PGA Tour releases 2019 schedule: Is it good a major splits the Nelson and Colonial?

The PGA Tour is putting a major championship between the two DFW golf tournaments.

The AT&T Byron Nelson will be played the week before the PGA Championship in May, and the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial is the following week.

This had been expected and is now official as the PGA Tour released its 2019 schedule on Tuesday.

It'll be interesting to see how this affects the field going forward. Some of the top players like taking the week off prior to a major championship, which would hurt the Nelson field. The same can be said for the week following a major championship, which would affect Colonial.

"For the most part, I think the change is fine," said Michael Tothe, Colonial's tournament director. "You’ve got two great events in the Nelson and Colonial. They're no longer back to back, so it gives golf fans here a little break between the two.

"And, honestly, I don't see a drastic change [to the field]. We now are poised to maybe see more European players because the BMW Championship is no longer on our date."

That means Colonial has a better chance to possibly land players such as Rory McIlroy, Henrik Stenson and Tommy Fleetwood, top-ranked players who played in the European Tour's flagship event, the BMW Championship, instead of the Colonial.

It remains to be seen just the sort of impact it will have on both tournaments, though. But, like Tothe, Nelson tournament director Jon Drago is excited about the dates.

"Leading into the PGA Championship will create opportunities and excitement for the tournament," Drago said. "In addition to our local players that have supported us so much, this week will also provide an opportunity for more international stars to play, as well as create an interesting story line for the young, up and comers, who will be vying for the last spot in the season’s second major championship."

At the FedEx St. Jude Classic this year -- the tournament before the U.S. Open -- the field included Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson and Brooks Koepka. But missing were top players such as Jordan Spieth, Jason Day, Justin Rose, McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Rickie Fowler and Justin Thomas.

The tournament following the U.S. Open -- the Travelers Championship -- boasted a field that included Koepka, Day, Spieth, McIlroy and Thomas. But missing were Johnson, Mickelson, Fowler, Rahm and Rose.

Either way, the dates are set. The Nelson will be played May 6-12 at Trinity Forest Golf Club followed by the PGA Championship May 13-19 at Bethpage Black in New York and then the Colonial (May 20-26) over Memorial Day weekend.

"We like Memorial Day weekend, the fans can come out on a full day on Sunday and know they don’t have to go to work on Monday," Tothe said. "That's an attractive element to Colonial, now the Charles Schwab Challenge, that I think plays to our favor.”

Added Drago: "We are excited about our tournament dates for 2019, returning to a spot on the calendar we held for many years before the last big tour re-alignment ten years ago. We are happy to maintain our position in May as the annual 'Rite of Spring' in North Texas."

The PGA Tour has wanted to move the PGA Championship into the May slot in order to try and boost more interest in the FedEx Cup playoffs in August.

This story was originally published July 10, 2018 at 10:27 AM.