What do you think are the most important tournaments?

[Thrash13]

The Masters is a fantastic event, and to say it should be scrapped is ridiculous.  The players who deserve to be there are there, and that's all that matters.  The course is outstanding, and the tournament provides some of the most exciting Major Championship golf on a yearly basis.  It's right near the top of my list of important tournaments.

1.  U.S. Open

2.  The Masters

3.  The Open Championship

4.  PGA Championship

5.  The Players

6.  WGC Match Play

7.  WGC- Doral (whatever sponsor they have this year)

8.  WGC- Bridgestone

9.  HSBC Champions

10.  Tour Championship

11.  The Memorial

12.  Quail Hollow/Arnold Palmer

The Ryder Cup is something completely different, but it's probably right near the top of this list with the majors.  It has become a HUGE event in the world of golf and sports.

[Malvern]

Originally Posted by johnthejoiner

I personally think the us pga or the masters should be scrapped.  A new major must be set up to be played for in different country's each year, or who ever wins the competition the following years major should be played in his home country

No need to scrap any of the majors however your other idea has merit. Four majors plus a World Open, problem would be scheduling and getting the US based players to go, if they don't it dies. I thought the GFC would hasten the formation of a world tour but that seems as far off as ever.

[EnergyMatt]

1. The Open

2. The Masters

3. The US Open

4. The US PGA

5. Melton Mowbray Club Championship (this year has got to be mine!)

PS, I am not familiar with tournaments called "The British" or "The British Open"

[sean_miller]

Quote:

Originally Posted by EnergyMatt

1. The Open

2. The Masters

3. The US Open

4. The US PGA

5. Melton Mowbray Club Championship (this year has got to be mine!)

PS, I am not familiar with tournaments called "The British" or "The British Open"

Really? That's weird, because you seem like a golfer. From Wikipedia:

Quote:

Tournament name

In Britain, the tournament is best known by its official title, The Open Championship . The tournament's website ^{[ 10 ]} uses only this name, while UK media generally refer to the Open (with "the" in lower case). ^{[ 11 ] [ 12 ]}

Outside the UK, the tournament is generally called the "British Open", in part to distinguish the tournament from another of the four majors that has an 'open' format, the U.S. Open , but mainly because other nations with similar 'open' format golf events refer to their own nation's open event as "the open." The PGA Tour refers to the tournament as the British Open, ^{[ 13 ]} as do many media outlets in the United States, such as SportsTicker and the Associated Press .

^{http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Open_Championship}

[max power]

You seem to be implying that adding "British" to the name lessens the event somehow.

If you say so...

Originally Posted by EnergyMatt

1. The Open

2. The Masters

3. The US Open

4. The US PGA

5. Melton Mowbray Club Championship (this year has got to be mine!)

PS, I am not familiar with tournaments called "The British" or "The British Open"

[EnergyMatt]

Wikipedia you say ... the American based website ... ah well there you go then.

The British Media refer to the one played in Britain as "The Open" because that is its name.

http://www.opengolf.com/

The one played in USA is called "The US Open" again, funnily enough, because that is its name.

http://www.usopen.com/en_US/index.html

Look at the websites, read them and learn something. Then start to realise that the rest of the world does not revolve around what happens in the USA!!!!!

I have steam coming out of my ears!!!

Originally Posted by sean_miller

Really? That's weird, because you seem like a golfer. From Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Open_Championship

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by EnergyMatt

Wikipedia you say ... the American based website ... ah well there you go then.

The British Media refer to the one played in Britain as "The Open" because that is its name.

http://www.opengolf.com/

The one played in USA is called "The US Open" again, funnily enough, because that is its name.

http://www.usopen.com/en_US/index.html

Look at the websites, read them and learn something. Then start to realise that the rest of the world does not revolve around what happens in the USA!!!!!

I have steam coming out of my ears!!!

Hey, I know what you mean. Wikipedia does have a US slant. In this case though, they are 100% correct. If you'd read the quote, you'd understand why.

I don't think anyone on this side of the pond ever referred to the British Open as "The Open Championship" until quite recently. "The Open" was one of three tournaments when I was a kid. 1.) The United States Open Championship (which is what it's called), The Canadian Open (my national championship), and possibly even the Alberta Open (because it was held annually about 25 minutes from home). Most North American's my age grew up with term "British Open" being the term of choice in all print media and on television. It was the event played in July before breakfast.

