Pondering the Majors

[USER1999]

If it was to be replaced, the Australian open would be a better shout for major status. It's an open, and it has been going since 1904. And it isn't in USA.

 

[muttleee]

I understand the beef about the Masters and think it should lose major status and replace it with the Tour Players but at the moment its on the list

And as we all know, the list will never change.

 

[bobmac]

Sorry mate. Bad day at the office.
Ruck with senior management

Have you been wearing that trilby at work again?

Nope.
But I would gladly ram it up somebody's aris attached to the end of a broom handle.

Go home, put your feet up and watch Avatar again.
You'll soon feel better

 

[Tiger]

It's been interesting hearing your views about the Masters. Help me out here because I can't think of one well ranked player who should have been in the field and but wasn't invited. Isn't the list based on current performance plus former winners or have I got that wrong.

As for the other 3 majors I don't understand why the US get three. And why does it have to be a ridiculously old tournament why can't it be a new championship based somewhere in the far East which is a massive growth Market. In fact while we're at it how about a change of format to revolutionise the game. to qualify you have to be ranked in the top 200 in the world. Two days of matchplay in with the worlds top 50 seeded so they don't meet each other. This whittles the field to the top 50 and they fight for the title on two days of strokeplay.

 

[SyR]

It would be nice to go and watch the Masters in person one day but I hear even that is exclusive...

I would like to see a 'rest of world major' that tours each year to a new country.

 

[Tiger]

I like the changing country factor especially if there was a bidding process and UK and US were exempt.

 

[Deleted member 1740]

I'd usually say yes to judge players on the majors though monty for me is a special case, His record OOM wins justifies how good of a player he was.

Winning 1 major is a great achievement in itself but would you call Ben Curtis or Todd Hamilton great players because they've won a major?

 

[haplesshacker]

And we have the Olympics to throw in now as well. How will that rank in achievements? Equal to a major? But it's only once every four years, rather than four a year as with the majors.

 

[Yerman]

One tournament doesn't make a great golfer even a major, its those who have embelished a successful career with multiple major wins are the true Greats of the game, Nicklaus, Palmer, Woods, Watson, Ballesteros, Faldo, Vardon, etc.. - not the one hit wonders.

 

[viscount17]

5 majors - one on each continent, and all Opens

can you imagine the rough when they play it in Papua-New Guinea?

 

[thecraw]

If anywhere else were to be awarded "major" status it would almost certainly be in Asia, the next golfing heavyweight. It has the infrastructure and the financial status as well plus the crowds.

Masters I enjoy. I think it's a smashing tournament, although thinking back Faldo didn't derserve his Masters titles according to all the people who think Lawrie didn't deserve his. After all Norman threw him a green jacket and Hoch missed a two inch putt.

 

[Aztecs27]

5 majors - one on each continent, and all Opens

can you imagine the rough when they play it in Papua-New Guinea?

I agree with you that this would be a fantastic idea, but you have to look at the logistics. Wherever they were to hold a major tournament would have to have the local infrastructure and access for the volume of golfers, media and spectators that it needs to accommodate.

I'd love to see a European Tour date held at Woodhall Spa. It's certainly a good enough course and has the facilities but if you've ever been there, you'll know the roads into the village aren't spectacular. The place is only 20 odd miles from the A1 at Grantham but it takes nearly an hour to get there navigating all the roads. Then you have the small problem of accommodation. The village has no-less than 4 hotels, 3 with over 25 rooms and the 4th that my parents run, currently being extended to accommodate more than the 9 rooms they have now. Even if there were enough rooms for the golfers, caddies, families, media etc...the standard of 2 (maybe 3) of them isn't up to scratch to be honest. So it would fail on that account.

I'm sure wherever they decided there would be the facilities (what with most exclusive, luxury resorts having top quality golf courses these days) but it would be something they would need to think about.

As much as I enjoy watching the Masters (it's the reason I started playing golf again this year having watched it for 4 days), I'm not sure it's worth any more. The Players Championship is probably more of a major, but then that's still held at the same course every year too. I also don't agree with the US having THREE majors. But unfortunately, Golf is about tradition and I don't see it changing any time soon.

 

[Spoff]

can there not be a generic point system

30pts = major
25pts = oom/fedex cup
15pts = US win
14pts = Euro
8pts = Asia tour
5pts = Australaisia tour
etc

obviously these are rough and ready and someone with a far better mathmatical mind than me could come up with something more scientific.

then we can argue why tour X is worth more than tour Y

 

[USER1999]

They must already have a points ranking, as that must be how the world rankings are done.