The PGA Tour explained - which events are the most prestigious?
The PGA Tour has been the gold standard in worldwide professional golf since 1929, hosting legendary sportsmen such as Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlroy over the past century. There are 48 tournaments that make up the 2021-2022 tour calendar, so professional golfers are playing almost year-round. It’s great entertainment for golf enthusiasts, but not all events are as distinguished as others.
For example, the PGA Tour Majors are easily the most prestigious. Golfers dream of winning The Masters, the US Open, The Open Championship and the PGA Championship. Not only do they have huge prizes for the winners and runners-up but winning also rewards valuable PGA Tour points and an indispensable status boost. These aren’t the only distinguished tournaments on tour either. Keep reading to explore the most prestigious PGA Tour events.
An overview of the PGA Tour
In their own words, the PGA Tour’s mission is to “engage, inspire and positively impact our fans, partners and communities worldwide” by “showcasing golf’s greatest players”. It has been the undisputed leader in professional golf for almost a century, first established in 1929. Each season previously lasted one calendar year, but in 2014, it transitioned to an October to September season split over two years.
In 2021-2022, there are 48 separate events for professional golfers to compete in. The winners of each gains points that determine their overall place in the rankings. Most players end up playing 20 to 30 tournaments a season, although some have been known to do more. Geographically, the PGA Tour moves across the US, even hitting the exotic courses of places such as Hawaii.
Historically exciting PGA Tour events
The Majors are generally seen as the most prestigious PGA Tour events, but other competitions on the circuit have also been extremely exciting. For example, the Tour Championship and The Players Championship have huge potential prizes, so the action can be highly competitive. Elsewhere, playoff tournaments such as the FedEx St. Jude Championship are an eagerly anticipated and thrilling way to round off the season.
Entertainment like Phil Mickelson and Henrik Stenson’s epic battle at the 2016 Open Championship is a massive factor in the prestige of these tournaments. Viewers were right at the edge of their seats during the nail-bitingly tense finale, which Stenson ultimately won. Watching it was compelling enough if you were just watching, let alone for sports bettors predicting the winner. Golf betting on the Majors or other prestigious PGA Tour events is immensely exciting and can pay handsomely too. Read through golf betting guides to get an idea of how things such as bet types and odds work before getting involved.
What are the Majors?
The PGA Tour Majors are generally seen as the most prestigious events on tour. However, other competitions such as the Tour Championship, often casually called the “fifth major”, and The Players Championship are also highly regarded. These two events actually have the largest winner’s prizes on the circuit, but prestige is something money can’t buy.
Look below for a round-up of the four PGA Tour Majors tournaments:
The Masters: Played at the legendary Augusta National Golf Club, The Masters is generally considered the most prestigious PGA Tour event. Each year, the creme-de-la-creme of the golfing world compete for the hallowed “Green Jacket” and a prize of $2.7m.
US Open: Commonly seen as one of the toughest events of the season, the US Open is the third major in the calendar. It has been played since 1898, therefore enjoying the status as one of the oldest official golf tournaments in the world.
The Open Championship: The Open Championship is the last Major of the season, played in July. It was founded in 1860, making it even older than the US Open. It is the only major held in the United Kingdom, held on a rotating selection of 10 links courses.
PGA Championship: Players compete in the PGA Championship a month after The Masters kicks off the Majors series. It is held at several top-tier courses that rotate each year, all in the US. The first PGA Championship kicked off in 1916, making it the second-youngest major after The Masters, which began in 1934.
Is the breakaway LIV tour going to change things?
For all of its popularity, people are asking questions such as will record low scores on the PGA Tour occur more frequently these days. Change is certainly underfoot, with the new breakaway LIV tour threatening to overturn the prestige of PGA Tour favorites like The Masters.
Golfing legends such as Phil Mickelson have had their heads turned by the increased prize money, but it will take a considerable amount of time for another circuit to knock the PGA Tour off its perch.
