Majors: Will We See a Change to the Current 4?

[widow-maker]

> @"Golf Scientist" said:

 

> In my mind the Players always has been, and always will be a major regardless of the talking heads and organizations that block it from being "official" .

 

Uh.... no.

 

It's not a Major but it is the best tournament that the PGA Tour puts on. It's special in it's own way and there's nothing wrong with that. So is the Tour Championship. Just accept them for what they are. The players have.

[LICC]

> @widow-maker said:

> > @"Golf Scientist" said:

>

> > In my mind the Players always has been, and always will be a major regardless of the talking heads and organizations that block it from being "official" .

>

> Uh.... no.

>

> It's not a Major but it is the best tournament that the PGA Tour puts on. It's special in it's own way and there's nothing wrong with that. So is the Tour Championship. Just accept them for what they are. The players have.

 

Who cares if the media calls it a major or not? To serious golf fans, the Players and the Tour Championship are just as significant as the PGA Championship

[tannyhoban]

> @LICC said:

> > @widow-maker said:

> > > @"Golf Scientist" said:

> >

> > > In my mind the Players always has been, and always will be a major regardless of the talking heads and organizations that block it from being "official" .

> >

> > Uh.... no.

> >

> > It's not a Major but it is the best tournament that the PGA Tour puts on. It's special in it's own way and there's nothing wrong with that. So is the Tour Championship. Just accept them for what they are. The players have.

>

> Who cares if the media calls it a major or not? To serious golf fans, the Players and the Tour Championship are just as significant as the PGA Championship

 

How do you think they got to be "majors"? lol

[LICC]

> @tannyhoban said:

> > @LICC said:

> > > @widow-maker said:

> > > > @"Golf Scientist" said:

> > >

> > > > In my mind the Players always has been, and always will be a major regardless of the talking heads and organizations that block it from being "official" .

> > >

> > > Uh.... no.

> > >

> > > It's not a Major but it is the best tournament that the PGA Tour puts on. It's special in it's own way and there's nothing wrong with that. So is the Tour Championship. Just accept them for what they are. The players have.

> >

> > Who cares if the media calls it a major or not? To serious golf fans, the Players and the Tour Championship are just as significant as the PGA Championship

>

> How do you think they got to be "majors"? lol

 

The PGA Championship was a major because years ago the Tour was part of the PGA. That hasn’t been the case for 50 years.

[widow-maker]

> @LICC said:

> > @widow-maker said:

> > > @"Golf Scientist" said:

> >

> > > In my mind the Players always has been, and always will be a major regardless of the talking heads and organizations that block it from being "official" .

> >

> > Uh.... no.

> >

> > It's not a Major but it is the best tournament that the PGA Tour puts on. It's special in it's own way and there's nothing wrong with that. So is the Tour Championship. Just accept them for what they are. The players have.

>

> Who cares if the media calls it a major or not? To serious golf fans, the Players and the Tour Championship are just as significant as the PGA Championship

 

No, they're not. Maybe to you, but to most of the rest of us the Majors are a step up.

 

If you set up a poll and asked which event would you rather win, the PGA Championship would outpoll the Players Championship significantly. And it wouldn't matter whether you asked that question to the top 100 players in the world or if you asked the serious fans on this forum. You have a personal bias, and that's fine, but I don't think you're even close in your thinking on this. If the Players Championship is already the equal of the PGA Championship, then why are you even arguing that it should replace the PGA in the Major rota? Obviously, even you want it to be regarded at a level higher than it currently is or you wouldn't be arguing for it.

[LICC]

> @widow-maker said:

> > @LICC said:

> > > @widow-maker said:

> > > > @"Golf Scientist" said:

> > >

> > > > In my mind the Players always has been, and always will be a major regardless of the talking heads and organizations that block it from being "official" .

> > >

> > > Uh.... no.

> > >

> > > It's not a Major but it is the best tournament that the PGA Tour puts on. It's special in it's own way and there's nothing wrong with that. So is the Tour Championship. Just accept them for what they are. The players have.

> >

> > Who cares if the media calls it a major or not? To serious golf fans, the Players and the Tour Championship are just as significant as the PGA Championship

>

> No, they're not. Maybe to you, but to most of the rest of us the Majors are a step up.

>

> If you set up a poll and asked which event would you rather win, the PGA Championship would outpoll the Players Championship significantly. And it wouldn't matter whether you asked that question to the top 100 players in the world or if you asked the serious fans on this forum. You have a personal bias, and that's fine, but I don't think you're even close in your thinking on this. If the Players Championship is already the equal of the PGA Championship, then why are you even arguing that it should replace the PGA in the Major rota? Obviously, even you want it to be regarded at a level higher than it currently is or you wouldn't be arguing for it.

