In my last contribution to this topic, back in May I isolated that month as the best to reinvigorate this tournament:
Then revisiting the topic, what Jeff Warne said struck me, and I am even more "steeled" in my thinking that without any change of format and the same general rota of courses, this tournament would bump a gazillion Q points if it was played three to four weeks after the Masters in May.
"It's the 4th best major..." - Respectfully Jeff, no, it just comes fourth on the calendar, where there is no chance for a Grand Slam except once every 25 years and where nearly the same exact field plays the week before at Firestone, and just two weeks before that, overseas. And the only custom by which you can say that without challenge is that it is, currently, so CLEARLY #4, that the matter isn't capable of question. Tell us what's the 3rd, and you're going to get a three-party debate.
"One of the majors has to be" - I don't find that to be true when I think of the Triple Crown in Horse Racing and in your own remark, "The first three majors each have their own unique identity." Why? and if they do, why can't the PGA... why can't the PGA be the one that goes for two weekends? 54 holes of stroke play, with a 36 hole cut and a massive international field, to establish a 16 or 32 man match play field the next weekend.
"Still a great spot to be in." - No it isn't, August precludes a lot of climate sites from hosting, there's a bit of seasonal fatigue in the playing public, which is also the viewing public, and as I said, the golf junkies have been getting their tournament fix in the preamble weeks. In many Eastern and Northern environs, it is a vacation month and a family month.
"Many of the suggested formats would risk it falling out of major status." - I agree with this moreso than any other item of your post, but I still think a creative solution could be made to create a bounty of what is now, a deficit...a medal play format that traditionally doesn't test with the scoring rigor or course excitement of the other three majors."
'It's fine." - To me, it's not; and though I see no consequence for either of our positions (I'm sure it will just roll on whether it moves dates or changes format or not) it's just slowly "disappearing" into the realm of the meaningless...another disposable event that doesn't linger long or well in the mind...the commercial sports machine churns on...
"The first three majors each have their own unique identity." - and this is perhaps WHY the PGA SHOULD NOT COME LAST IN AUGUST; the other three(3) will be fine if they were last, even if they were in August. Of course the Masters has to be in April, so it can be first or second...(the PGA was played in February for a stretch) Perhaps, given the calls for international cognizance, the history of the game and its unique, venerated venues, it would be indeed appropriate to let the Open Championship conclude the Golf season.
"the PGA has some site similarities to the US Open,but it's not an Open" - precisely...why isn't it?
cheers
vk