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Why is the PGA Championship Still a Major?

MWard said:
Kinda feels like a slap in the face to all those who won it if you just replace it. The pga doesn’t get the clout the others due, likely because it gets lost in the mix as far as excitement. It doesn’t drum up any major buzz like the Masters, people aren’t talking about how the PGA is gonna screw it up ala the USGA, and the Open.. it’s just the Open. Set up the course, let’s just see who wins. PGA seems to always be hard, but fair. A test, but not an unfair one.

That being said, I’d watch the pga over the players all day.
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Why? Some years maybe, if it is on a great course. Bethpage, Whistling Straits. But Bellerive? Trump Bedminster? Quail Hollow? Both have great fields, Sawgrass is a great course with compelling finishing holes. Why would you say the PGA is always a better watch?

And if it were replaced, it wouldn't be retroactive. You wouldn't recalculate career majors. If it was considered a major at the time then it counts as a major.
 
Badger_Golfer said:
I say, why wouldnt it be? IMO, the Players is cool but it doesnt have anywhere near as much prestige as the PGA Championship does.
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It wouldn't be because it no longer is the premier tournament of the premier Tour in the world, which is the reason it was a major in the first place.
 
LICC said:
Why? Some years maybe, if it is on a great course. Bethpage, Whistling Straits. But Bellerive? Trump Bedminster? Quail Hollow? Both have great fields, Sawgrass is a great course with compelling finishing holes. Why would you say the PGA is always a better watch?

And if it were replaced, it wouldn't be retroactive. You wouldn't recalculate career majors. If it was considered a major at the time then it counts as a major.
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I’ve played Sawgrass twice. It’s not life changing. It’s honestly not all that memorable other than 3 holes. It’s not even the best course in the state.
 
MWard said:
I’ve played Sawgrass twice. It’s not life changing. It’s honestly not all that memorable other than 3 holes. It’s not even the best course in the state.
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Or even close for that matter
 
JB said:
Or even close for that matter
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Maybe 9th-10th? I don’t know honestly. I mean it’s kinda fun, but also kind of a game of trying to slam a hammer between your fingers and not hit your hand.
 
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MWard said:
I’ve played Sawgrass twice. It’s not life changing. It’s honestly not all that memorable other than 3 holes. It’s not even the best course in the state.
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I've played it too. It's a great course. I love courses that make you think, have good variety, risk-reward features, and interesting greens. Sawgrass has all that. Which public courses in the state would you put above? Something at Streamsong (I would play the Red over any other in Florida). Any others?
 
I like Sawgrass but much prefer The Concession, was surprised to see Old Memorial below the Streamsong offerings


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LICC said:
I've played it too. It's a great course. I love courses that make you think, have good variety, risk-reward features, and interesting greens. Sawgrass has all that. Which public courses in the state would you put above? Something at Streamsong (I would play the Red over any other in Florida). Any others?
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JB said:
Conservatory, Medalist, Creek Course, Quail West, Old Memorial and a handful of others.
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I would agree with the above. If we’re talking resort to resort, I think PGA National is better than Sawgrass, and definitely the Conservatory. I find anything golf digest puts out though a little suspect, because they still have world woods on there.
 
MWard said:
I would agree with the above. If we’re talking resort to resort, I think PGA National is better than Sawgrass, and definitely the Conservatory. I find anything golf digest puts out though a little suspect, because they still have world woods on there.
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Golf Magazine’s latest World ranking, led by Ran Morrisett, has Sawgrass ahead of every Florida course except Seminole. And Golfweek’s rankings give Sawgrass a higher rating than any Florida course except Seminole. Those are quite a number of varied rankings that put Sawgrass way above all those other courses mentioned above.
 
LICC said:
Golf Magazine’s latest World ranking, led by Ran Morrisett, has Sawgrass ahead of every Florida course except Seminole. And Golfweek’s rankings give Sawgrass a higher rating than any Florida course except Seminole. Those are quite a number of varied rankings that put Sawgrass way above all those other courses mentioned above.
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If your argument was that it wouldn’t be there yearly, it shouldn’t matter what locals that have played them all think.
 
PGA is a major because of the difficult courses they play. IMO we have too many great/classic courses that need to be tournaments
 
The trophy.
 
MWard said:
I would agree with the above. If we’re talking resort to resort, I think PGA National is better than Sawgrass, and definitely the Conservatory. I find anything golf digest puts out though a little suspect, because they still have world woods on there.
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After watching yesterday, obviously just from viewing on TV, Medalist is nowhere near as good of a course as Seminole or Sawgrass.
 
