This has always confussed me, you got The Master's, The US Open and the PGA in America and only the British Open.

There are more than enough excellent course's in the UK for a second Major or even Europe.

Considering St Andrew's is the home of Golf there should be more over here,

This is not a rant, just my 2 cents

Anybody have any idea's?

i know what you mean. it's the same with the world golf championships-there's nothing "world" about them if they are always in america except for maybe one a year when the am-ex is in europe. it will be even more disappointing if some people get their way and the players is turned into a 5th major as that will be 4 to 1. oh well

The Open Championship and the US Open Championship both have long histories (back to 1860 and 1895 respectively) and are the national championships of two of the most influential nations in the game.

When the respective Amateur Championships ceased to be relevant, owing to the increased professional nature of the game at the highest level they were replaced as Majors by the USPGA and THe Masters.

The Masters is a unique tournament, and the venue and association with Bobby Jones have been pivotal in raising it's stature in the game. The USPGA is perhaps the weakest candidate for major status. Notwithstanding the size and influence of the parent organisation, and aside from the fact that statistically it fields the strongest field of the four majors in terms of rankings, it is generally classed as the 'fourth Major' quite apart from it's position in the autumn of each year.

I can't see any overwhelming case has ever been made to replace it with anything else though, so it remains as a Major Championship.

I agree things are a bit skewed geographically, but the US was the main player during the game's formative years in the early part of the 20th century and it's understandable that three of the four majors are held in the US as a result of the development and increased popularity of the professional game there. My biggest complaint has always been the somewhat insular nature of these tournaments with respect to worrldwide players. For decades, the opportunity for 'Rest Of World' players to compete in the US majors was severely restricted.

I don't personally see any need for a 'fifth major' but were there to be one, I'd certainly say it should be taken elsewhere than the US. The Australian Open would be my candidate, however I doubt Royal Melbourne has the financial clout of Sawgrass, sadly.

I totally agree with you about the Master's and can understand about the other's as well, personally i would like to have The Master's and the US Open in America, British Open and the USPGA in the UK, i would knock off the US bit and just have it "The PGA". i also would say no to a 5th major.

In fairness, the 'PGA Championship' exists (albeit with a corporate sponsor now) and has a 50 year history and a winners' list that's a who's who of golf. Sadly, albeit it's a premier tournament, it plays a very distant fiddle to it's transatlantic cousin which is both larger and older.

A 'Worldwide Open' or whatever you want to call it is a great idea - but that's essentially what the Open Championship has been for many years; albeit held in the UK every year.

The major championships of the world are

The British Open

The Masters

The U.S. Open

The Australian Open

the PGA is not a major...

if you look at the Australian Open past Champions, you see all the greats ....
believe me, it's the real 4th major, not the PGA Championship..

Tiger never goes down there, but all the other greats did...
Look at Norman winning 5
Nicklaus winning 6
Gary Player 7!

Now that's a MAJOR!

1996 Greg Norman - Australia
1995 Greg Norman - Australia
1994 Robert Allenby - Australia
1993 Brad Faxon - United States
1992 Steve Elkington - Australia
1991 Wayne Riley - Australia
1990 John Morse - United States
1989 Peter Senior - Australia
1988 Mark Calcavecchia - United States
1987 Greg Norman - Australia
1986 Rodger Davis - Australia
1985 Greg Norman - Australia
1984 Tom Watson - United States
1983 Peter Fowler - Australia
1982 Bob Shearer - Australia
1981 Bill Rogers - United States
1980 Greg Norman - Australia
1979 Jack Newton - Australia
1978 Jack Nicklaus - United States
1977 David Graham - Australia
1976 Jack Nicklaus - United States
1975 Jack Nicklaus - United States
1974 Gary Player - South Africa
1973 J. C. Snead - United States
1972 Peter Thomson - Australia
1971 Jack Nicklaus - United States
1970 Gary Player - South Africa
1969 Gary Player - South Africa
1968 Jack Nicklaus - United States
1967 Peter Thomson - Australia
1966 Arnold Palmer - United States
1965 Gary Player - South Africa
1964 Jack Nicklaus - United States
1963 Gary Player - South Africa
1962 Gary Player - South Africa
1961 Frank Phillips - Australia
1960 Bruce Devlin - Australia (amateur)
1959 Kel Nagle - Australia
1958 Gary Player - South Africa
1957 Frank Phillips - Australia
1956 Bruce Crampton - Australia
1955 Bobby Locke - South Africa

It makes perfect sense to me. US Open = it would be in the US hence the name, Masters = as far as I know August National is still in Georgia, PGA Championship = PGA of AMERICA = USA. The PGA Tour is the USA tour...the tournaments would then naturally be played in the USA. Why would you put the PGA Championship in the UK? It's a USA staged event that has to do with the PGA of AMERICA.

