why is the pga the least popular major?

I guess it's not hard to understand why the PGA is behind the US and British Opens, since they have been around longer. But the British almost dropped off the map after WW II, and most US pros didn't bother to play it until the early 70's or even later, after Arnie made it a major again, and then Jack made majors the new standard of greatness.

It's harder to understand how the Masters got to be the favorite major of so many people. It's by far the youngest major, it's not the championship of anything, it has the weakest field, and it was run by unabashed racists for many years, who imposed a bunch of stupid rules that still persist, e.g. you have to call the spectators "patrons." And yet, the same people who think it's elitist for the President of the US to have a Harvard degree, lap that stuff up like cream.

I guess it's because ANGC is such a beautiful course, and having it at the same venue every year makes it more familiar to viewers, as well as guaranteeing that it will have more memorable shots than any other course. And being the first major of the year means that golf fans look forward to it for eight months, instead of looking forward to the PGA for three weeks, like we did this year.

Also, the PGA Tour split off from the PGA of America after TV made golf more popular and lucrative, and some of the top stars (like Arnie and Jack) led that movement. I don't remember anything specific, but they may have influenced fans against the PGAofA during their disputes.

Whatever, I like the PGA for the same reasons you do. But what do I know, you would go broke in a hurry if you depended on my opinion for what TV shows or singers should be popular.

It doesn't have the prestige of the other three majors.  Whether that is due to the history, course set-up, marketing, I don't know.  The other three majors are highly recognizable with the styles of how the courses are set-up.  You can't turn on the TV and recognize a PGA Championship course set-up.  It's kind of a friendlier US Open.  What I like about the PGA is that they go to different sites, Kiawah, Whistling Straits mixed in with some US Open courses, Hazeltine, Medinah.

 

The Masters markets itself very well, the US Open is about par being a great score and the Open Championship is the world's major and obviously the links golf.

It doesnt have the prestige of The Masters, it isnt the national championship like the U.S. Open is and it doesnt have the history and the allure of being at the birthplace of golf like The Open Championship does.

Thats not to say that the PGA Championship isnt great, it just doesnt have the sexiness of the other majors.

Masters: Has the history of great competition and became big with the rise of television.

US Open: The toughest test in golf, played on brutal courses.

British: The field vs the elements, as well as many historical courses in the rotation like St Andrews.

PGA: The other one.

Scotty Cameron didnt even make a mallet version (only a blade) headcover for the occasion.

I would like to see the fourth major (or add a fifth) and play it in another part of the world like Australia or South Africa. With that said, Kiawah is a first class venue and I would love to see this course more often.

The PGA needs to return to Match play. It would set itself apart again and be the only Major played in the "truest" form of golf.

how is matchplay the truest form of golf?

Golf began as match play, the PGA began as a match play event, stroke play wasn't invented until later, though it predates the PGA championship by a good bit. It's also much more exciting and doesn't penalize risk taking the same way. I agree we should get a match play major. The only problem is that it would take a ton of rounds or require a small field. 

Mano a Mano......

Head to head competition is the very heart of golf. All this "I just play against the course", or worse yet, " I just play against myself" is for wimps! Old Tom Morris would spin in his grave!

I think another thing that hurts the PGA Championship is the underwhelming list of champions over the years.  I know the others have had their Mizes, Curtises and Janzens, but the PGA gained a reputation for one or two shot wonders winning a long time ago and hasn't been able to shake it.

I remember some years ago golf magazine or digest interviewed some of the tour pro's and the TPC beat out the PGA with some of them,Trevino was one of the few who I think omitted the Masters from his list or the only one, needless to say Lee didn't care for the way they did things there and his game didn't fit the course well,

It's one of those brief and superficially weighty comments that is designed to make the utterer appear wise.

In actual fact it's meaningless nonsense.

A bit like saying "X makes ayou a better golfer, but Y makes you a better player."

 

 

Gonna need a citation for golf beginning as match play.

Until recently, the PGA Championship struggled with a separating identity relative to the other majors--it had the feeling of a lesser US Open or a US Open Lite. The PGA would often be held at classic US Open venues, with an easier set up. This is reflected by the lower winning scores at the same course. 1997 PGA Davis Love -11 at Winged Foot vs 2006 Winged Foot US Open Ogilvy +5 1994 PGA Nick Price -11 at Southern Hills vs 2001 Goosen Southern Hills US Open -4

Now that the PGA Championship is trending toward non traditional US Open venues (Whistling Straits, Kiawah) with more wind/elements, the PGA is heading in the right direction.

Except sometimes the PGA's chice of venue's is poor. Kiawah is turning out well and was a great decision but Whistling Straights to me is a tricked up manufactured course (I guess this could apply to Kiawah) and they have gone to Valhalla a few times which in no one's estimation is a great course. Atlanta Athletic Club was a snoozer of a course IMO. I'd like to see them stick to classic courses or more lay of the land types rather than artificial courses by name architects.

They also don't try to toughen it up too much like the US Open. Some of the courses are naturally tough like Kiawah with the wind, but they don't play the greens at 13 or grow out the rough much.   There are a lot of courses in America with varying terrain that are a bit exotic, I'd like to see the PGA played in Colorado or the Pacific northwest or Arizona, places with a different view and all kinds of conditions. It'd be more of a wild card and test the players' adaptability rather than reward the players with games suited to Augusta or links golf.

Well, the field has about 20 club professionals who don't have a chance, so that harms its image.

 

I believe the PGA has improved its image recently. In the mid-90's, it was more of an afterthought. Lately, it has tried to distinguish itself more. And Tiger has helped build up the image of every major, I believe, with his 14 wins - people realize that is what he plays for, and therefore, tune in for each Major.