Creating Another Major Championship

[NaBUru38]

what's wrong with 4 major tournaments, 4/5 really good tournaments that really mean something to win (WGC/Players), a playoff system FedEx cup, and every two years a Ryder Cup?

 

Nearly every one of them is played in the United States.

[jbsg02]

Well, the players is the unofficial 5th major, and the Ryder Cup has about as much buzz as a major

[ctmason_98]

A better question IMO would be:

 

If a billionaire held an open golf tournament with a $100M purse the same week as The Masters. What % of Masters eligible players would opt to go play the other event for potentially life-changing money and give up their chance at golf history?

 

Obviously, big names like Mickelson, McIlroy, etc who don't need the money wouldn't hesitate to go to Augusta, but it would probably make the next tier of players atleast think about skipping.

 

What would the prize money breakdown be for a $100MM purse?

 

It would be eye-opening enough that "if you pay them, they will come..." Believe me.

 

Why should we believe you? Numerous golfers have declined appearance fees because they didn't see the value in going to Europe, although several have certainly partaken. Some players chose/choose not to participate in the FedEx Cup for various reasons.

 

Your main premise is "it's all about the money," and to an extent you are correct. That said, we aren't dealing with players who earn $110,000 in a good year anymore. There's a marginal benefit you'd have to surpass to even get the best players interested.

 

Yes players would participate in a tournament with a rich purse, but it would not make it a major, nor would even the wealthiest individual continue to subsidize a huge prize fund for very long.

[EntourageLife]

A better question IMO would be:

 

If a billionaire held an open golf tournament with a $100M purse the same week as The Masters. What % of Masters eligible players would opt to go play the other event for potentially life-changing money and give up their chance at golf history?

 

Obviously, big names like Mickelson, McIlroy, etc who don't need the money wouldn't hesitate to go to Augusta, but it would probably make the next tier of players atleast think about skipping.

 

What would the prize money breakdown be for a $100MM purse?

 

It would be eye-opening enough that "if you pay them, they will come..." Believe me.

 

Why should we believe you? Numerous golfers have declined appearance fees because they didn't see the value in going to Europe, although several have certainly partaken. Some players chose/choose not to participate in the FedEx Cup for various reasons.

 

Your main premise is "it's all about the money," and to an extent you are correct. That said, we aren't dealing with players who earn $110,000 in a good year anymore. There's a marginal benefit you'd have to surpass to even get the best players interested.

 

Yes players would participate in a tournament with a rich purse, but it would not make it a major, nor would even the wealthiest individual continue to subsidize a huge prize fund for very long.

 

Believe me or not but I can promise you it's ALL ABOUT THE MONEY.

 

Why then would the world's wealthiest athlete fly half-way around the world with a bad back??? (on a commercial flight no less)

 

Money moves the needle...

[widow-maker]

A better question IMO would be:

 

If a billionaire held an open golf tournament with a $100M purse the same week as The Masters. What % of Masters eligible players would opt to go play the other event for potentially life-changing money and give up their chance at golf history?

 

Obviously, big names like Mickelson, McIlroy, etc who don't need the money wouldn't hesitate to go to Augusta, but it would probably make the next tier of players atleast think about skipping.

 

What would the prize money breakdown be for a $100MM purse?

 

It would be eye-opening enough that "if you pay them, they will come..." Believe me.

 

Why should we believe you? Numerous golfers have declined appearance fees because they didn't see the value in going to Europe, although several have certainly partaken. Some players chose/choose not to participate in the FedEx Cup for various reasons.

 

Your main premise is "it's all about the money," and to an extent you are correct. That said, we aren't dealing with players who earn $110,000 in a good year anymore. There's a marginal benefit you'd have to surpass to even get the best players interested.

 

Yes players would participate in a tournament with a rich purse, but it would not make it a major, nor would even the wealthiest individual continue to subsidize a huge prize fund for very long.

 

Believe me or not but I can promise you it's ALL ABOUT THE MONEY.

 

Why then would the world's wealthiest athlete fly half-way around the world with a bad back??? (on a commercial flight no less)

 

Money moves the needle...

Money does move the needle at times. But money alone can't make a major. The problem is... nobody owns the right to declare any tournament a major. Whether a tournament is a major or not lies in the court of public opinion. If the PGA tour declared that the Players Championship is now a major... it wouldn't hold water. They don't have the authority to make that decision.

 

The term Major kind of evolved without anyone really knowing it. The sportswriter Herbert Warren Wind is generally considered to be the first to term it when he said that golfers had to win major tournaments to gain recognition as being among the best. Then in 1960 when Arnold Palmer won the Masters and the US Open, he made a comment that if he could win the Open Championship and the PGA that he would complete his own Grand Slam similar to what Bobby Jones did in 1930. No organization owns the term Major in that they can dictate what is and what isn't. You can't buy it with money because there's no one you can buy it from.

