A fifth major...

[miniTIGER95]

Watching the players championship got me thinking, would a fifth major be a good idea? I think it would, i dunno what it would be called, but it could be called 'the tournament' and every year it goes to the hardest courses around the world, where even par would be a a contending score. And the top 150 players play in it ( stops things like the masters where ex winners shoot +18 over every year). Or what about a matchplay major?

 

[AllyLodge]

No
.

 

[Foxholer]

I think it's called the US Open!

US is the world for a sizeable number of PGA players.

 

[sydney greenstreet]

No, the Majors have been fine for the past 70 odd years i would keep it at 4.

 

[richart]

USPGA used to be matchplay. If there ever was a fifth major, and I hope there never will, it shouldn't be in the US.

 

[Imurg]

Re-instate the USPGA as a Matchplay then demote the Masters to a good-sized Tour event and have a World Major that travels to OZ, SA, CHina etc etc

 

[The_ACE]

Re-instate the USPGA as a Matchplay then demote the Masters to a good-sized Tour event and have a World Major that travels to OZ, SA, CHina etc etc

Demote the masters?!? What!

Easily the best major, nothing else has the charm and excitement of augusta.

 

[SyR]

I'd like them to create a World Open that moves to a new venue each year (non US & UK courses).

 

[KeefG]

Yes, there should be a 5th Major and it should be in Asia somewhere. The US doesnt need another major but Asia deserves one!

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

Demote the masters?!? What!

Easily the best major, nothing else has the charm and excitement of augusta.

Although the Masters is a fantastic spectacle (it's my fave major of the year) it really doesn't deserve it's standing. It has by far the weakest field, it has an archaic invitation system and half the field is made up of no-hopers that won a green jacket 30 odd years ago. The strongest fields of the year are actually the USPGA and the TPC at Sawgrass.

The majors won't change, it's not just a question of 'elevating' the status of some other event, majors are all about history and tradition. Oz/SA/Asia are fully deserving of a major bu sadly it ain't gonna happen.

 

[The_ACE]

Yes, there should be a 5th Major and it should be in Asia somewhere. The US doesnt need another major but Asia deserves one!

Why exactly does asia deserve one? They have certainly chucked money at it in recent times but apart from that I hardly believe they deserve one there isn't any memorable courses, one or two top players and hardly hugely popular.

If any countries deserve one it should be spain or south africa for simple historir reasons for liking the game rather thank liking the western lifestyle associated with it (ala china, middle east). But overall there is a reason why America has 3 and Britian has one and that is because it has greatest popularity and coverage here and over the pond. At the end of the day British and American golfers are the backbone of world golf and consequently get the majors.

 

[KeefG]

At the end of the day British and American golfers are the backbone of world golf and consequently get the majors.

Ah right, you havent noticed the steady influx of players from Asia beginning to make their mark on the golf world then??

I must've dreamt the crappy tournaments that have been held in China with the enormous crowds and huge purses that have been held over the last few years....

 

[MashieNiblick]

Just as a point of discussion how would a new event become a "major" or an existing one be "demoted" from being a major?

As I understand it there is no authority that awards this status. It is something that is bestowed over time by the consensus of the golfing world.

I recall when Sandy Lyle won the Players Championship he was asked what the difference between it and the Open was and he replied "About 100 years of history" or something like that.

 

[Imurg]

The Ladies British Open was only elevated to Major status a few years back if I remember rightly......

 

[pbrown7582]

Are the WGC tournaments not the type of comps that could be upgraded to major status they are ineffect majors without the ' major' tag including a matchplay event basically treated as such by the OWGR top 50 and have been around the world too far east, and south Africa this year

 

[Evesdad]

But surely all the 4 majors started at some point without a history? I think a world tournament would be good different course and country each time. Spread the love so to speak.

 

[The_ACE]

Ah right, you havent noticed the steady influx of players from Asia beginning to make their mark on the golf world then??

I must've dreamt the crappy tournaments that have been held in China with the enormous crowds and huge purses that have been held over the last few years....

25 out of the top 35 world players are British or American, there is one Asian, and one Asian has won a major.

While I don't disagree with the growing influence of golf in Asia, chucking money at golf doesn't mean it DESERVES a major. Again I must point towards Spain and South Africa which for the last 50 years has turned out world class players and tournaments. Asian golf has only in the last 10 years contributed to world golf and only then has it been very minimal (1 WGC and a couple of minor events), and this is mainly through large purses and chucking money at tournaments and courses. Asia doesn't deserve a major

 

[HomerJSimpson]

25 out of the top 35 world players are British or American, there is one Asian, and one Asian has won a major.

While I don't disagree with the growing influence of golf in Asia, chucking money at golf doesn't mean it DESERVES a major. Again I must point towards Spain and South Africa which for the last 50 years has turned out world class players and tournaments. Asian golf has only in the last 10 years contributed to world golf and only then has it been very minimal (1 WGC and a couple of minor events), and this is mainly through large purses and chucking money at tournaments and courses. Asia doesn't deserve a major

Sorry but I disagree. Have you not seen the demand for golf in places like Japan. There is a huge boom out there and players like Aoki were out there and contending in majors back in the 80s'. There have been a number of Far Eastern players since and now that Korea is starting to produce golfers for the mens game its only a matter of time before they will be a dominant force like the ladies. Not sure how you can class things like the HSBC and other events as minor. The likes of China, Korea and Japan mat be "chucking money" at golf but they are also ensuring that the game at grass roots level becomes more accessible.

Personally I don't see any major being added to the list for at least another 20 years and then it will be the TPC rightly or wrongly

 

[The_ACE]

Sorry but I disagree. Have you not seen the demand for golf in places like Japan. There is a huge boom out there and players like Aoki were out there and contending in majors back in the 80s'. There have been a number of Far Eastern players since and now that Korea is starting to produce golfers for the mens game its only a matter of time before they will be a dominant force like the ladies. Not sure how you can class things like the HSBC and other events as minor. The likes of China, Korea and Japan mat be "chucking money" at golf but they are also ensuring that the game at grass roots level becomes more accessible.

Personally I don't see any major being added to the list for at least another 20 years and then it will be the TPC rightly or wrongly

Maybe in the long run yes it could have a major but right now it shouldn't and that's what I am commenting on. To be honest I don't know to much of the history of Asian golf but that in itself tells me it isn't that influential. My main argument against it is why does Asia deserve a major whereas more historic golf countries such as south Africa and Spain shouldn't

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Maybe in the long run yes it could have a major but right now it shouldn't and that's what I am commenting on. To be honest I don't know to much of the history of Asian golf but that in itself tells me it isn't that influential. My main argument against it is why does Asia deserve a major whereas more historic golf countries such as south Africa and Spain shouldn't

Aside from Gary Player and before Els, Schwartzel and Oosthuizen where was the South African influence. Where is the history. Sun City, apartheid tours, and just look at the quality of the fields for the events they stage (co-sanctioned with the European Tour) at the start of the year.

Not sure where you are getting your Spanish history from. It was only Seve that put the game firmly on the world stage. Olazabal took that forward. Apart from winning tour events Jimenez and Garcia aren't major winners. They only hosted the RC as Seve was captain. I just don't see where you get all this history and what they've done for the game bit.