There has been a lot of excitement about the Championship Series that is starting in 2028, with the PGA Tour seemingly learning from some of the mistakes that have been made during the signature event era.

Previously, many golf fans have been left confused when they have seen a player who had apparently lost his card the previous year feature in a number of events in the following season.

Meanwhile, it has been extremely frustrating in recent years to see a golfer such as Jordan Spieth receive a number of sponsor invites that allowed him to still play in the signature events, even when his form had not been good enough.

The Championship Series initially seemed to be a fantastic solution from Brian Rolapp and the PGA Tour. It appeared to be golf’s equivalent of the Premier League, with the best of the best facing off against each other at every single event, while relegation would not care how great you once were.

However, with more than a year until the 2028 season begins, the shine is starting to come off the Championship Series. And more questions are beginning to be asked.

Problems with the PGA Tour’s Championship Series are already emerging

Monday saw Austin Smotherman defeat Seamus Power in a playoff at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship. It means that Smotherman has now won in each of his last two starts, having not registered a victory in his first 99 appearances on the PGA Tour.

He will undoubtedly hope that these two victories open the door for him to become one of the best in the world. However, his victory does highlight a problem with the exemptions that are being handed out.

In theory, Smotherman could have a truly awful 2028 season. He would not be the first player who struggles to kick on after a brilliant run. And yet, he is guaranteed to still be playing on the top tier on the PGA Tour the following year.

Once again, the excitement that the PGA Tour will try to create around relegation will be undermined by the fact that a number of players simply cannot drop down into the Challenger Series anyway.

These exemptions undoubtedly hurt the Challenger Series too. It is going to be nearly impossible for a household name to drop out and give the second tier some much-needed credibility.

The PGA Tour looks set to provide more of the same

It is unfair to pick out Smotherman. However, his two wins in the Fall of 2026 are going to feel like a lifetime away by the time the 2029 season arrives.

If he is still good enough in 2028, he will be able to ensure that he remains in the Championship Series for the following year anyway.

There was hope that the arrival of the Championship Series would give fans a lot more clarity regarding the stakes the world’s best players are fighting over.

And yet, all that is clear is that there is still going to be so much confusion over each player’s fate at the end of the season.