[ldchristopher]

4 majors is fine. The Players is the unofficial "5th Major" as it is because it has the largest cash prize to the winner and is played on top notch courses that most sports fans are familiar with. However, it will never achieve legitimate major status. Will a billionaire come along with his own tournament in the hopes of establishing another major? I doubt it, for two reasons. 1) Ultra rich people stay ultra rich because they consistently make sound financial decisions (except for Hillbilly Bob Parsons, but he's an anomaly and not the norm). This does not strike me as a sound financial decision. 2) Golf's respective governing bodies (The International Golf Federation, the USGA, and the PGA of America) are based on elitism. They make the rules, for better or worse, and, among many other decisions, they decide what is and is not a major championship. The odds that they'd be bullied by some abrasive billionaire into recognizing his/her tournament as a major just because of a huge prize doesn't seem likely.

[EntourageLife]

4 majors is fine. The Players is the unofficial "5th Major" as it is because it has the largest cash prize to the winner and is played on top notch courses that most sports fans are familiar with. However, it will never achieve legitimate major status. Will a billionaire come along with his own tournament in the hopes of establishing another major? I doubt it, for two reasons. 1) Ultra rich people stay ultra rich because they consistently make sound financial decisions (except for Hillbilly Bob Parsons, but he's an anomaly and not the norm). This does not strike me as a sound financial decision. 2) Golf's respective governing bodies (The International Golf Federation, the USGA, and the PGA of America) are based on elitism. They make the rules, for better or worse, and, among many other decisions, they decide what is and is not a major championship. The odds that they'd be bullied by some abrasive billionaire into recognizing his/her tournament as a major just because of a huge prize doesn't seem likely.

 

I agree with your 1) reason, but you're wrong about 2) reason. The player's decide what are majors and what aren't simply by entering and playing them...Also, the USGA, PGA, etc have no bearing on making the Masters a major. The Masters beats to its own drum...

 

I enjoy the discussion thanks

[cdnglf]

4 majors is fine. The Players is the unofficial "5th Major" as it is because it has the largest cash prize to the winner and is played on top notch courses that most sports fans are familiar with. However, it will never achieve legitimate major status. Will a billionaire come along with his own tournament in the hopes of establishing another major? I doubt it, for two reasons. 1) Ultra rich people stay ultra rich because they consistently make sound financial decisions (except for Hillbilly Bob Parsons, but he's an anomaly and not the norm). This does not strike me as a sound financial decision. 2) Golf's respective governing bodies (The International Golf Federation, the USGA, and the PGA of America) are based on elitism. They make the rules, for better or worse, and, among many other decisions, they decide what is and is not a major championship. The odds that they'd be bullied by some abrasive billionaire into recognizing his/her tournament as a major just because of a huge prize doesn't seem likely.

 

I agree with your 1) reason, but you're wrong about 2) reason. The player's decide what are majors and what aren't simply by entering and playing them...Also, the USGA, PGA, etc have no bearing on making the Masters a major. The Masters beats to its own drum...

 

Not entirely true. One of the things that makes a tournament a major is that the other majors recognize it as such. Each major gives the other majors' champs a five year exemption. Representatives for each of the four bodies sit on the OWGR board, which allocates a fixed 100 point value to the winner of each major.

[EntourageLife]

4 majors is fine. The Players is the unofficial "5th Major" as it is because it has the largest cash prize to the winner and is played on top notch courses that most sports fans are familiar with. However, it will never achieve legitimate major status. Will a billionaire come along with his own tournament in the hopes of establishing another major? I doubt it, for two reasons. 1) Ultra rich people stay ultra rich because they consistently make sound financial decisions (except for Hillbilly Bob Parsons, but he's an anomaly and not the norm). This does not strike me as a sound financial decision. 2) Golf's respective governing bodies (The International Golf Federation, the USGA, and the PGA of America) are based on elitism. They make the rules, for better or worse, and, among many other decisions, they decide what is and is not a major championship. The odds that they'd be bullied by some abrasive billionaire into recognizing his/her tournament as a major just because of a huge prize doesn't seem likely.

 

I agree with your 1) reason, but you're wrong about 2) reason. The player's decide what are majors and what aren't simply by entering and playing them...Also, the USGA, PGA, etc have no bearing on making the Masters a major. The Masters beats to its own drum...

 

Not entirely true. One of the things that makes a tournament a major is that the other majors recognize it as such. Each major gives the other majors' champs a five year exemption. Representatives for each of the four bodies sit on the OWGR board, which allocates a fixed 100 point value to the winner of each major.

 

That's a valid point but again, majors are the events everyone plays. Point values and exemptions work themselves out. Trust me, if Rory, Tiger, and other top players started playing Puerto Rico championship, I can promise you PGA Tour would reevaluate the points, etc.

 

Another way to look at it what is a "major" and what isn't is the Olympic Gold Medal. I can also promise you Justin Rose doesn't give a rats arse about any point value or expedition earned...

[disco111]

Since many equate the title of "Major" with the press being the focal point of it's inception and the governing bodies had no say in the matter, then who is responsible for the demise of both AM's (British / American) losing their respective titles as majors?............If the USGA / R&A / PGA tour got together and deemed, lets say the Players, would now be considered a major, who would / could say no it's not..........Fox news, CNN, MSNBC, the golf channel?. There's nothing out here that can or could dispute any thing they should declare. We the general public / golfers can rant about the decision, but there's not a darn thing we could do about it. They rule the game and they have the final word...........