The complete list... back to 1904 yes TRADITION!

THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN IS A WORLD MAJOR!





2007 Craig Parry - Australia
2006 John Senden - Australia
2005 Robert Allenby - Australia
2004 Peter Lonard - Australia
2003 Peter Lonard - Australia
2002 Stephen Allan - Australia
2001 Stuart Appleby - Australia
2000 Aaron Baddeley - Australia (professional)
1999 Aaron Baddeley - Australia (amateur)
1998 Greg Chalmers - Australia
1997 Lee Westwood - England
1996 Greg Norman - Australia
1995 Greg Norman - Australia
1994 Robert Allenby - Australia
1993 Brad Faxon - United States
1992 Steve Elkington - Australia
1991 Wayne Riley - Australia
1990 John Morse - United States
1989 Peter Senior - Australia
1988 Mark Calcavecchia - United States
1987 Greg Norman - Australia
1986 Rodger Davis - Australia
1985 Greg Norman - Australia
1984 Tom Watson - United States
1983 Peter Fowler - Australia
1982 Bob Shearer - Australia
1981 Bill Rogers - United States
1980 Greg Norman - Australia
1979 Jack Newton - Australia
1978 Jack Nicklaus - United States
1977 David Graham - Australia
1976 Jack Nicklaus - United States
1975 Jack Nicklaus - United States
1974 Gary Player - South Africa
1973 J. C. Snead - United States
1972 Peter Thomson - Australia
1971 Jack Nicklaus - United States
1970 Gary Player - South Africa
1969 Gary Player - South Africa
1968 Jack Nicklaus - United States
1967 Peter Thomson - Australia
1966 Arnold Palmer - United States
1965 Gary Player - South Africa
1964 Jack Nicklaus - United States
1963 Gary Player - South Africa
1962 Gary Player - South Africa
1961 Frank Phillips - Australia
1960 Bruce Devlin - Australia (amateur)
1959 Kel Nagle - Australia
1958 Gary Player - South Africa
1957 Frank Phillips - Australia
1956 Bruce Crampton - Australia
1955 Bobby Locke - South Africa
1954 Ossie Pickworth - Australia
1953 Norman Von Nida - Australia
1952 Norman Von Nida - Australia
1951 Peter Thomson - Australia
1950 Norman Von Nida - Australia
1949 Eric Cremin - Australia
1948 Ossie Pickworth - Australia
1947 Ossie Pickworth - Australia
1946 Ossie Pickworth - Australia
1940-45 No tournament due to World War II
1939 Jim Ferrier - Australia (amateur)
1938 Jim Ferrier - Australia (amateur)
1937 George Naismith - Australia
1936 Gene Sarazen - United States
1935 Fergus McMahon - Australia
1934 Billy Bolger - Australia
1933 Lou Kelly - Australia
1932 Mick Ryan - Australia (amateur)
1931 Ivo Whitton - Australia (amateur)
1930 Frank Eyre - Australia
1929 Ivo Whitton - Australia (amateur)
1928 Fred Popplewell - Australia
1927 Rufus Stewart - Australia
1926 Ivo Whitton - Australia (amateur)
1925 Fred Popplewell - Australia
1924 A. Russell - Australia (amateur)
1923 Tom Howard - Australia
1922 Charlie Campbell - Australia
1921 Arthur Le Fevre - Australia
1920 Joe Kirkwood, Sr. - Australia
1914-19 No tournament due to World War I
1913 Ivo Whitton - Australia (amateur)
1912 Ivo Whitton - Australia (amateur)
1911 Carnegie Clark - Australia
1910 Carnegie Clark - Australia
1909 Claude Felstead - Australia (amateur)
1908 Clyde Pearce - Australia (amateur)
1907 Michael Scott - Australia (amateur)
1906 Carnegie Clark - Australia
1905 Dan Soutar - Australia
1904 Michael Scott - Australia (amateur)

"Money money money, always sunny, in a rich man's world................"