 

You are a majors fan, not a serious golf fan, if this is what you think. Most golf fans I know are just as interested or more in the Players as the PGA. Which makes sense.

[James the Hogan Fan]

I could see the US PGA morph into a more global PGA held at courses overseas, that are otherwise not able to host majors (looking at Royal Melbourne et al), or in any case I would like to see it do so; I think that would be more interesting than going to Bellerive-type courses in the US. I realize the PGA of America is just that, and they (rightfully) get to host their tournament wherever, but I still think it would be cool to visit the world's best courses.

[SkiSchoolPro]

> @"James the Hogan Fan" said:

> I could see the US PGA morph into a more global PGA held at courses overseas, that are otherwise not able to host majors (looking at Royal Melbourne et al), or in any case I would like to see it do so; I think that would be more interesting than going to Bellerive-type courses in the US. I realize the PGA of America is just that, and they (rightfully) get to host their tournament wherever, but I still think it would be cool to visit the world's best courses.

 

As golf and the top players have become more global, I certainly think it would be fairer to see the majors more evenly distributed across the globe...75% in US with the other 25% in UK means Koreans, Japanese, Australians, South Africans, South Americans, Europeans, etc. never get to play a home major. Of course, much of the big money is in the US and many of the top players choose to make a home here.

[SkiSchoolPro]

FWIW, In terms of strength of field as computed by the OWGR, the majors, (including the PGA) AND Players really stand out head and shoulders above any regular PGA Tour event except for the WGC and the first few playoff events:

 

Week Year Tour Event Name Winner Winner's Points World Rating Home Rating SoF

20 2019 MAJ PGA Championship Brooks Koepka 100 830 71 901

29 2019 MAJ 148th Open Championship Shane Lowry 100 823 75 898

11 2019 USA THE PLAYERS Championship Rory McIlroy 80 807 75 882

24 2019 MAJ U.S. Open Gary Woodland 100 763 75 838

15 2019 MAJ Masters Tournament Tiger Woods 100 721 75 796

32 2019 USA The Northern Trust Patrick Reed 76 720 74 794

13 2019 WGC WGC - Dell Technologies Match Play Kevin Kisner 76 710 71 781

8 2019 WGC WGC - Mexico Championship Dustin Johnson 72 657 63 720

33 2019 USA BMW Championship Justin Thomas 72 644 65 709

30 2019 WGC WGC - FedEx St Jude Invitational Brooks Koepka 72 624 64 688

22 2019 USA the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide Patrick Cantlay 68 541 55 596

10 2019 USA Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard Francesco Molinari 64 502 43 545

7 2019 USA Genesis Open J.B. Holmes 64 491 51 542

34 2019 USA TOUR Championship Rory McIlroy 60 444 48 492

 

by typically inviting all of the OWGR top 100 (instead of just the top 50 or 60), the PGA always gets one of the strongest fields in golf even if they have 20 guys who are long shots to make the cut.

[Vindog]

> @widow-maker said:

> > @LICC said:

> > > @widow-maker said:

> > > > @"Golf Scientist" said:

> > >

> > > > In my mind the Players always has been, and always will be a major regardless of the talking heads and organizations that block it from being "official" .

> > >

> > > Uh.... no.

> > >

> > > It's not a Major but it is the best tournament that the PGA Tour puts on. It's special in it's own way and there's nothing wrong with that. So is the Tour Championship. Just accept them for what they are. The players have.

> >

> > Who cares if the media calls it a major or not? To serious golf fans, the Players and the Tour Championship are just as significant as the PGA Championship

>

> No, they're not. Maybe to you, but to most of the rest of us the Majors are a step up.

>

>

 

Tour Championship definitely not. There is an avenue to the WGHOF via TPC, at least.

 

 

[davep043]

> @LICC said:

> Who cares if the media calls it a major or not? To serious golf fans, the Players and the Tour Championship are just as significant as the PGA Championship

I think any time you suggest that only people that agree with you are "serious golf fans" you're almost certainly wrong. There is room for different opinions within that group of serious golf fans, on this and on many other issues.

 

[MountainGoat]

The whole concept of a “major” is antiquated. It meant something when there were only a few times a year when all the top players competed. But, that’s no longer true.

[davep043]

> @MountainGoat said:

> The whole concept of a “major” is antiquated. It meant something when there were only a few times a year when all the top players competed. But, that’s no longer true.

Do you have a reference for this? One story I've read is that Arnold Palmer may have started the idea of the modern 4 majors as an accomplishment similar to Bobby Jones' grand slam, publicized by Bob Drum. The Majors with a capital M has always been a creation of the media, it will take the media to change it.

