The PGA Tour is reportedly considering a format change to its Tour Championship The athlete And The Associated Press.

The Athletic first reported that tour officials discussed options to replace the current staggered start format for the FedExCup Playoff Finals in East Lake with a “bracket event.” The AP later added that several concepts were discussed and the tour was leaning toward some sort of seeded match play round, with possible ideas including medal match play; stroke play leading to match play; and the top eight will be determined through games.

The AP added that the Tour’s Player Advisory Council had not yet received any suggestions and that a change in time for the 2025 Tour Championship was unlikely.

All sources in the reports spoke to the media on condition of anonymity.

The Tour provided a staggered start to the 30-man Tour Championship in 2019, rewarding the FedExCup No. 1 seed by starting the week at 10 under at East Lake, among other staggered starting positions. However, players’ opinion was never overly positive. In fact, just last season, Scottie Scheffler called the format “silly.”

Keegan Bradley was asked about the reports in Kapalua on Friday. He said he had just heard about the possible changes but agreed adjustments would likely need to be made.

“I know the format is a little clunky now in my opinion,” Bradley said. “I find it a bit strange. There is no right or wrong way. They’re trying to create drama in the last event of the year and you have guys like Scottie Scheffler who, you know, if they don’t do something like that, they wouldn’t even have to play this week and you win FedExCup. So fortunately I’m not in a position to make those (changes), but I’m all for trying to make the Tour better.”

The potential optimizations uncovered are promising.

The Medal Match Play is a version of the head-to-head format in which participants play 18 holes and the player with the lowest scoring score wins the game. If there is a draw, the game goes to sudden death, like in normal match play. The medal game is primarily used at the NCAA Division II Championship and is also used in the final round of the St. Andrews Links Collegiate, a collegiate event that ends on the Old Course. Imagine you’re competing on the Old Course, but your match ends on No. 16; Medal Match Play ensures that every game goes down to the final hole, which is certainly an enticing aspect for sponsors purchasing suites around East Lake’s 18th green.

Top amateur championships such as the US Amateur and Western Amateur use stroke play qualifying before the top finishers advance to match play. That format would ensure that every player who qualifies for East Lake stays there for multiple days, as well as a match play format with four final games, presumably for first, third, fifth and seventh place – and corresponding prize payouts. Typically, such matches come at the end of a bracket that contains elements of consolation.

There are certainly plenty of options, with the common thread being a head-to-head big-money showdown on Sunday in East Lake.

“I think that would definitely be interesting because the pressure that you would feel in the Tour Championship if you want to win the FedExCup and no matter how much money is on the line, that’s real pressure,” said Bradley. “So it would be pretty cool to watch two guys go out there and play for it.”