Golf on the brain! The upcoming major explained.
Thursday is the first round of the PGA Championship. Why's this a big deal? It's the final of the 4 majors played each year. The other majors are the Masters, the US Open, and the Open Championship (aka the British Open). But why is this REALLY a big deal? There's actually some pretty big perks on the line.
- The winner gets entry for life into the PGA Championship.
- The winner gets entry into the other 3 majors + the Player's Championship for the next 5 years.
- The winner gets PGA membership for the next 5 years, 7 years for the European tour. This provides serious job security.
How does it work?
The golfers competing (aka the Field) play two rounds (Thursday & Friday) to determine who makes the cut. The cut line is potentially different every tournament because it totally depends on how the Field is performing overall.
Explaining the cut rule:
The PGA Championship starts with 156 players. At the end of 36 holes (the two rounds on Thursday and Friday), the field is cut approximately in half. Approximately, because again, totally depends on where the cut line is and how many players land clearly on either side of it.
The golfers with the lowest 70 scores (including ties) make the cut. That means that you could technically end up with more than 70 players over the weekend. Those that make the cut play the final two rounds on Saturday and Sunday.
How do those 156 players get decided? That is actually kinda complicated. Bear with me and try not to let your eyes glaze over too much....
- First things first... Any past winner of the PGA Championship. Remember that anyone who wins this gets automatic entry into any future PGA Championship Tournament.
- Next up are any winners of the past 5 Masters, US Open, and British Open events
- Winners of the last 3 Players Championships
- Current Senior PGA Champion
- Low 15 scorers in the previous years PGA Championship
- Low 15 scorers in the last PGA Professional National Championship
- A few other kind of obscure things that honestly... if you memorized them people might be scared of you.
Told ya it was complicated.
So who's playing that I should pay attention to?
Tiger Woods. Yes, that same Tiger. You may have thought that his career went out the window the same time his marriage did, but that's not exactly true. Tiger has had some seriously rough years. Personal issues, health issues. A slew of women, coaching, and multiple back surgeries later and Tiger is actually back. If I'm being honest with you, which of course, you know I always will be, I've never been a big Tiger fan. I LOVE what he did for the sport of Golf - he made it exciting, he made it more athletic, he made people care, and tournaments are just generally higher quality entertainment when he's in it at the end. He just was never my cup of tea. I have to say though, I have very much found myself cheering for him as of late. So if you're looking for a great comeback story to follow... he's your guy.
Dustin Johnson. You're current Number 1 world ranking. He spent most of 2017 as number 1, lost it briefly earlier this summer, reclaimed and is still holding on strong. Shockingly he's still only won the 1 major (US Open 2016). DJ is known for his killer drive, relationship with daughter of the great Wayne Gretsky (Paulina), and his partying.
Rickie Fowler. An easy one to root for and love. He's never won a major despite being close many times. He's known for wearing bold colors - specifically orange. He also used to have some crazy long hair which some people actually miss.
Rory Mcilroy. Rory has won several majors, but despite that, people tend to think of him as the guy who finds a way to blow it. I'll say this, the guy is buff. He looks small on TV, but in person - super athletic. He's also Irish, so if you're into accents... could be a match. He was once tied to tennis play Caroline Wozniacki - interestingly enough. both of their careers really suffered during their time together.
Jordan Spieth. Still so young! At 25, this is the only major he hasn't yet won. I'm a total Spieth fan. He shows his emotion on the course and is known for his amusing dialog with his caddy.
Patrick Reed. The 2018 Masters champion. No one since Jack Nicklaus in 1975 has won bot the Masters and the PGA in the same year.
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