 

[LICC]

> @davep043 said:

> > @LICC said:

> > Who cares if the media calls it a major or not? To serious golf fans, the Players and the Tour Championship are just as significant as the PGA Championship

> I think any time you suggest that only people that agree with you are "serious golf fans" you're almost certainly wrong. There is room for different opinions within that group of serious golf fans, on this and on many other issues.

>

 

Ok- To a very large number of serious golf fans, the Players and the Tour Championship are just as significant as the PGA Championship.

[davep043]

> @LICC said:

> > @davep043 said:

> > > @LICC said:

> > > Who cares if the media calls it a major or not? To serious golf fans, the Players and the Tour Championship are just as significant as the PGA Championship

> > I think any time you suggest that only people that agree with you are "serious golf fans" you're almost certainly wrong. There is room for different opinions within that group of serious golf fans, on this and on many other issues.

> >

>

> Ok- To a very large number of serious golf fans, the Players and the Tour Championship are just as significant as the PGA Championship.

It might be interesting to find out just what the proportions are. Perhaps you should start a poll. I'd guess that a decent percentage might put the Players on a similar level to the Majors, I'd be really surprised if very many would put the Tour Championship on that same level. To me that would smack of putting money ahead of tradition, which is exactly what the LPGA did when they added a 5th "major".

[Vindog]

> @davep043 said:

> > @LICC said:

> > > @davep043 said:

> > > > @LICC said:

> > > > Who cares if the media calls it a major or not? To serious golf fans, the Players and the Tour Championship are just as significant as the PGA Championship

> > > I think any time you suggest that only people that agree with you are "serious golf fans" you're almost certainly wrong. There is room for different opinions within that group of serious golf fans, on this and on many other issues.

> > >

> >

> > Ok- To a very large number of serious golf fans, the Players and the Tour Championship are just as significant as the PGA Championship.

> It might be interesting to find out just what the proportions are. Perhaps you should start a poll. I'd guess that a decent percentage might put the Players on a similar level to the Majors, I'd be really surprised if very many would put the Tour Championship on that same level. To me that would smack of putting money ahead of tradition, which is exactly what the LPGA did when they added a 5th "major".

 

It seems unlikely, as many don't "care about the Fed Ex Cup" which is really what The Tour Championship and its limited field has been reduced to. People still continue to surprise me though.

[DFS PFD]

> @LICC said:

> > @davep043 said:

> > > @LICC said:

> > > Who cares if the media calls it a major or not? To serious golf fans, the Players and the Tour Championship are just as significant as the PGA Championship

> > I think any time you suggest that only people that agree with you are "serious golf fans" you're almost certainly wrong. There is room for different opinions within that group of serious golf fans, on this and on many other issues.

> >

>

> Ok- To a very large number of serious golf fans, the Players and the Tour Championship are just as significant as the PGA Championship.

 

How many people do you speak for? Your opinions on this forum always seem to be supported by a "large number" yet I never see any evidence of polling or sampling other than your anecdotal beliefs? Maybe you've been running actual polls of thousands of people and I'm wildly misinformed, please correct me.

[MountainGoat]

> @davep043 said:

> > @MountainGoat said:

> > The whole concept of a “major” is antiquated. It meant something when there were only a few times a year when all the top players competed. But, that’s no longer true.

> Do you have a reference for this? One story I've read is that Arnold Palmer may have started the idea of the modern 4 majors as an accomplishment similar to Bobby Jones' grand slam, publicized by Bob Drum. The Majors with a capital M has always been a creation of the media, it will take the media to change it.

>

I agree. I'm just suggesting that over time the Majors came to represent the few times a year the whole world got together to compete. Nobody dictated that; it just happened. Then, the WCG tournaments got added, the TPC got elevated emphasis, and most recently the Tour Championship started to represent a 'super-major'. The whole idea of just four "Majors" is no longer representative of anything. There's nothing little about them that make them "major".

 

[davep043]

> @MountainGoat said:

 

> I agree. I'm just suggesting that over time the Majors came to represent the few times a year the whole world got together to compete. Nobody dictated that; it just happened. Then, the WCG tournaments got added, the TPC got elevated emphasis, and most recently the Tour Championship started to represent a 'super-major'. The whole idea of just four "Majors" is no longer representative of anything. There's nothing little about them that make them "major".

>

The thing that makes them Major is the importance placed on them by the golfing public, by the media, and by the players themselves, and all that goes back to 60 years ago with Palmer and Drum. We're not going to get those guys to change their minds any time soon, so I anticipate that the list of majors isn't changing.

 

[ray9898]

LOL....'serious golf fan'.