Player equity was conceived as a carrot for the top players to chase — and a potentially lucrative reason not to take guaranteed money to go to LIV.
The PGA Tour is expanding its Player Equity Program to reward performance in the FedEx Cup.
The top 50 players in the 2026 FedEx Cup standings, through the 2026 BMW Championship, will now earn recurring equity grants in PGA Tour Enterprises, the for-profit entity. PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp sent a memo to Tour membership on Thursday detailing the expansion of the program, which debuted in 2024.
Player equity was conceived as a carrot for the new breed of 20-somethings such as Ludvig Aberg, Nick Dunlap and Aldrich Potgieter to chase — and a potentially lucrative reason not to take guaranteed money to go to LIV.
In total, nearly 200 PGA Tour members are currently equity holders, with more than $1 billion in granted equity value to date. All members will be eligible to earn equity through this enhancement, regardless of whether they already hold any equity stake.
PGA Tour grants vest on 8-year timeline
The initial grants vest on an eight-year timeline. There are also multiple checkpoints: 50 percent of the grant value will vest after four years, with an extra 25 percent vesting after six years and the final 25 percent vesting after eight years. [It also starts being taxable income at the fourth year.]
The enhanced program is in response to feedback Rolapp and Tour leadership received from members during a mandatory player meeting at last season’s Rocket Classic in July, held one week after he assumed the newly created job, and was approved at the November 2025 Board meeting.
The equity grants for the top 50 players in the 2026 FedEx Cup will be awarded in April 2027, according to the memo.
"By broadening the Player Equity Program, we are reaffirming our commitment to recognizing competitive performance and ensuring more of our members have the opportunity to share in the PGA Tour’s long-term success," Rolapp wrote in the memo.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: PGA Tour is expanding its Player Equity Program to top 50 FedEx Cup
Category: General Sports
