They want East Lake moved to the week before the Masters.
1. The Fried Egg Golf Podcast episode 'Drafting a New PGA Tour Schedule' centers on rumors of a February-to-August PGA Tour calendar with fewer events and fewer exempt players.
2. Andy Johnson hosts Kevin Van Valkenburg and Joseph LaMagna, both Friday Golf colleagues who regularly join the show to debate PGA Tour structure.
3. The episode asks which venues and formats should survive if the Tour moves toward a smaller, more selective top tier.
4. Andy says the rumored model points to roughly 100 to 120 exempt players and about 20 to 25 top-tier PGA Tour events.
5. He also says the outside schedule would resemble fall-series events, with purses in the $4 million to $6 million range rather than Korn Ferry Tour money.
6. Kevin describes the goal as a 'no exemption tour' where players are either up or down and roughly 20 to 30 players churn each year.
7. He argues that media markets will drive the redesign, and he names New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC.
8. Joseph proposes starting in Hawaii at the Plantation Course with 36 players, two days of stroke play, and then match play from 16.
9. He adds automatic match-play spots for the FedEx Cup winner, the Players champion, and the four major champions.
10. Kevin initially prefers the WM Phoenix Open, while Joseph says Phoenix has already proved it can be the kickoff because of its crowd atmosphere and strong field.
11. Kevin later suggests the Hawaii event could work as a lighter 'silly season kickoff' with a skills challenge and no OWGR points.
12. Joseph then floats the same Hawaii concept as a closing event after the playoffs, arguing it could become a coronation in August.
13. Kevin says schedule design should reward different skill sets, using Phoenix as a dome-style event and South Florida as a windy, water-heavy test.
14. He points to Bay Hill as a week that asks for repeated 200-plus-yard approach shots and says course setup should be a central storyline.
15. Kevin criticizes PGA Tour headquarters for having low 'golf IQ' and says the Tour currently treats events like a Marriott, with too much sameness in setup.
16. He also argues the Tour should stop putting lesser events in front of majors and instead build crescendos, citing East Lake before the Masters and Heritage before Augusta.
17. Joseph and Kevin both say the Memorial Tournament has to remain on the schedule because of Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, and the strength of the test.
18. The discussion is loose and conversational, with the hosts interrupting each other, revising ideas in real time, and changing their lists as the argument develops.
19. Listeners interested in PGA Tour scheduling, venue strategy, and golf architecture should get a lot from this episode.
20. Listeners wanting player profiles, swing tips, or tournament recaps may skip it.
