Most Exciting Golf Events That Aren’t Majors
Most casual golf fans only tune in for one of the four major championships in the year. It’s hard for some to care about weekly tournaments if they don’t see any meaning in them. But there are exciting golf events that aren’t majors that deserve your attention.
Players Championship
The U.S. Open is a Father’s Day tradition that many dads across the country enjoy. However, the U.S. Open is the third major on the circuit, disqualifying it from these rankings. On the other hand, Mother’s Day also has a traditional PGA event that feels like golf’s fifth major.
The Players’ Championship is a yearly tournament held at the majestic TPC Sawgrass. The course’s design is ideal for spectators on any hole, but most people head to the famous par-three 17th to see what players keep the ball dry on the island green.
Waste Management Phoenix Open
If you want to watch a golf tournament reminiscent of what you see in Happy Gilmore, the Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale is the event for you. With the tournament starting in January or early February, this is one of the year’s first events to draw attention.
Like 17 at Sawgrass, this course has another riveting par-three. The 16th hole on this course is where golf’s calm, professional etiquette goes by the wayside. It’s as much a party atmosphere as any hole in the world, with the fans tossing their beverages onto the green if anyone is fortunate enough to get a hole-in-one.
WGC Accenture Matchup
To prepare sports fans for the madness of March’s NCAA tournament, golf puts out a bracket of its own, with its 64 best players competing at the Accenture Championship. This event has pros and cons, but the good outweighs the bad.
The good thing about Accenture is that it has the top players, and match play is usually captivating since it’s mano a mano until there is only one standing. The drawbacks are that the distance between the 64th best golfer and the 1st is quite different from that in college basketball, leaving you with few lesser-known players fighting for the title.
Tour Championship
Although everything about this event screams major, it’s technically not one, making it the most intriguing non-major PGA Tour stop of the year. The East Lake course in Atlanta concludes the official season with the top 30 golfers in the Fed Ex standing, duking it out for $11 million.
The better players fare in the points standings, the better their chance of winning the title, given that they start under-par. Assuming it’s a nail-biter to the end, watching how players fare during the grand finale is mesmerizing.
Ryder Cup
The Ryder Cup may not be a yearly PGA Tour event; however, it is golf’s most enthralling experience. The United States vs. Europe is battling strictly for bragging rights because there is no purse for the winners.
There are two teams of twelve competitors on each side selected by the designated team captain as they compete in 28 matches. Teams must earn 14 ½ points in these contests to bring the trophy home.
Now that you know the most exciting golf events that aren’t majors, you can pencil them into your calendar as must-see TV—presuming that every player doesn’t join the LIV Tour.