Whenever we talk about golf, the first name that comes into our mind is Tiger Woods. The American has been a great ambassador of the game for years with 15 major wins but is behind his countrymen Jack Nicklaus who has 18 major victories to his name. Golf is deemed as a leisure sport by the Indian audience but the global sport has seen a rise in popularity. Despite the growing fandom, it is still restricted to a certain section of people. But recently the sport has garnered a lot of curiosity, thanks to Aditi Ashok's heroics in the Tokyo Olympics. Aditi narrowly missed out in the 2020 Olympics, finishing fourth with a score of 269 and 15-under par, two shots behind gold medal winner Nelly Korda. The mega event saw the rise of Indian golfer and showed promising signs for the 24-year-old.
With the sport gaining popularity in India, let us look at the top 10 tournaments every golf fan should know about:
1. The Master's Tournament
The tournament is one of the 4 grand slams in professional golf. It is organized in the first full week of April and is the first major tournament of the year. It is organized inside Augusta National Golf Club, a private course in the city of Augusta, Georgia. The current champion is Scottie Scheffler who won the tournament in 2022.
2. U.S. Open Championship
The US Open is the third of the 4 major tournaments held in golf. The tournament has followed the same pattern since its inception in 1898. It is staged in Mid June to organize the final on the third Sunday. The tournament is held at different venues and offers $12.5 million, the highest prize money out of the 4 grand slams. The current champion is Jon Rahm, having won in 2021.
3. The Open Championship
Commonly known as the British Open, the open championship is the oldest golf tournament. It was initially held in Scotland but then later the venue was rotated between coastal links golf courses in the UK. It is one of the four grand slams in golf and the most successful player in the history of the tournament is Harry Vardon, having won the tournament a record 6 times. The current champion is Collin Morikawa who won the tournament in 2022.
4. U.S. PGA Championship
The last of the 4 grand slams in golf, the PGA Championship is played on the weekend before Memorial Day in May, the schedule was changed in 2019. PGA winners automatically qualify for the other 3 grand slams and The Players Championship for 5 years making it a favorite amongst players. The tournament isn't limited to a single place but instead spans different venues.
5. Ryder Cup
The Ryder Cup is a competition organized between 2 continents, Europe and America. The teams from Europe and USA compete for the ultimate glory. The tournament is organized every 2 years with the venue varying from Europe to the USA. America has won the tournament a record 27 times, having last won it in 2021.
6. The Arnold Palmer invitational
It is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, held in Bay Hill, Orlando, Florida. The event was founded in 1979 in memory of Arnold Palmer. The winner receives a red cardigan sweater which has continued as a tradition since 2017, after the death of Arnold Palmer in 2016. The current champion is Scottie Scheffler.
7. AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am
The tournament is held annually at Pebble Beach, California, near Carmel. It's organized into 3 different courses usually in February. It is organized by the Monterey Peninsula Foundation. The current champion is Tom Hoge.
8. US Women's Open
US women's Open is one of the 9 golf competitions organized by the US. It is one of the most popular tournaments contested especially for women. It is also the oldest of the LPGA Tour's five major championships. The current champion is Yuka Saso.
9. Players Championship
Originally known as the Tournament Players Championship, the tournament was founded in 1974. The tournament offers the highest prize fund of any golf tournament ($20 million), even more than the Grand Slams. The U.S. Open, which offers a $12.5 million purse comes second on the list. The current champion is Cameron Smith.
10. The memorial tournament
Founded in 1976, the tournament is played on a Nicklaus-designed course at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio. The tournament was founded by Jack Nicklaus and was organized in greater Columbus, a place where he spent most of his early life. The current champion is Patrick Cantlay.
