Ranking the Majors

« **on:** June 19, 2006, 02:28:57 PM »

There's probably been a thread like this before but I missed it. Interested in how GCA'ers rank the majors. I'll start:

1. British Open - Unoffical world championship. Links golf. Course setup is closer to setup for regular play (Carnoustie excepted) than any of the other majors. Ruling body doesn't seem to care about the winning score.

2. US Open - Our national championship. Course setup is contrived to say the least, producing weird golf which is occasionally absurd, but compelling nonetheless.

3. Masters - Popular favorite largely due to brilliant marketing. I rank it third because it is neither a national nor world championship. Even the PGA has more legitimacy in that it is the championship of the oldest group representing professional golfers nationwide.

4. PGA - Played on good courses typically set up intelligently. Suffers due to place in the calendar. Major status is secure because of tradition, whether Tim Finchem likes it or not.

« **Reply #1 on:** June 19, 2006, 02:34:40 PM »

The only tournaments I watch all year from my favorites on down:

Masters
US Open
British Open
US Amateur
Q School
PGA

« **Reply #2 on:** June 19, 2006, 02:45:39 PM »

Masters
US Open
British
PGA

Ranked by a grown-up kid who only (relatively) recently came to appreciate golf across the pond

« **Reply #3 on:** June 19, 2006, 02:53:16 PM »

US Open
British Open
PGA
TPC

Rumor has it that the Masters wants to be a major, but they just have too many old guys.

« **Reply #4 on:** June 19, 2006, 03:20:06 PM »

My favorite would be the PGA due to the strength of the field

« **Reply #5 on:** June 19, 2006, 06:53:06 PM »

Phil:

For me the national championships of the USA and UK rank as co-equals. Why? They are open to anyone who is interested in going through the qualifying. They have the greatest tradition and they are the ultimate tests in what they seek to achieve from those playing in them.

Down the line is the Masters and moving up quite quickly is the PGA because of the quality of the field and the venues have certainly been improved through the leadership of the retiring Jim Awtrey.

« **Reply #6 on:** June 19, 2006, 07:03:09 PM »

1. Open Championship (British)
2. Masters
3. US Open
4. PGA

« **Reply #7 on:** June 19, 2006, 07:05:52 PM »

I think I agree with Matt about the 2 Opens. They are both at the top of my list. I probably prefer watching The Open Championship, as I find the UK courses a bit more interesting, but that's probably more in the sense of how different they are from the US courses.

I would place The Masters above the PGA - the fields are a wash to me and Augusta is still Augusta, even after the many (ill advised) changes. If the PGA were more consistent with course selections, I might consider it the equal of The Masters.

I also consider the TPC to be right up there with the PGA, at least in terms of enjoyment derived from watching it, and prestige attached to a tournament victory.

« **Reply #8 on:** June 19, 2006, 07:13:36 PM »

George:

The fields at Augusta are extremely thin when compared to the PGA Championship and even the TPC. At Augusta you rarely get fields that top 100 players.

When you say about the PGA being "more consistent" with site selections -- please illuminate for me which sites have been that bad? I'll concede Vahalla but when you have places like Medinah, Baltusrol, Oak Hill and The Ocean Course as either recent or future sites I think it speaks volumes for what the PGA is doing and more importantly how successful they have been in producing sites that allow for scoring without being suffocating.

« **Reply #9 on:** June 19, 2006, 07:26:46 PM »

I personally don't see many worthy competitors left out once you get past 50 or so in the world rankings. Having said that, I would love to see the folks at ANGC revise their invitations a bit; for instance, restoring the past criteria of anyone who's won on the PGA Tour in the previous year. It would probably add a few people.

As for the PGA, they have been doing better, but, while Medinah, Oak Hill and Baltusrol are all worthy championship courses, I don't find them especially compelling to watch. (Strike that - I did enjoy Baltusrol quite a bit, which was a surprise to me. And I am really looking forward to The Ocean Course.) Throw in repeat visits to Valhalla and hopefully you can see why it's not as high on my list as The Masters. Close, but not quite.

« **Reply #10 on:** June 19, 2006, 07:30:39 PM »

George,

Is it cool on this site to slam Valhalla...I know you havn't played there so maybe you could tell me what bored you about the last PGA they hosted.

« **Reply #11 on:** June 19, 2006, 07:34:49 PM »

George:

You missed my point -- there are players with considerable skill who are beyond the #50 position and merit consideration. Thank God the PGA had the wherewithal to include John Daly when he won at Crooked Stick in '91.

In addition, the Masters benefits from being the first on TV every year. Let's not forget that the original premise of the course has been completely bastardized and fails miserably in being what it once was. Even the great players from yesteryear (ergo, Nicklaus, Palmer & Player) have said so. The former Augusta was special -- now it's a miniature version of what the US Open is today.

The PGA gets the end of the stick because it comes last among the four. On the flip side you do have venues that Awtrey has been able to include that will spur considerable interest -- The Ocean Course being one of them.

Having mad the event at Whistling Straits was also a coup for his leadership and it demonstrated how he could steal a future relationship with the USGA.

« **Reply #12 on:** June 19, 2006, 07:35:53 PM »

Quote from: John Kavanaugh on June 19, 2006, 07:30:39 PM

George,

Is it cool on this site to slam Valhalla...I know you havn't played there so maybe you could tell me what bored you about the last PGA they hosted.

Actually, the last PGA at Valhalla produced the kind of finish that has traditionally been associated with the Masters.

