Major Golf Tournaments

Introduction

If you occasionally watch sport on television, you've probably seen major golf tournaments broadcast live, where the world's best players compete for millions of dollars and champions fight back tears as they slip on a Green Jacket. For someone new to the game, the different tours, championships and governing bodies can seem confusing. Let's simplify it. Here's a straightforward guide to the most important golf tournaments in the world, their history and what makes them so special.

The Majors

Tennis has four Grand Slam tournaments. Golf has its own equivalent: the Majors. These four championships sit at the very top of the sport. Winning just one of them is enough to secure a player's place in golfing history forever. Each Major has its own unique traditions, stories and challenges.

The Masters - Played in April

The Masters is the most prestigious tournament in golf. It was founded in 1934 by amateur golf legend Bobby Jones and remains unique among the four Majors because it is played on the same course every year: the legendary Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia, USA.

Fun fact: the winner receives much more than a trophy and a large cheque. One of golf's most famous traditions is the presentation of the Green Jacket, awarded by the previous year's champion. Membership at Augusta National is so exclusive that winners are not allowed to remove the jacket from club grounds, except during the first year following their victory.

PGA Championship - Played in May

Founded in 1916, the PGA Championship is organised by the PGA of America, the association representing golf professionals and coaches in the United States. It is widely regarded as one of the toughest tests in golf, regularly held on demanding championship courses. Winning the PGA Championship is proof that a player can handle pressure at the very highest level of the sport.

U.S. Open - Played in June

The official Open Championship of the United States was first played in 1895 in Newport, Rhode Island, and is organised by the United States Golf Association (USGA). The U.S. Open is famous for its brutal course setup. The rough is often so thick that even the world's best players struggle to advance the ball more than a few metres, while the greens can be as fast and unforgiving as ice. It is a championship that exposes every technical weakness and punishes even the smallest mistake.

The Open - Played in July

The oldest and most historic golf tournament in the world. The Open was first played in 1860 at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland, where William Park Sr. became the inaugural champion. The tournament is always contested on traditional seaside links courses across the United Kingdom. Players battle not only each other but also fierce coastal winds, rain and some of the deepest bunkers in golf. The winner receives the famous Claret Jug and earns the prestigious title of Champion Golfer of the Year.

Ryder Cup: Golf's Ultimate Rivalry

Every two years, something extraordinary happens in the world of golf. The best players from the United States and Europe set aside their individual careers, forget about prize money and join forces with teammates to compete for pride, prestige and the trophy donated by Samuel Ryder in 1927. Originally contested between the United States and Great Britain, the event was transformed in 1979 when Team Europe was created to make the competition more balanced.

What makes the Ryder Cup so special? There is no prize money. Players who earn millions on the professional tours compete purely for their team, their continent and sporting pride. The atmosphere is unlike anything else in golf. Fans sing, cheer and create the kind of energy more commonly associated with football stadiums than golf courses. For many players and spectators, the Ryder Cup is the most emotional event in the sport. It is played every two years in even-numbered years.

Where Do the Professionals Play?

To qualify for the Majors and events such as the Ryder Cup, professional golfers earn ranking points throughout the season in official tournament circuits known as tours. The most important of these are:

Golf Tournaments – Q & A

Your Journey Starts Here

Watching the world's best golfers on television is inspiring, but nothing compares to the feeling of striking the ball perfectly and watching it fly more than 150 metres down the fairway. Remember: every player who has ever competed in the Majors, including Tiger Woods, started exactly the same way – with their very first swing on a driving range.

You don't need to dream about winning a Green Jacket at Augusta just yet. Start with a 📗 Green Card course and take your first steps into the game. On Golf Wroclaw you will find the most important information for beginners, including golf trainings, and Green Card courses.