I'd prefer to see a return of the "impregnible quadrilateral" as the Grand Slam, but that isn't going to happen either.

Well, lagpressure, I'm Canadian, and, if you like, I can post a list of the Canadian Open winners that dates back to 1904 too (and it will include Walter Hagen, Byron Nelson, Sam Snead, names you may have heard). It has a very storied history. But I doubt you'll find many people who contend that it should be a major today. We can appreciate what the Canadian Open was and enjoy what it is, but a great history does not make an event important enough currently to call it a major.

I'm amazed that Scotland hasn't created a "Masters" type event for St. Andrews. It should be an annual event of significant importantce. Instead, the home of golf is relegated to being part of the rotation of the Open.

They (Scotland) have a Pebble Beach type pro-am with St. Andrews, Kingsbarn (sp?), and Carnoustie. It would be impossible to have a "Masters" type deal anywhere unless the course was created for just that purpose by a true legend - Jack and the Memorial are probably the closest thing we have to a Masters Lite.

To be a major, the most important factor is the field. Jack and Gary and the boys won plenty of historic tournaments that can't be considered majors just because they were old and won by titan's of the sport. I've never heard Monty have a press conference to cry about not getting into the Australian Open.

Now, if we are going to play the "I Wish" game, then yes. I wish the PGA was replaced by a major that focused on international courses I may not have seen before. I also wish that the PGA, if we are stuck with it, would go back to match play format. I think the WGC matchplay has proven that we could have a match play major without television problems.

While we are at it, bring back the stymy rule. And quit raking the traps. And don't allow a golf club that you can't fit in your mouth. And ask Tim Herron to quit wearing shirts that are much too tight.

Could Tim Herron even find shirts that aren't much too tight???

Hi all,

In my ideal golfing world there would a major in the USA, one in th UK/Europe, one in Asia, the other downunder (Aussie, SA and NZ). That way the majors are played in 4 different countries with different playing conditions etc.

It will never happen as the $$$ involved won't allow it.

Thanks, Wade

We won the war, we make the rules.



-mini

Billsboy,

Good point about the Canadian Open, I played the Canadian Tour myself for years and I loved golf in Canada. It's too bad that the Canadian Open became just another stop on the PGA Tour. The Canadian's lost control of the event years ago, and even Canadians had a hard time getting in... just a Monday 4 spot.. insane. I won on the Canadian Tour
I still didn't get an exemption.. The PGA and the PGA tour, just bureaucratic madness. No respect above the 49th parallel..

The tone of your email is wrong, you are stating things as facts that simply are incorrect. I understand that you are trying to make a point, but the fact is the PGA championship is a major, the Austrailian Open is not a major. The Aus Open has great history, and a lot of great past champions. But name more than 2 top ten players in the world who play.....Tiger and Phil never have played to my knowledge and they are ranked 1 and 2 in the world. Is it fair that 3 of the majors are in the US? Probably not, but making 3 incorrect statements show nothing but ignorance on your part. Let me help you out....it is probably the least significant of the majors, I am sure you would love to see a major in another part of the world, the Aus Open would be a logical choice, but it has no credibility unless all of the top players show up to play. I even read where Nicklaus said it was the 5th major back in the 70's, but that is sadly no longer remotely true. They do play on great courses, the weather is awesome, the people of Austrialia are wonderful people, but it is not a major. I promise you this, Tiger would not trade one of his PGA's for 5 Austrailian Opens.

Question? Does the Austrailian Open pay appearance fees? I am curious because I know Nicklaus used to take a winter vacation to Austrailia and play several tournaments, go fishing etc. Wonder if he got paid to show up to make the trip worth while. The money for winning back then could not have been that great.

There is a PGA Championship in Europe too, and PGA (organisation), so he is not suggesting relocating the PGA event from some hot sweaty southern US state to the UK. He is suggesting recognising the UK event.

Also, if you have not spotted it, the PGA event is not run by the PGA Tour, hence Finchem's drive to get The Players recognised. Which will fail.

