Should Top Players Play the PGA Tour instead of the Euro Tour?

[plugged]

The answer to the OP's question is an unqualified "yes".  But not because the Euro Tour lacks depth (because it doesn't), or because it is easier (it's not), but simply because I would like to see the best players in the world play together on a more consistent basis (not just the majors).  IOW, it would enhance my golf viewing pleasure, which I am sure is right at the top of priorities for Rory and Graeme.  :-)

On a more serious note, one of the best advantages to having The Golf Channel is that I get to see Euro Tour events every week.  The announcing is much less colorful than the PGA events (i.e., boring), but the play is very entertaining.

[LankyLefty]

This is a really silly argument... that last 23 times that a Joint event has been held that PGA Tour golfers in the field had a higher average ranking than the Euro Tour players. But the Euro Tour has taken the 4 out of the last 5 majors. If you had to use a different sports analogy to compare them they are Like the Colts and the Patriots or the Yankees and Red Sox. The PGA Tour, Like the Yankees and Patriots has generally gotten the better of the Euro Tour, or the Colts and Red Sox, however if you put them on a field on any given day they are both very formidable teams and you couldn't say one has a real edge on the other.

The Euro tour has certainly been on a Major Upswing recently with some of its brightest stars entering their prime as some of the PGA's biggest stars show age (or crash into fire hydrants). But both have some young guns with star potential coming along. Euro tour has got guys like Kaymer, Mcilroy and teenager Mateo Manaserro. To which the PGA would counter with Dustin Jhonson, Antony Kim and  and Ricky Fowler.

Id say that in terms of Depth and Money the PGA tour is clearly on top at this time but if you take the Top 25 players from each Tour and put em head to head it would be hard not to pick the Europeans right now.

[NI4NI]

Originally Posted by sean_miller

How can YOU be serious? All the best of everything is in America. Don't let the typical chart toppers in music, the movies, literature, television programs, and automobiles cloud your judgment.

PS - in spite of incredibly high rates of brain injury, high school football rocks!!

Perhaps not sarcasm

[the19thhole]

I do love a good debate especially when the OP is talking bollox. Sorry but you are. You would have been better saying you wanted a proper world tour. As other posters have said each tournament is ranked according to the strength of the field. So playing on the "easier" tour doesn't get you enough points to move up the OWGR. It makes more sense to play on the PGA and post top tens to get points. That's what Luke Donald has done and Paul Casey. The others Westwood, Kaymer etc have to get their points in the majors or WGC events when playing against the top players. If the European tour was easier then why don't Americans win when they play European events. There are more Europeans in the top 10, 50, 100 simply because they are playing better golf not because they play on an easier tour. I'm all for playing your home tour instead of just chasing money.

[pablo]

I think is better to have a couple of tours full with goof players from all over the world. They can play in both tours and the viewers can enjoy the high competitive field on each Tour. Players have the option to play where they think that they are going to grow more in their games. Nowadays, with the globalization the fans can enjoy of great Golf at any Tour.

RIP Seve Ballesteros

[Mr Eagle]

The  European tour has better golfers playing in it than the PGA at this time . Get over it !

Having seen the types of courses both tours play on Im not suprised . The American idea of a golf course is all very simular ,manicured target golf , ( Big drive, 8 iron , Ooo look at that backspin crap)  The Europeans play a variety of course types and have a far wider range to their golfing skills. Im not saying that the US boys havn't got the tallent, there are some great players overthere, just that they should broaden their horizions a bit,

The World rankings dont lie

[MEfree]

Originally Posted by Harmonious

First off, the rankings do take into account the strength of field.  A win at a WGC tournament counts more than a win at an alternate tournament played the same weekend, like Reno-Tahoe or Puerto Rico.

But, players should be able to play wherever they want.  Most will play in the majors and the WGC events. That's 8 times a year.  If someone wants to stay closer to home in Europe (they have families, too) and want to make appearance fees as well as tournament winnings, that's their business.

Agreed

Originally Posted by Mr Eagle

The World rankings dont lie

but they do use creative math...instead of using the standard mathematical way to compute weighted average, they use their own method of computing "average" that is biased against players who played a lot towards the older part of the two year rolling period they look at- while the rankings are mostly right, their are some weird things that happen with the way they compute average- i.e. Paul Casey would be ranked 5th this week (2011-18) instead of 8th if he had not played in the 2009 BWM PGA (Win), Players (T-14) and Colonial (5th)- it makes no sense that removing these good results could help his average.  A properly calculated weighted average would solve this and (some) other problems with the rankings.