« **Reply #13 on:** June 19, 2006, 07:40:13 PM »

Quote from: Phil Benedict on June 19, 2006, 07:35:53 PM

Quote from: John Kavanaugh on June 19, 2006, 07:30:39 PM
George,

Is it cool on this site to slam Valhalla...I know you havn't played there so maybe you could tell me what bored you about the last PGA they hosted.

Actually, the last PGA at Valhalla produced the kind of finish that has traditionally been associated with the Masters.

Oh, really...I almost forgot about the finest finish in a major since the 86 Masters...That's almost 20 years by golly...

« **Reply #14 on:** June 19, 2006, 07:45:11 PM »

(British) Open first and last by a long shot.

No American Majors rank because the rest of the world has to put up with wankers like Johnny Miller commentating.

At least we don't inflict Kenny on you.

« **Reply #15 on:** June 19, 2006, 07:59:49 PM »

Mark, that wanker won the 73 US Open and 76 Open Championship back in the day when Jack was in his absolute prime. His final round 63 in the 1973 Open at Oakmont is considered one of the most dominating performances in the history of golf. He's been there, done that, and I quite enjoy his commentary.

Now if you want to include Jim Nantz and WANKER in the same sentence then I'm right with ya

« **Reply #16 on:** June 19, 2006, 08:02:56 PM »

Scott:

I hope you heard the classic Miller statement yesterday -- Phil doesn't need to play like he's coming down the final hole on a white stallion. Just win baby -- no matter how bad it may look -- is something Al Davis believes.

I've paraphrased Miller but it's something you would never get from the corporate type that Jim Nance is.

Apologies for the thread - jack.

« **Reply #17 on:** June 19, 2006, 08:06:09 PM »

Matt, I absolutely did and thought it was classic stuff. Just like his commentary about Monty switching clubs at the last moment after he had been standing there with his 6 iron for 10 minutes waiting for Vijay to clean up.

« **Reply #18 on:** June 19, 2006, 08:10:10 PM »

Scott:

The item that makes Miller grand is that he isn't afraid to offend. And, as you correctly pointed out, he has won two majors and his win at Oakmont is still talked about to this day.

Miller wants to be part of a future Masters telecast -- but his contract at NBC will likely never permit that to happen.

The problem with too many of the TV people is that they simply want to be liked at all costs -- Miller doesn't see his role in that light solely.

His mentioning that Hogan was "turning in his grave" as Phil played #18 was priceless. Ditto his mentioning of Nicklaus watching the telecast from his Florida home and seeing the stupid decisions that so many players (Phil included) were making.

« **Reply #19 on:** June 19, 2006, 08:23:16 PM »

British Open - The courses and the history

The Masters - Exciting 4th rounds, and feel like I know the course better then the players. (Even though I've never been there)

US Open - Fun to see players struggle

PGA - Need more COOL venues such as Whistling Straits.

« **Reply #20 on:** June 19, 2006, 08:53:07 PM »

my major list would be

british open
us open
masters
us amateur - used to count when robert tyre jones won the grand slam plus they stillhold it at some great venues
pga -venues are improving over the last few

the following are not majors but enjoy watching nonetheless as match play rules imho

ryder cup - maybe one day they will hold it in a great european venue again - 1981 - Walton Heath was probably the last great venue to host it on the other side of the pond

walker cup - 2003 ganton / 2005 chicago / 2007 royal county down / 2009 merion -hard to best those 4 venues plus past venues such as NGLA / Pine Valley / Sunningdale / Old Course /Cypress Point /Brookline /Kittansett / Minikahda /Milwaukee /Five Farms East /Quaker Ridge /Winged Foot / Nairn / Hoylake / Portmarnock / Porthcawl / Muirfield / Garden City are hard to beat

« **Reply #21 on:** June 19, 2006, 09:19:27 PM »

My very personal rankings:

1. The Masters--As Matt W. points out, it IS the beginning of the season, and I live in GA. The beauty is awesome, and the limited commercial telecast from the cathedral is captivating. They also have the greatest theatre in championship golf on the back nine.

2. The British Open--I love the early morning telecast, the totally different look of the courses, the names I've never heard of, the wild swings in the conditions, and the quirk of the whole thing.

3. The U.S. Open--a close third, but getting more third. The USGA is good at many, many things, but I'm just not sure that they are very good at this particular tournament. They seem somehow to have tunnel vision about par, and every year it seems less likely that heroics will win. Sport is about heroics winning at least as much as it is about tragic collapses, but that is getting lost at our Open. Still, it is the U.S. Open...

4. The PGA--a few years ago seemed on the brink of extinction as a major championship, the PGA has revived. They seem to be taking a much more measured approach to course setup, and not feeling like every course should be set up the same, or that a low score is the end of the world. The PGA has had some very, very compelling finishes in recent years, and some of the shine is back on the event.

« **Reply #22 on:** June 19, 2006, 10:50:45 PM »

1. The British Open - my overwhelming favorite is links golf so this is naturally my favorite.

2. The Masters - a sporting event which is at the zenith in operation and production no matter what they do to the architecture of Augusta National. The most soothing broadcast reflecting the gentile nature of the southern US.

3. The US Open - trumps the above two if held at Pebble Beach or Shinnecock in all cases unless THE OPEN is held at St. Andrews.

4. PGA - screw Whistling Straits. Return to match play and keep the tournament at Kiawah for the rest of time.

« **Reply #23 on:** June 19, 2006, 11:10:13 PM »

On the basis of the one's that I enjoy watching the most:

- The British Open

- The Masters
- The US Open

- The US PGA

« **Reply #24 on:** June 19, 2006, 11:14:01 PM »

Open Championship
Masters
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US Open
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