When someone refers to a tournament called the "British Open", you can perhaps pretend it's the women's version, and that the Open Championship doesn't make the list at all. Is that better?.

[iacas]

This discussion again? :-P

To answer the original question, the majors. WGCs and Players a distant second.

[colin007]

1. The Open

2. the masters

3. the british open

4. the PGA

5. anything tiger plays in

6. everything else

[benredik]

The Olympics :)

[Lofty Lefty]

Originally Posted by iacas

This discussion again? :-P

To answer the original question, the majors. WGCs and Players a distant second.

I was hoping there would be some discussion as to tournaments that could become majors, not just what our favourite tournaments are....

Originally Posted by benredik

The Olympics :)

I definitely think golf should be at the Olympics, but it has to in a team based (4-8 players) Ryder Cup style format. It can't be a 4 round stroke event with pro's. Who would care?? I also think it could be an amateur event, or at least force the participation of both pro and amateur players in the teams. (6 pro, 2 amateur perhaps)

[jamo]

Originally Posted by Lofty Lefty

I definitely think golf should be at the Olympics, but it has to in a team based (4-8 players) Ryder Cup style format. It can't be a 4 round stroke event with pro's. Who would care?? I also think it could be an amateur event, or at least force the participation of both pro and amateur players in the teams. (6 pro, 2 amateur perhaps)

Didn't it get added to the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro?

[benredik]

Yep. Only as a trial, but chances are it will become permanent.

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by Lofty Lefty

I was hoping there would be some discussion as to tournaments that could become majors, not just what our favourite tournaments are....

I definitely think golf should be at the Olympics, but it has to in a team based (4-8 players) Ryder Cup style format. It can't be a 4 round stroke event with pro's. Who would care?? I also think it could be an amateur event, or at least force the participation of both pro and amateur players in the teams. (6 pro, 2 amateur perhaps)

I don't see anything changing in the major roll call anytime in the foreseeable future.  It just doesn't work to try and invent a new major.  They are what they are because they are time tested.  In Bobby Jones' era the majors were the US and British Amateur and Open.  The Masters wasn't created to become a major, it was originally just an opportunity for Bobby ones to invite a bunch of friends to get together for a fun tournament.  The quality of the field was what spurred it to grow into a major championship.  In my opinion the most minor major is the PGA championship.  It has gotten better in the last decade, but it still doesn't grab my attention as readily as the other 3.  The British Open is only a true major 2 years out of 3 because that 3rd year when the wind doesn't blow it becomes a bit of a joke.

After them, there are several first tier regular Tour stops, then a bunch of mostly ho hum, who cares tournaments (Does anyone outside of the Quad Cities really care about the John Deere Classic?  Can anyone even name the Quad Cities?).

[Thrash13]

I agree it's probably the least prestigious of the four majors nowadays, but to be honest, it has probably been the most exciting major the last decade or so.  It always seems to be tightly contested between several big names.  I really enjoy the event, even though it definitely seems like the other three take precedence.

Originally Posted by Fourputt

In my opinion the most minor major is the PGA championship.  It has gotten better in the last decade, but it still doesn't grab my attention as readily as the other 3.

[jamo]

Originally Posted by Thrash13

I agree it's probably the least prestigious of the four majors nowadays, but to be honest, it has probably been the most exciting major the last decade or so.  It always seems to be tightly contested between several big names.  I really enjoy the event, even though it definitely seems like the other three take precedence.

Agreed. It seems like every year the PGA is one of the most exciting tournaments, but it's clearly the least prestigious.

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by Fourputt

I don't see anything changing in the major roll call anytime in the foreseeable future.  It just doesn't work to try and invent a new major.  They are what they are because they are time tested.  In Bobby Jones' era the majors were the US and British Amateur and Open.  The Masters wasn't created to become a major, it was originally just an opportunity for Bobby ones to invite a bunch of friends to get together for a fun tournament.  The quality of the field was what spurred it to grow into a major championship.  In my opinion the most minor major is the PGA championship.  It has gotten better in the last decade, but it still doesn't grab my attention as readily as the other 3.  The British Open is only a true major 2 years out of 3 because that 3rd year when the wind doesn't blow it becomes a bit of a joke.

After them, there are several first tier regular Tour stops, then a bunch of mostly ho hum, who cares tournaments (Does anyone outside of the Quad Cities really care about the John Deere Classic?  Can anyone even name the Quad Cities?).

I doubt anyone in the US could quickly find Turnberry or Carnoustie on a map either, but your point is well taken.