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LICC said:
After watching yesterday, obviously just from viewing on TV, Medalist is nowhere near as good of a course as Seminole.
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I don’t think anyone has argued that. But I’d say medalist is better than Sawgrass
 
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MWard said:
I don’t think anyone has argued that. But I’d say medalist is better than Sawgrass
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And you and I have played them both 😀
 
LICC said:
I meant to say Sawgrass. Medalist isn’t close to as good.
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JB said:
And you and I have played them both 😀
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Agreed. Having played them both, it's not even fair to say Sawgrass is as good as Medalist. Sawgrass is boring for 15 holes. 14 may get your attention if you play a hard draw. Other than that, it's just a well kept resort course. You're not playing it with greens that are 12-14 and concrete. The greens are receptive, 10 on most days, and you might creep to 11 from time to time. I enjoyed it the couple times I've played it, but I've never been like OH MAN! SAWGRASS! after the first time playing it. Then again, I kinda feel 99% of the tour courses are that way. It's a fun experience and all, but like damn, you want me to shell out that much for something that's watered down from what the professionals see?

Medalist makes you think on every second shot, and around the greens is just chunk wedge city if you're having a bad day. You can wail on it off the tee unless you're a moron who decides you're too good for driver. That's a poor decision, BTW.
 
MWard said:
Agreed. Having played them both, it's not even fair to say Sawgrass is as good as Medalist. Sawgrass is boring for 15 holes. 14 may get your attention if you play a hard draw. Other than that, it's just a well kept resort course. You're not playing it with greens that are 12-14 and concrete. The greens are receptive, 10 on most days, and you might creep to 11 from time to time. I enjoyed it the couple times I've played it, but I've never been like OH MAN! SAWGRASS! after the first time playing it. Then again, I kinda feel 99% of the tour courses are that way. It's a fun experience and all, but like damn, you want me to shell out that much for something that's watered down from what the professionals see?

Medalist makes you think on every second shot, and around the greens is just chunk wedge city if you're having a bad day. You can wail on it off the tee unless you're a moron who decides you're too good for driver. That's a poor decision, BTW.
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I can’t take anyone’s opinion on golf courses seriously if they say Sawgrass is boring for 15 holes. And clearly the hundreds of raters disagree with you. The course is among the best of Pete Dye’s courses and Pete Dye is one of the greatest designers in golf history, known for his risk reward holes, strategy, and required thought on playing his holes. It weaves nicely through the different parts of the property, has excellent variety and calls for many different shot types. It’s a great course start to finish.
 
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LICC said:
I can’t take anyone’s opinion on golf courses seriously if they say Sawgrass is boring for 15 holes. And clearly the hundreds of raters disagree with you. The course is among the best of Pete Dye’s courses and Pete Dye is one of the greatest designers in golf history, known for his risk reward holes, strategy, and required thought on playing his holes. It weaves nicely through the different parts of the property, has excellent variety and calls for many different shot types. It’s a great course start to finish.
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I can't take anyone's opinion seriously who thinks the PGA Championship should be removed as a major. That's probably one of the poorest takes humanly possible. But yes, sure. Let's have The Players Championship be the fourth major. All hail Tim Clarke and Fred Funk.

Pete Dye is a good designer. He makes you think off the tee. But you lose points when you're just known for hard golf courses to be hard, and two of your characteristics are bulkheads and wider than they look fairways.
 
MWard said:
I can't take anyone's opinion seriously who thinks the PGA Championship should be removed as a major. That's probably one of the poorest takes humanly possible. But yes, sure. Let's have The Players Championship be the fourth major. All hail Tim Clarke and Fred Funk.

Pete Dye is a good designer. He makes you think off the tee. But you lose points when you're just known for hard golf courses to be hard, and two of your characteristics are bulkheads and wider than they look fairways.
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Play Sawgrass from the right tees and it is very fair. If you think Dye is just known for bulkheads and deceptive fairways then you need to learn more about his courses. He more than anyone else is responsible for moving golf design away from the Trent Jones model. His greensites and shaping were creative and different, using smaller greens and fairway run ups.
 
LICC said:
Play Sawgrass from the right tees and it is very fair. If you think Dye is just known for bulkheads and deceptive fairways then you need to learn more about his courses. He more than anyone else is responsible for moving golf design away from the Trent Jones model. His greensites and shaping were creative and different, using smaller greens and fairway run ups.
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I’ve played plenty of his designs. I didn’t say I played them poorly, not after you learn the tricks. Pete Dye 101: the fairways are always wider than you think. Divide the green into quadrants, aim center of green and move it into the quadrant if you can. If you can, good chance at birdie or easier par. If you can’t, hope your lag putting is great that day.
 
MWard said:
I can't take anyone's opinion seriously who thinks the PGA Championship should be removed as a major. That's probably one of the poorest takes humanly possible. But yes, sure. Let's have The Players Championship be the fourth major. All hail Tim Clarke and Fred Funk.

Pete Dye is a good designer. He makes you think off the tee. But you lose points when you're just known for hard golf courses to be hard, and two of your characteristics are bulkheads and wider than they look fairways.
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Yet you can't give any intelligent good reason why the PGA should still be a major. All hail Rich Beem and Shaun Micheel.
 
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