SWC75
Bored Historian
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Watching the Tournament Player's Championship, I've listened to several commentators argue that this tournament should be considered a major, the primary reason being that its field is as strong as any major.
I read this article on Wikipedia about major tournaments:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_Golf_Tournaments
I knew the US and British Amateurs were once considered majors, (they were part of Bobby Jones' Grand Slam and his then record total of 13 major wins, which Nicklaus broke). I'd really like to know when they stopped being majors since Jack won the US Amateur twice, (1959 and 1961) and Tiger won it three times, (1994-96). Should those count?
I knew the PGA was not initially a major because professionals were looked down on but later became one when that prejudice evaporated. I also knew the Masters became a major basically from it's founding by Jones and Clifford Roberts in 1934 because of Jones' prominence.
I did not know that the Western Open was once considered a major as was the British PGA or that there was a time when the British Open's status as a major was at least shaky because the top Americans didn't go there.
I didn't know that the modern concept of a "Grand Slam" really dates from as recently as 1960, when Arnold Palmer suggested he might be able to win the Masters, the US Open, the British Open and the PGA all in one year. I didn't know that Arnold's decision to play in the British Open and his victories there in 1961 and 1962 brought it back into prominence, maybe his most important contribution to the sport.
Basically a major is a tournament the top players don't want to miss because they know their reputation will ultimately be based on how they did in such tournaments. A tournament could become a major if it is A) the championship, open, professional or amateur, (in the past, anyway), of a major golfing nation or B) has a select field: you have to win other tournaments to get into it and C) is played on top courses, prepared to make it most likely that the tournament will be won by one of the top golfers.
I've believed for years that, with the sport having become truly international, that it was outdated to have 3 of the 4 major in the United States. I also think Golf would benefit from having more majors: maybe one a month for 6-8 months, have it become a "major tour" with point standings and an overall champion. Once upon a time the money listings on the PGA tour served that purpose and established a champion golfer for the year. But the emphasis on the four majors and the outside income has caused the top players to just focus on the majors. A "major tour" would give golf meaningful point standings again and a NASCAR-like yearly champion. I think maybe continental championships could be introduced to give us more majors outside the US: a European Open, and Asian Open, maybe an African open, (including the Middle East with Dubai) or a South American Open. Having a major once a month would keep golf on the front page. We'd lose the concept of a "Grand Slam" but it would be replaced by a record for the most majors won in a season.
The problem is that the concept of a major and a "Grand Slam" has been historically amorphous. Neither concept has ever been "official". There should be a committee of prominent golfing historians and players to determine what tournaments have been majors and when and what tournaments should be majors now. It would be interesting to see what the "majors standings" would like when they finished their work.
I read this article on Wikipedia about major tournaments:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_Golf_Tournaments
I knew the US and British Amateurs were once considered majors, (they were part of Bobby Jones' Grand Slam and his then record total of 13 major wins, which Nicklaus broke). I'd really like to know when they stopped being majors since Jack won the US Amateur twice, (1959 and 1961) and Tiger won it three times, (1994-96). Should those count?
I knew the PGA was not initially a major because professionals were looked down on but later became one when that prejudice evaporated. I also knew the Masters became a major basically from it's founding by Jones and Clifford Roberts in 1934 because of Jones' prominence.
I did not know that the Western Open was once considered a major as was the British PGA or that there was a time when the British Open's status as a major was at least shaky because the top Americans didn't go there.
I didn't know that the modern concept of a "Grand Slam" really dates from as recently as 1960, when Arnold Palmer suggested he might be able to win the Masters, the US Open, the British Open and the PGA all in one year. I didn't know that Arnold's decision to play in the British Open and his victories there in 1961 and 1962 brought it back into prominence, maybe his most important contribution to the sport.
Basically a major is a tournament the top players don't want to miss because they know their reputation will ultimately be based on how they did in such tournaments. A tournament could become a major if it is A) the championship, open, professional or amateur, (in the past, anyway), of a major golfing nation or B) has a select field: you have to win other tournaments to get into it and C) is played on top courses, prepared to make it most likely that the tournament will be won by one of the top golfers.
I've believed for years that, with the sport having become truly international, that it was outdated to have 3 of the 4 major in the United States. I also think Golf would benefit from having more majors: maybe one a month for 6-8 months, have it become a "major tour" with point standings and an overall champion. Once upon a time the money listings on the PGA tour served that purpose and established a champion golfer for the year. But the emphasis on the four majors and the outside income has caused the top players to just focus on the majors. A "major tour" would give golf meaningful point standings again and a NASCAR-like yearly champion. I think maybe continental championships could be introduced to give us more majors outside the US: a European Open, and Asian Open, maybe an African open, (including the Middle East with Dubai) or a South American Open. Having a major once a month would keep golf on the front page. We'd lose the concept of a "Grand Slam" but it would be replaced by a record for the most majors won in a season.
The problem is that the concept of a major and a "Grand Slam" has been historically amorphous. Neither concept has ever been "official". There should be a committee of prominent golfing historians and players to determine what tournaments have been majors and when and what tournaments should be majors now. It would be interesting to see what the "majors standings" would like when they finished their work.