I think the poster knows that August(a) is in the US, but his question is why is it a major. The answer, as has been discussed before, and will be discussed again, is because Arnold Palmer and Bob Drum, the journalist, settled on the 4 majors in a conversation in 1960. Palmer had won The Masters earlier that season, so the conversation was about what would constitute a Grand Slam for Arnie. If he had not been The Masters holder, maybe he may not have suggested it. There is an argument that The Masters has the weakest field and is somewhat of an anachronism.

Americans are so full of themselves...
The want the whole world to believe what they believe..

Let's see, 3 of the worlds four majors in the USA.

What does the US PGA have to do with world majors? NOTHING
It is not a major.

The Australian Open is the fourth Major, just like in Tennis.

Gary Player played all over the world, he knew that to be the best in the world you
have to play the world. The Americans just want to stay home on their cush tour
and claim theirs is the best.. just because they have the most money.

What a joke..

Go play the Asian Tour, ever putted on crab grass greens?
Now that is world golf..

Well let's see.....2 of the majors are automatically in the US since one is the US Open and the other is the Masters. This means that there really is only one other major in the US that is worth arguing about.....The fact of the matter is the best players in the world play more in the US than anywhere else in the world. That's a fact, and all the whining in the world in the world isn't going to change that. Is it because of $$$ ? Most likely so. These are independent contractors and they go where the money is. It really is as simple as that. The PGA is the 4th major (albeit the weakest one) because it always has been the 4th major and I dare say it always will be...Ask Wayne Grady if he'd trade his PGA win for an Austrailian Open...I suspect he wouldn't because one IS a major and one is NOT .The mere fact that the Austrailian Open is a Tennis major doesn't make the golf tourney a major no matter how much we wish it so. By that logic the Trophy Lancome would have to take the place of the Masters because its in France, and the French Open is a tennis major as well....Ita a specious argument at best but I admire your passion....

Going under the assumption that you aren't American from all of your posts, you think we want the world to believe what we believe, yet you keep whining about technology and continue to try to make people think like you do. A wonderful display of hypocrisy on your part.

Just because you declare something doesn't make it so.

Sure, Gary Player was international. He also accused the tour of having steroid users but was too much of a coward to name names.

The Americans stay on the US PGA Tour because of money. That's true. But Tiger routinely goes to the Deutschebank and Camilo has found fortune in Japan. Perhaps what's more important is why do the Europeans and Asians come here when they have their own tours? It's the same reason as your baseball analogy. This is the big dance. This is where you become famous.

I don't know why you are so bitter, but it is tiring. Listening to you whine about the good 'ole days is bad enough. But think twice before you start insulting someone else's country. Show some respect.

well responded stage.

I think lagpressure's posts are getting on a lot of people's nerves.

the Australian Open is no longer what it used to be. Sure, back in the 80s it may well have been regarded as a 'Fifth Major' but times have changed. Besides, its not like everyone hates the Australian Open and refuses to play in it, there just isn't enough interest from players, sponsors and the general public.

I wonder if lagpressure is Aussie, most Aussies aren't that bitter and more easy going :P

The falseness of American logic is that everything revolves around money.
Golf is about golf, not money. Who is the greatest golfer of all, the one who wins the most money? This is absurd logic. Bobby Jones knew this.

Is Kirk Triplett better than Ben Hogan? I think not... although he has won more money even taking into account inflation.

The great players play to win... and to prove their abilities anywhere.
Americans foolishly think the US Tour is the only place to play. If this were the case,
every foreign player who thought they might have a chance would attend PGA Tour school.
This is not the case...

Not everyone plays this game for the almighty US dollar, that by the way is sinking to the Euro as we speak.

The best players are the ones who play all over the world.

Try getting off a plane after an 18 hour flight, landing in a different hemisphere, where gravitational forces are different, water, food, everything is different, it's even a different season.

Now tee it up and go shoot 66 the next week on windy, bumpy greens.

I have seen Europeans do this, but not average American pros..

Traditionally, the middle of the road American pros don't do all that well overseas..
They stay in their soft little comfort bubble instead, and therefore, never have the chance to be great.

Golfers are golfers, and I don't take sides based upon country or continent.
But in my travels, I was much more impressed by the players that played the world
circuit than the players who just concentrated on the US Tour. The great European players might play just a handful of US events, knowing they will keep their PGA card playing in only a quarter of the events. Why? because they are better players..

