Who wins the 5 majors this year?

[strug'-a-ling]

The PGA Tour used to be one with the PGA of America before they split between golf pros and pro golfers.

Except for a few celebrity major winners like Walter Hagen and Gene Sarazen, the tour was mostly the best club pros representing their employer-clubs in the off-season.

The PGA Championship was to these working pros what the USGA and R&A Amateurs were to wealthy amateur players. It even used to be match play like the two amateur tournaments.

The two big Opens were hyped novelty events where the best amateurs and the best pros could compete at medal play versus the whole field of them--beginning with regional qualifiers. Hence the name "open" meaning open for anybody to try to qualify. All that was required to try then was a 2 handicap or better.

Now the club pros have their own national championship, the touring pros have the Players, and the PGA has major status based on tradition. A certain number of club pros still play in it.

 

[LICC]

Actually no. The PGA Championship was not created "as a major." There was and is no ruling body that declared a tournament a "major". It was mostly a media term that has changed over time and has been accepted by the industry for the record books.

When the PGA Championship was first created, it decidedly was not one of the four "majors" (US and British Opens and US and British Amateurs) and was not deemed one probably until the 1940s or later. Unless of course you want to accept that there were several tournaments beyond the noted four that were informal "majors" such as the Western Open and the North and South. Tournaments have been majors and then no longer majors before.

The PGA Championship was justifiably a major when it was the championship of the top tour players. That justification disappeared over 50 years ago.

[strug'-a-ling]

What the excuse for the Masters, an invitational being the championship of nothing, being called a "major?"

I'll take the PGA over that.

[LICC]

The Masters is by far the most watched and most popular golf event in the world. Justifies major status.

[Vindog]

You guys. Let him go.

 

Nothing you say will have any merit or credit. There is a 12 page thread where you can research his “motive”

[strug'-a-ling]

Yes, that's it...it gets major status due to the tremendous popularity, even though it's an invitational and not a real championship. I suppose that's some sort of validation. for its status.

[elwhippy]

There are four majors.

Masters. Rory or Justin Thomas.

US PGA. Koepka repeat.

US Open. Someone driving with a 0303. Winged Foot usually set up to punish off line drives.

The Open. Matsuyama. He is due one.

 

[Scotty1140]

There..

are..

FOUR..

lights!!!

[lowheel]

Im enjoying the mental gymnastics he has to use... "make your case" he asks while not making his own case...

[LICC]

My argument is sound reasoning. The biggest reason the PGA Championship was a major was that it was the championship tournament of the organization of the tour players. It hasn’t been the championship tournament of the tour players for over 50 years. Therefore, it is reasonable to say the justification for the PGA Championship being a major is questionable.

What is interesting are the falsities and non-explanations people give to try to justify it.

[lowheel]

sure bud...

 

[LICC]

Noted that you are incapable of providing a good reason why the PGA Championship is still a major.

[bscinstnct]

Cause

 

[widow-maker]

[widow-maker]

I don't understand why anybody has to explain why the PGA is considered a Major and the Players isn't. The PGA is, in fact, a Major Championship. It's been considered a Major for at least 70 years. The Players Championship has never been considered a Major Championship. Why is it anybody's responsibility to explain obvious facts?

My question would be... why would anybody want to change what is obviously working very well for all concerned? You'd turn off far more people by trying to change it. What exactly is the point? People like it the way it is. People like history, and golf, much like baseball, is a sport that has the ability to span generations because you're able to match up historical achievements.

[LICC]

You are saying it is a Major because it is a Major. That is not a reason. I’m genuinely interested how the PGA, the 4th of 4 in popularity and identity, continued to be considered a major after no longer being the championship of the tour players

[lowheel]

you havent provided a reason it shouldnt be nor any "sound reasoning" that the players should be. the burden of proof is on you for your apparent cause celebre. There is no appetite by any governing body/tour to remove the major status from the PGA and or give major status to the players so why are you so emotionally invested in this. Do you realize how ridiculous you sound? I told you 5 posts ago, youre welcome to your opinion but not your own facts. Trying to rewrite history is not a good look. go petition the tour and come back and tell us how it goes...spoiler alert it wont go your way

[LICC]

You are also showing you are incapable of rationally reading my comments. I stated several times the reason it could no longer be considered a major. Just being called a major is about the only thing keeping it at the importance level that it is. Remove that moniker and as a tournament it is the same as any decent Tour event. Please either read the posts carefully and respond in a substantive way or stop wasting space with your posts.

