The committee’s ultimate decision was aimed at raising the stakes across the PGA Tour season. Among the possible changes are reducing the number of events, creating smaller fields, and increasing the overall stakes. The primary goal is to ensure that the game’s biggest stars are competing against one another more consistently.

It was telling that when asked his favorite memory from East Lake, Thomas didn’t pick winning the season-long title in 2017. Instead, it was a predictable exchange with Tiger Woods in 2020, the year after Woods had won the Tour Championship for his 80th Tour title.