PGA Tour Quietly Trials New Format at This Week’s Bermuda Championship

This week at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship, the PGA Tour shook things up with the standard schedule by introducing a two-day pro-am format. In previous years, pro-ams have typically been held on a single day before the first official round. But for 2025, the Tour split things across Tuesday and Wednesday at Port Royal Golf Course.

The goal, according to the Tour, is to “offer a more balanced pro-am and practice schedule for all players in the field with on-course practice time available on both Tuesday and Wednesday.”

Why the Change?

The rationale behind this shift is multifaceted. First, by dividing the pro-am field into two days–morning tee-offs from roughly 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. each day, with a cap of 24 pro-am teams per day–the Tour aims to ease congestion and improve the experience for both the amateurs and the tour pros.

Second, players will now have better access to on-course practice time on the two days, not just before or after a single-day pro-am. The memo circulated to players states that the new structure “will allow time for those not in the respective pro-ams to practice on Tuesday and Wednesday,” and promises an “improved on-site experience for players and amateurs.”

Under this experiment, players still have the option to play either 9-hole or 18-hole pro-am rounds, a choice the Tour introduced back in 2018. However, players will not be able to pick which day they play their pro-am–assignments are determined by the previous season’s FedExCup points list. This ensures fairness in the draw and avoids voluntary clustering on one day.

From a player’s perspective, the change may reduce early-week pressure. With practice time more flexibly scheduled around the pro-am waves, players not in the pro-am that day can still access the course. The smaller waves and split days also help daylight utilization and avoid jamming too many players and guests into one session.

Why It Matters for the Tour & Fans

For the Tour, testing new formats is part of evolving the event experience; both for elite competition and for those corporate/charity amateurs who play alongside pros.

According to Golf Channel, “the memo also informed players to ‘be on the lookout for additional test events in 2026.’”

From the fan and broadcast side, smoother logistics and better spacing could mean more compelling early-week action, cleaner tee-time flows and less interference between practice and pro-am groups. A better-balanced day for players generally leads to better performance when competition hits.

While the concept looks promising, a few questions remain. Will splitting the pro-am dilute the aura of the single big pro-am day where all the amateurs and players mix in one high-energy wave? Moreover, the scheduling logistics (tee times, daylight hours, warm-up windows) become more complex when you spread pro-ams across two days.

Pro-Am Participants

This year, Bermuda Tourism Authority (BTA) brought a select group of journalists and content creators to the island to take part in both the am-am at Mid Ocean Club and the pro-am. The group featured Nikki Blades, Brittany Dawn, Sara Winter, the Wade brothers, Kelly Ciccarello, Cameron Jourdan, Roland Martin, and yours truly–to name a few.

Upon arriving at the course, participants could pick up their welcome gift consisting of a customized Yeti Camino 35 tote and a Paradise Golf Co. putter with “Pro-Am 2025” engraved on the putter head, tucked beneath a Butterfield Bermuda Championship head cover.

The experience offered a rare blend of world-class golf and genuine Bermudian hospitality–a reminder of why the island continues to position itself as a premier sports-tourism destination. The BTA, which oversees national marketing and event strategy, has increasingly leaned into golf as a key pillar of its visitor outreach, supporting tournaments and experiences that showcase the island’s culture, scenery, and growing appeal to traveling athletes and fans alike.

2025 Pro-Am Results

Here’s how the field ultimately shook out, with several groups separating themselves early and holding strong through the final stretch.

1 Team Rodgers / Phillips -19 28 24 52
2 Team Echavarria / Whaley -17 31 23 54
T3 Team Hoey / Wu -16 28 27 55
T3 Team Hossler / Silverman -16 29 26 55
T3 Team Hadwin / Snedeker -16 27 28 55
T6 Team Pavon / Lipsky -15 30 26 56
T6 Team Hubbard / Kohles -15 29 27 56
T8 Team Moore / Kim -14 30 27 57
T8 Team Lower / Norlander -14 29 28 57
T10 Team Putnam / Coody -13 30 28 58
T10 Team Hisatsune / Bramlett -13 29 29 58
T10 Team Theegala / Skinns -13 30 28 58
T13 Team Yu / Kuchar -11 30 30 60
T13 Team Perez / Springer -11 31 29 60
T13 Team Campos / Wallace -11 28 32 60
T13 Team Svensson / Streelman -11 32 28 60
17 Team List / Valimaki -10 30 31 61
T18 Team Cole / Schenk -9 31 31 62
T18 Team Ghim / Smalley -9 32 30 62
20 Team Power / Sigg -8 33 30 63 
T21 Team Villegas / Schmid -7 31 33 64
T21 Team Hodges / Ryder -7 33 31 64
T21 Team Young / Montgomery -7 33 31 64
T21 Team Stevens / NeSmith -7 35 29 64
25 Team Fishburn / Ramey -6 34 31 65
26 Team Hastings / Blair -5 32 34 66

Tournament Schedule

Set against the stunning backdrop of beautiful Bermuda, the event has become a proving ground for rising talents and a vital opportunity for players looking to finish the year strong. With FedExCup points, status security, and career-shifting momentum all on the line, the championship once again promises four days of compelling golf in one of the sport’s most visually striking settings.

Here’s how and when to watch Saturday’s and Sunday’s rounds per PGA Tour:

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