The PGA Tour is a test of endurance as much as talent. A nearly year-round grind of 40+ events spanning 11 months, leaving players with barely any time to recover physically or mentally. The regular season ends in August, but the competition doesn’t. Fall events, technically part of the previous season, stretch into November, continuing the race for FedExCup points and next season’s playing rights. This prolonged structure has left players fatigued, fans confused, and a growing number of insiders frustrated.

Retired PGA Tour winner Smylie Kaufman, now a broadcaster and podcast host, recently aired these concerns on The Smylie Show with co-host Charlie Hulme. Their blunt critique of the PGA Tour’s never-ending calendar struck a nerve. “I personally wish it was a finale at the Wyndham, and then, you know, just be done after the Tour Championship,” Kaufman said. Both he and Hulme argued that dragging the season into the fall, with players grinding for points and positioning, makes little sense. Kaufman pointed out, “I just feel that the fall, to me, isn’t quite as exciting because it’s just a positioning game.” Hulme suggested a more radical shift: “I almost wish you could lock those guys out of fall tournaments,” referring to the top 70 who already earned their Tour cards through playoff qualification.

Their comments come just days before the 2025 FedExCup Playoffs begin—a three-event stretch offering a staggering $100 million bonus pool, including $25 million to the eventual champion. Yet, for most players, the real grind extends beyond that. The fall series, beginning immediately after the Tour Championship, determines who earns full playing status for 2026. Players ranked outside the top 70 must keep playing to accumulate points, with only the top 100 retaining full PGA Tour cards for next season. Those who finish 51–60 earn coveted spots in early-season Signature Events like the Pebble Beach Pro-Am and Genesis Invitational. While no FedEx Cup title is up for grabs in the fall, the consequences are massive: millions in prize money, career security, and future exemptions.

Kaufman and Hulme proposed repurposing the fall events as a mini-season solely for those outside the top 70—a clear, card-focused competition for players ranked 71 and beyond. This, they argued, would bring clarity and purpose to the fall stretch while giving top players a real offseason. And they aren’t alone. Tour pros and insiders have increasingly spoken out about the PGA Tour’s relentless pace. As the season stretches further into the calendar, even the game’s elite start showing signs of burnout.

What other players and insiders have said

Rory McIlroy, one of the Tour’s biggest stars, acknowledged hitting a wall late in 2024 after a stretch of six events in eight weeks, including the Olympics. “It’s been a long season… I’m going to try to cut it back to like 18 or 20 a year going forward,” he said. McIlroy played 27 events in 2024, a staggering load for a top-tier player with team commitments, major aspirations, and media duties. Rookie Ryan Gerard also pointed to the mental toll of the schedule: “It’s a long season and there’s a lot of travel… by the end of the year, I just try to stay positive and sleep.” Gerard’s comments highlight that even young, hungry players find the Tour’s demands unsustainable.

Veteran Gary Woodland, fighting to retain his card after brain surgery, was visibly drained at the 2025 Wyndham Championship. “It’s been a hard year… I need to get back into a dark room and just try to turn my brain off.” Jon Rahm previously noted the mental exhaustion of playoff and major season overlap, while player directors like James Hahn and Peter Malnati have voiced concern over structural inequities and scheduling logic.

What’s becoming clear is that the Tour’s current calendar, packed with high-stakes events and overlapping seasons, is no longer just a logistical oddity. It’s a structural flaw, and players at every level are starting to say it out loud.