have any cut after the second round. This promises all the players on the field a guaranteed paycheck by the end of the event and a fair chance of winning after turning around their third and fourth rounds.

The only three signature events that observed a cut on the PGA Tour were the Genesis Invitational hosted by Tiger Woods, the Arnold Palmer Invitational, and the Memorial Tournament hosted by Jack Nicklaus. Moreover, these signature events also differ in allocating the $20 million prize purse to the winner.

In player-hosted events, the winner received an 18% ($3.6 million) share of the total purse, whereas in other five signature events, including the Travelers Championship, the winner gets a 20% share, which is $4 million. Except for these differences, the signature events pretty much follow similar qualification criteria.

However, from 2025, the PGA Tour will be changing the signature events rule by a bit for a uniform performance and better experience for fans and players alike. What are the two adjustments made for the 2025 season?

PGA Tour changes field rule for signature events for the upcoming season

In the 2024 season, there have been plenty of times when a golfer has teed up at the signature events alone because of another player’s withdrawal from the event. Even at the Travelers Championship, Chris Gotterup has been scheduled to start the opening round at 8:05 a.m. EST without a pair.

To avoid such cases, the PGA Tour Policy Board held a meeting with the Players Advisory Council on Tuesday of the Travelers Championship. After that, the board has concluded that unlike the 2024 season, where the field would not be made up to 72 in case of withdrawals, starting from 2025 it shall be.

When one or more players withdraw from a signature event, the next available player on Aon Next 10 will be eligible to play the signature event. Moreover, starting next year, Tiger Woods will also be eligible to play all eight signature events, as the board has signaled to pass the Lifetime Exemption for Woods or anyone who has 80 or more career victories. So starting next year, the 15-time major winner might be seen playing on the PGA Tour more.

The PGA Tour has also entertained the idea of making all the signature events without any cuts, though nothing has been decided for the same.