I know it's a major, but I’m having a hard time getting excited about the PGA Championship. Among the four majors, the PGA gets the least respect. Everyone looks forward to the Masters because it is the official start of the golf season and most fans are familiar with Augusta National because they see it on television year after the year. The U.S. Open is always fun to watch because the USGA typically makes the course so hard that the best players in the world often struggle to survive. The British Open is played on quaint links courses where the weather can be dicey even in July. After the British Open, the PGA is an after thought. The only thing that distinguishes it from the other majors is the large number of club professionals who make it into the field, thus watering it down. They really have no chance to win the tournament and it’s news when any of them make the cut. Over the years, the PGA has treated fans to exciting finishes, notably Bob Tway and Paul Azinger, and given rise to stars like John Daly. But many times the winners are one hit wonders like Mark Brooks, Steve Elkington, Jeff Sluman, David Toms or Shaun Micheel. One bit of trivia: the PGA is only major that Arnold Palmer and Tom Watson never won.
Hitting range balls while wondering whatever happened to Wayne Grady.
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All golf all the time with reflections on the game of golf including the PGA Tour, the USGA, golf on television, golf equipment and more.
About Me
- Mr. Fairway
- Mr. Fairway’s love affair with the game of golf began in junior high. He once made his living as a journalist covering high school sports, cops and robbers and politics. Today, Mr. Fairway is a public relations consultant and a widely-published freelance golf writer. His current USGA handicap index is 9.3 and he averages 50-plus rounds a year.