PGA Tour Vs European Tour

[Screwback]

The above are the best golf tours in the world but the question i would like to put to the forum is:

Which tour produces the better all round golfer or are each tours equally as good as eachother???

 

[Deleted member 1147]

Which tour produces the better all round golfer???

There's only one way to find out ...............

I think the Yanks are the better all round golfers. I don't know if it's because of the tour or maybe the college system that many of them go through before turning pro.

Or it could just be because there are so many more of them.

People often say stuff about the USA players not being so good on links courses because they don't have so many as in the UK. But Americans often win The Open.

 

[Mike_j_golf]

Hi,
The type of courses they play in America are different than the young guys grow up playing here as are the conditions, bar the top 4/5 americans i'd say the non american players on the PGA are stronger than the best of the rest the americans have to offer most of the international players playing in the US are also members of the european tour or were members before they joined the PGA tour full time. All the best players in the world are members of the PGA tour so you would have to say that it is the best.
Michael.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I agree that the collegiate system is a great way for developing talent to get picked up and coached early and that the college arena is as competitive as many mini tours if not more so.

That said the European Tour is making progress with the Europro tour up to the Challenge Tour and its ultimate prize of a tour card. I think it gives a lot of wannabees a bit of a shock as to the standard required.

I think the European Tour (its not really though is it) is better as it really does give a golfer a constant challenge in terms of courses whereas most US courses are very much the same in terms of bombing and being able to get away with it and then target golf to holding greens. That said I love the Hawaiian events when the old wind gets up.

I think if you look at the last five years of the Majors, Europe is starting to challenge in ALL of these now and although I concede it is still US dominated I think the European Tour is producing players with the calibre to compete. Don't forget McIlroy is still in his first full season and others have produced good performances on tour to suggest the future is encouraging.

 

[USER1999]

But McIlroy is considering a change of tours......

 

[freddielong]

I think if I was on tour I would rather play the European (world tour)tour but the PGA is where the money is, its where the sponsors pay you the big bucks to play. I am hoping as India and China open up it will lead to the European tour being a bigger draw, but in reality it will mean that the top US players will only schedule those events into their calenders, and stay on the USPGA.

 

[USER1999]

In theory the money is bigger on the USPGA tour, but also I would imagine the courses are more consistent in terms of condition and grass types. This would mean much less adapting every weekend, which may be boring, but if you are trying to earn money could be useful.

So European = more interesting.
US = More stable course adaptation and more money.

Also no (well, fewer) language barriers on US tour.

 

[Ethan]

More World Ranking Points on the PGA Tour too, and better prep for the US based majors, Players, World Championships events.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I guess the preparation for majors and WGC events only apply if you are good enough to qualify. I understand the lure of the bigger purses out there and to be fair the players want for nothing but I just think Europe provides a better test in terms of adapting your game and learning more shots.

 

[Junior]

Ball striking its probably even, but for some reason the PGA tour produces better putters. That is why the Americans have won more majors, and the likes of Garcia, Westwood, Donald, Casey et al have not won one yet, (and the reason McIlroy wont win one for a while.) It's no co-incidence that the best European putter (Harrington) is the one to have got the majors for Europe in recent times.

 

[JustOne]

Ball striking its probably even, but for some reason the PGA tour produces better putters. That is why the Americans have won more majors, and the likes of Garcia, Westwood, Donald, Casey et al have not won one yet, (and the reason McIlroy wont win one for a while.) It's no co-incidence that the best European putter (Harrington) is the one to have got the majors for Europe in recent times.

I'd agree with that, we just don't have decent greens here. Go to any other country and you'll find a course with lightening fast greens for no more than £30.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I agree with the argument about greens to a point and accept that they do seem better and quicker on the US tour but surely they can't be that bad across Europe. I know Wentworth was bad but the players rate places like Loch Lomond and Munich etc. Is it more a matter of consistancy.

I'm not sure you can blame European greens on Garcia's putting woes as he's been US based for a while anc certainly playing on the best courses worldwide. I think in Westwood's case it was/is his short game more than his putting that has held him back.

 

[Screwback]

So European = more interesting.
US = More stable course adaptation and more money.

Spot on!

 

[kid2]

The americans probably just shade it as the sunshine players but you throw 20-30mph winds instead of there 2-3mph breath.Proper rain instead of there condensation and having to be rapped like an onion instead of wearing the shorts and flip flops ill back the europeans all day long as PROPER weather golfers...

 

[daftscotsman]

I think the European Tour should produce the better all round golfer, this can be put down to a variety of reasons.

The States... Most courses are of a similar style, mainly played with sunny perfect weather, hardly any wind and a lack of 'proper' links courses...

Whereas the European Tour plays in a variety of countries, so therefore, different climates, grasses, styles of courses, weather etc.

But the European Tour doesnt produce the better all round golfer!! Mainly I think its an inferiority complex that the European players suffer from when taking on the Americans, or most Europeans do not have the American confidence??

 

[bernix]

Because it is more difficult to get on and especially to stay on the US PGA Tour, the players there are mentally tougher then the average European player. I think that is the reason why they perform better, particularly on the putting green, under high pressure situations in the big events (majors, WGC events). But I do not think they are better ball strikers, not much difference in this respect.