[Vindog]

Remove the moniker and The Masters becomes a whack invitational.

 

Do this in your other dedicated thread and stop wasting space in this one.

[Hawkeye77]

Wouldn't promoting the Players and demoting The Masters be like a "double penalty"? ;-)

[Vindog]

All of your second paragraph is and always has been conveniently ignored. It's still a Major because the people that matter realize that it is of no benefit at all to change it for what would amount to a lateral shift at best. Make TPC a Major and guess what It becomes the 4th best, with less history, similar money, and slightly weaker field. Those are facts, not opinion.

 

This is what he does. He demands answers from people who aren't in a position to give that an answer to satisfy him. Thus he shoves it in your face "Noted that you can't blah blah blah" "That's just a regurgitated argument blah blah blah." "Nobody can give me a rational blah blah blah"

[LICC]

”Make TPC a Major and guess what It becomes the 4th best, with less history, similar money, and slightly weaker field. Those are facts, not opinion.”

Noted that you don’t know the difference between opinion, speculation, and fact.

[LICC]

Noted that you think the only reason the Masters is by far the most popular golf event in the world is because the media calls it a major. By the way, that is your opinion, not a fact.

[Sixcat]

This thread is the best free entertainment on the interwebs. Al Gore must be thrilled with such a wonderful use of his greatest creation!

 

[LICC]

I'm going to answer differently, because predicting the winners now is pointless. Among the top players, here is who I would like to see win the top 5 events and would make them interesting:

The Players- Koepka or Spieth: Brooks winning a big tournament other than the PGA and US Open would add to his accomplishments. Spieth winning would portend him getting his top game back, which would be good.

The Masters- Rory or Justin Thomas: Rory obtaining the Grand Slam after regaining this top game in 2019, or Justin Thomas cementing himself among golf's elite.

The PGA- Tony Finau or Dustin Johnson: Would love to see Finau break through after so much good consistent play. DJ only having one major at this point hurts his legacy.

The US Open- Tiger or Phil. Phil getting the career Grand Slam at Winged Foot would be epic. Or Tiger adding another US Open in his chase for 18.

The British Open- Tiger or Koepka: Tiger, same as above. Brooks adding an Open Championship puts him among history's elite.

Others that would make interesting stories: Patrick Reed winning the Masters (i wonder what the reactions would be); Rickie Fowler getting the best player to never win a major label off his back; Rahm breaking out to get a big win.

[tungstenplug]

.

Edited February 26, 2023 by tungstenplug

[sailfishchris]

I love how winter brings out the crazy in all of us

Players- Justin Thomas..... this really isn't a major.

Master's - Rory McIlroy

PGA- Justin Thomas

US Open- Brooks Koepka

The Open- Tommy Fleetwood

[LICC]

You seem to have problems reading too. I wasn’t making any picks

[bscinstnct]

 

 

Here is a fantastic piece on all the crazy stuff that went down in 1968. Even Jack got hot under the collar!

 

As far as why the PGA Championship is still a major?

 

Because the *players committed to it being one and remain committed to it being one....

 

 

War for the Tour: The day the PGA Championship nearly died

Dayton was set to host the 1969 PGA Championship, and its two biggest sponsors were making noise about backing out if the PGA could not guarantee the marquee players.

"Since they remained PGA members, and the PGA Championship remained a major, the players pledged to show up in Dayton, which helped the PGA—and gave it leverage. It soon announced it would sue any member that played in an APG event that took place the same week as a PGA event, since that would be a violation of membership rules."

https://www.golf.com/tour-and-news/2018/07/25/pga-championship-nearly-died/

[LICC]

That is a great article. Your quote is a bit misplaced. That was referring to the protracted negotiations that were occurring in 1968, with the tour players threatening to form their own tour. It was eventually resolved with the creation of the PGA Tour that remained affiliated with the PGA of America until the mid-1970s, when it then broke all connections to the PGA.