The Smylie Show
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The Smylie Show
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277: We're headed to GOLF CHANNEL! + Breaking down big changes in 2026 for the PGA TOUR
1 hour 7 minutes Posted Nov 18, 2025 at 10:00 am.
— The Smylie Show is heading to the Golf Channel!
— Reflecting on the three-year journey of the show
— Show changes to look for in 2026
— Setting the Table: 2026 PGA Tour Rules & Categories
— Are PGA Points Fair? Full-Field vs Signature Debate
— The Maverick McNealy Case Study
— Is Winning a Full-Field Event Actually Harder?
— What the Data Says About Difficulty
— The 200-Point Problem
— Why Signature Events Give Huge Built-In Advantages
— Should a Top-10 Be Worth More in Full-Fields?
— How Signature Starts Create Long-Term Inequality
— Reviewing the Signature Event Chart (Audio Notes)
— Case Study: Kurt Kitayama vs Hideki Matsuyama
— Do Signature Events Artificially Inflate Some Players?
— Chris Gotterup & the “Late Season Unfairness” Issue
— Signature Events vs Full-Field: Who Really Benefits?
— How Players Ride Momentum — or Don’t
— Why You MUST Play Well Early on Today’s PGA Tour
— Low Full-Field Point Earners: Morikawa, Aberg, More
— The No-Cut Advantage Problem
— What the Tour Actually Wants: Star Protection
— Tony Finau vs Gary Woodland Breakdown
— Can You Play Your Way Off Tour With Signature Starts?
— Adam Scott & Max Homa Examples
— Rickie Fowler’s Special Case
— Why Sponsors Will Always Influence Signature Events
— Golf Is Niche — And That Shapes the Entire System
— What the Top-100 Cut Means for Journeymen
— The New 2026 Rules: Field Sizes, 120-Player Players, Q-School
— DP World Tour vs Korn Ferry: Who Deserves More Spots?
— Should the DPWT Really Get 10 Cards?
— The DPWT’s Crossroads: PGA Tour vs LIV
— Reviewing This Year’s DPWT Grads
— The Challenge of Jumping from Europe to the PGA Tour
— Breaking Down the 101–150 Conditional Groups
— Past Champion Category & Where Smylie Would Slot In
— Tiger Woods Leading the Competition Committee
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Show notes
The PGA TOUR is changing — but is it changing for the better?
With the fall PGA TOUR season headed towards a close, Smylie Kaufman and Charlie Hulme take a look some big category and card changes on the way for the 2026 PGA TOUR season. Smylie and Charlie take a look back at the 2025 season to examine how differences in points for signature and full-field events played out, and whether certain players benefited more than others in that structure.
PLUS — huge news: The Smylie Show is heading to GOLF CHANNEL beginning January 2026, airing Wednesdays at 9 AM Eastern. Smylie and Charlie reflect on the journey, what the TV version of the show will look like, and how the audience helped get the show here.
Tune in, subscribe, and stick around for more golf storytelling and behind-the-scenes insight!
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