Colonial is likely to lose its PGA Tour spot after 80 years of hosting

Colonial Country Club is not expected to land a spot in the PGA Tour's new top-tier Championship Series when it starts in 2028, Golfweek reported Thursday, citing sources. The Fort Worth club has hosted a Tour event every year since 1946, the longest run of any non-major on the schedule at a single course.

Nothing is final. The Tour said final bids for the last four Championship Series events were due Sept. 30, and it has not announced a decision. The PGA Tour declined to comment to Golfweek, and Charles Schwab Challenge officials did not respond.

Why Colonial is on the outside

According to Golfweek's sources, the Tour will pick only one Dallas-Fort Worth event for the Championship Series, and CJ, title sponsor of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in McKinney, made the better offer. The Colonial footprint is also seen as maxed out, which limits how far the event could grow its revenue.

The money gap is real. Championship Series events need purses of at least $20 million, the Fort Worth Report noted in August, more than double the $9.9 million Colonial paid out in 2026. Schwab's title deal at Colonial runs through 2027.

Where Colonial could go instead

Golfweek reports the club will likely pass on the second-tier Challenger Series. One source said club leadership called the demotion "an insult." The option on the table is PGA Tour Champions: Colonial could become the home of the Charles Schwab Cup Championship, the senior tour's season finale. That event is at Papago Golf Club in 2027 and is set to return to Phoenix Country Club in 2028, after which the contract expires.

The Athletic's Josh Carpenter said the report matches what he has been hearing, including the senior-finale idea.

The Sony Open already made the same move and joins PGA Tour Champions in 2027. Tour CEO Brian Rolapp said in August that demand for Championship Series spots exceeded supply, and the Tour reportedly received 14 bids.

What to watch

Rolapp speaks at a Dallas luncheon on Nov. 11, the same week as the Schwab Cup Championship in Phoenix, and Golfweek notes that has fueled talk of an announcement next week. The full 2028 schedule is due Feb. 27. For fans, the takeaway for now is simple: 2027 could be the last Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial, so treat next May's event as a possible farewell to Hogan's Alley on the PGA Tour.