The year 2022 is almost over, and we are just a few months from the next golf tournament.
Before the preparation for the restart of major golf tournaments, it’s an excellent time to review the main men’s golf tournaments worldwide: the Majors.
Currently, the four championships that make up the “Grand Slam” are the Augusta Masters, the US Open, the Open Championship, and the PGA Championship.
They are held in the same order throughout the year, the first being, as we have already mentioned, the Augusta Masters in April.
What do they have in common? All of them have an 18 – hole par 72 course.
As for the prize, the golfer who wins one of these Majors receives a juicy cash reward and 100 world golf ranking points, while golf odds bettors get excellent opportunities to stake on games.
Let’s see how they differ.
Augusta Masters
It’s normally held at the Augusta National Golf Club (Augusta, Georgia) the second week of April, between Thursday and Sunday.
It’s the youngest of the four tournaments, having been created in 1934 by Clifford Roberts and Bobby Jones.
The rest of the Majors are attended for sporting merit; however, in the Augusta Masters, only those golfers who achieve a series of objectives are invited.
And in addition to the cash prize, the winner receives the mythical green jacket.
US Open
The United States Golf Association organizes it, and each year it’s held on a different course in the United States.
In 2017, it did so for the first time at the Erin Hills Golf Course (Wisconsin).
The US Open was first held on October 4, 1895. It’s currently conducted in the third week of June, coinciding with the Sunday on which Father’s Day is celebrated in the United States.
It’s open to any professional or amateur golfer with an updated handicap of 1.4. There’s also no age limit.
Of the 156 places in the tournament draw, about 70 – almost half – are automatically awarded to players who have won other majors, former winners of the same, or members of the Top 30 in the previous season.
British Open
The British Open is the oldest of the four Majors, first held in 1860. It’s organized by the Royal Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, and each year it takes place on a British golf course within an exclusive rotation of around ten courses.
In addition to the cash prize, the Claret Jug, a solid silver jug, is awarded. Although previously, it was a red leather belt with a silver buckle.
PGA Championship
It’s the last of the Majors to be held in the PGA Championship, which takes place four weeks after the British Open in August.
Each year it’s played on a different golf course in the US, and in 2022, it was held at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
It’s organized by the Professional Golfers’ Association of America (PGA), an association that integrates professional golfers in the United States. Its first edition was in 1916 under the Match Play modality; Today, it’s done in stroke play format like the rest of the majors.
The PGA winner is invited to play all other majors and The Players tournament for the next five years and becomes a PGA Tour member.
Conclusion
There are other golf tournaments around the globe, but these challenges are the major 4, as explained previously. These golf challenges are filled with surprises as pro golfers compete for the title.
Which of the four majors are you looking forward to next year?
Thanks for reading!