[cdnglf]

4 majors is fine. The Players is the unofficial "5th Major" as it is because it has the largest cash prize to the winner and is played on top notch courses that most sports fans are familiar with. However, it will never achieve legitimate major status. Will a billionaire come along with his own tournament in the hopes of establishing another major? I doubt it, for two reasons. 1) Ultra rich people stay ultra rich because they consistently make sound financial decisions (except for Hillbilly Bob Parsons, but he's an anomaly and not the norm). This does not strike me as a sound financial decision. 2) Golf's respective governing bodies (The International Golf Federation, the USGA, and the PGA of America) are based on elitism. They make the rules, for better or worse, and, among many other decisions, they decide what is and is not a major championship. The odds that they'd be bullied by some abrasive billionaire into recognizing his/her tournament as a major just because of a huge prize doesn't seem likely.

 

I agree with your 1) reason, but you're wrong about 2) reason. The player's decide what are majors and what aren't simply by entering and playing them...Also, the USGA, PGA, etc have no bearing on making the Masters a major. The Masters beats to its own drum...

 

Not entirely true. One of the things that makes a tournament a major is that the other majors recognize it as such. Each major gives the other majors' champs a five year exemption. Representatives for each of the four bodies sit on the OWGR board, which allocates a fixed 100 point value to the winner of each major.

 

That's a valid point but again, majors are the events everyone plays. Point values and exemptions work themselves out. Trust me, if Rory, Tiger, and other top players started playing Puerto Rico championship, I can promise you PGA Tour would reevaluate the points, etc.

 

Another way to look at it what is a "major" and what isn't is the Olympic Gold Medal. I can also promise you Justin Rose doesn't give a rats arse about any point value or expedition earned...

 

Everyone plays the Players. Its field is decidedly better than the Masters and has been for years but it isn't a major.

 

At this point in the evolution of pro golf, the majors are set and extremely unlikely to change. Everyone knows and agrees what they are, but there is no process to change them and no single party can do so.

 

I think the best your hypothetical billionaire could hope for would be to create another event at the level of the Players - just below the majors, but above everything else.

[imakaveli]

The bug-thread was more interesting...

[gvogel]

The only way that I can see for a tournament to supplant the PGA as a major would be for the purse at the Australia Open to become so large, that no player would miss it over a long period of time. If that happened, over many years the players and press might determine that it was time to declare the Australian Open as a major.

 

If the best players in the world all played there, and as players from the Pacific Rim become more and more numerous on the World rankings, it might happen. But not for a long time.

[EntourageLife]

The only way that I can see for a tournament to supplant the PGA as a major would be for the purse at the Australia Open to become so large, that no player would miss it over a long period of time. If that happened, over many years the players and press might determine that it was time to declare the Australian Open as a major.

 

If the best players in the world all played there, and as players from the Pacific Rim become more and more numerous on the World rankings, it might happen. But not for a long time.

 

I agree. This is exactly the type of fair discussion I was hoping for with this thread. I just hope golfers understand the history of golf and that the Masters evolved into a major.

 

It can happen...

[MtlJeff]

Isn't China offering ridiculous salaries to soccer players currently to go play there? I believe they recently offered Cristiano Ronaldo 100M euro for 1 year?

 

That's what we have been seeing the last 40-50yrs, athletes and executives getting more and more and what seems crazy really won't seem crazy over time....i researched this for an article a few years back, i can't remember the exact numbers but in the 60's-70's pro athletes made like 10x the average US income, or something like that. In the NBA last year the average NBA player made roughly 140x the average US income. There's no reason this won't continue because no one actually cares that it's happening. NBA players are going to start earning 35-40M per year very soon.

 

100M purse for a winner seems high right now. But it's not out of the question that a country/benefactor looking for prestige could make an offer fairly ridiculous and have a crazy field.

 

I do believe that if there was a tournament opposite the PGA championship for 20x the purse, the vast majority of players would skip the PGA.

 

So you could end up with another "major"

[L29]

Should just play the PGA at Sawgrass every year.

[Sun Devil]

Rumor is Trump National will become the location of the 5th major by executive order.

[rlconklin]

History has proven that major championships can evolve. The U.S. Amateur and British Amateur's were once considered majors (not that long ago). The Masters tournament (Augusta invitational) was created by Bobby Jones and evolved into a major. The Western Open was at one time perceived as a major. Major championships were the tournaments "everyone entered..." The Tam O' Shanter tournament was founded by an uber wealthy man and offered the highest prize money. Everyone wanted to play and travelled from far and wide. The prize money was so great, every player set their schedule around that event and hoped to get invited. Sounds like a major to me..

 

My question is...What if a super wealthy billionaire staged a tournament and offered a prize structure so big nobody could refuse ($100,000,000 1st Place?). Could that evolve into a major???

One of the reasons Majors are considered "Majors" is history. Starting out a new tournament bases soley on money might attract a lot of top players, but without history, it's just a high paying golf tournament.