Whenever there is a debate, at the 19th hole, about which are the world’s most important professional golf tournaments, there is always going to be a personal bias towards which competitions are enjoyed most, by each individual. Fortunately, when you take into account the opinions of the majority, the same 5 or 6 golf tournaments are listed as being the greatest. For golfers of all standards and opinions, these are the most talked about group golfing discussions.
All the world’s greatest golfers have featured as winners of one or more golf tournaments; Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Arnold Palmer, Tony Jacklin. Nick Faldo, Tiger Woods, Greg Norman and Seve Ballesteros. The list could go on forever!
The Masters Tournament
This invitational golf tournament (since 1934) is always played at the Augusta National Golf Club and invites go out to the best golfers in the world and the prize money reflects the importance of the April golf.
The US Open
This group golfing is played at a variety of great golf courses around the US and is open to the best golfers on the US circuit and past winners.
Played since 1895, the course selected is often one of the most difficult in the US.
The Open Championship (British Open)
Great Britain invented the game and progressed it to the first real set of rules that could be applied anywhere. The home of golf, the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews in Scotland, manages this prestigious golf tournament played on a links course in one of nine different locations throughout the UK.
Past winners and the best golfers from around the world qualify to play in this event. The first winner in 1860 saw a quite different set of clubs compared to modern times.
The PGA Championship
Played on the third weekend before Labor weekend since 1916, this is hosted by the Professional Golfer’s Association and plays at various locations around the US and features the world’s best golfers as well as the top performers from the PGA, mostly from the current highest placed money standings. The winner4 of the PGA can automatically play in the other top three men’s competitions for the next five years and qualifies for the PGA for life.
The US Women’s Open
Played since 1946, this golf tournament is becoming almost as popular to view live and on television as the men’s best competitions. High quality golfers from all around the world challenge in a list of great courses around the US.
The Ryder Cup
The battle between the US and the Europe (which used to be just the UK) is where a select few golfers qualify to play in doubles and singles for the bi-annually awarded trophy. This has become THE event that golf players compete to help their team win, as more than national pride is at stake. Although the Europeans have won the golf tournament more often than not in recent years, the fun and entertainment is top of most supporter’s viewing.
Whichever golf tournament is your own favorite, these are the few selected by the majority, as those they would never miss. For the individual handicapped player, a golf tournament, where you compete in your own golf grouping against friends or others of a similar handicap in the best Las Vegas golf club, can become your personal favorite, where you try to impress with the qualities and skills of those seen at the world’s top events.