How many Americans do you see that are keeping their European cards every year too?
Not many..

I am an American, and am most impressed by the world players, their love and passion for the game, their desire to prove their abilities on all the worlds stages... not just stateside.

I have seen a few Americans do it, but not many.

by the way,

who won The Masters this year?

point made..

There is so much wrong with your argument I honestly don't know where to begin....The great European players play just a handful of US events?...Are you kidding?...Americans can't keep their Euro tour card?..Are there any Americans exempt on the PGA tour that actually want one?..It seems to me that every great European champion spent just as much time here if not more than he did on the rest of the world stage.....Faldo, Ballesteros, Woosnam from the old guard and now Garcia, Rose, Stenson, Poulter, etc....It is a bit ironic that one of the greatest European golfers (Monty) has NEVER been able to win here...Why is that? Are our courses in too good a shape?...Keep diggin' the hole......Or better yet, just give me some of what you're smokin'....

You can't just "create" a major though like the earlier posts about making the Player's a major. They gain that status as their right. And in fairness Scotland has never made a claim to any major status, even though the Scottish Open has risen greatly in status since moving from Gleneagles to Loch Lomond, and the Scottish PGA has similarly risen from an almost non-event to one of the better European Tour events since (ironically) making Gleneagles its permanent home.

We have 5 of the Open venues on the Open roster, for a country of 5m we're doing pretty damned well even if we did invent the game

Lol, don't get me started!


So the French Open should be in there as well. Interesting.

In what context have they ever been called The World Majors? Did you have a problem when it was the U.S Open, U.S Amateur, British Open and British Amateur? Bloody Americans and Brits, they're so selfish.

I actually agree as many do that golf is such a global sport now, there should be another Major in a different continent but without trying to cause offence, they way you put your point across isn't very diplomatic.

Point made!?

10 of the last 13 Open Championship winners have been American (only 3 of them were wins for Tiger).

I'm not a moderator on this site but I'd like to offer some constructive criticism. Healthy debate is always welcomed here but there appears to be an element of arrogance in your posts that is rubbing some people up the wrong way. A bit of diplomacy goes a long way.

Being an Aussie who loves his golf and, the history of the game, I believe that the majors should be left alone. What I don't like is that the WGC tournaments are all played mostly in the states. This is the area that Mr. Fishmen sorry (Finchem) however it is spelt should be making an effort to see that playing at least 2 of those tournaments outside of the U.S.to make it a true WGC. Whether they are played in Asia, Australasia, South Africa or Europe doesn't worry me as much as the fact is it is a World Golf Championship and should be rotated as Greg Norman stated some years back...!!

Agree with that 100%

I would hate to see a change in which tournaments were viewed as a major, would that mean we revise history too? But the WGC should be just that, a world tour. One in Oz/NZ, one in Japan/Far East, one in Scotland/Europe, one in South Africa/Africa and one in USA would be about perfect.

I agree with this guy.. this is what the WGC should be about. The majors are what they are and I really don't think the players have a problem with them (see the paychecks), but the WGC events not being held in more countries is just stupid.

The trouble is again is to do with money, Take it Tiger might play in the Australian open but only if he get's payed $3 million, this is what get's me, I agree with the WGC event's that they should be placed all over the world to me that is the true test of golf.

4th major is the USPGA if it was that important why don't only Americans play it considering it's the "USpga", this is the ponit i'm trying to make because there are players from all over the world then surley so should that tornament Considering it's for the PROFESSIONAL GOLFER'S ASSOCIATION. ( Dont get it confussed with the other 3 major's)

The reason these tournaments are as big as they are is because of what the US has done for golf.. you can't take everything else with a big grin on your face and then say that there is something wrong with the majors at the same time.

I believe that international players have done a lot for the PGA tour, but at the same time I feel that the PGA tour has done more for the international players. Its like how people whine about Tiger getting all this coverage, but he is the reason that so many others are getting payed what they are.. you just can't have it both ways.

TRUE

They should rotate a "Souther Hemisphere" major between Australia, South Africa, maybe Argentina... Australia and South Africa are producing tons of great golfer's thanks to Gary Player and Greg Norman. (among others, just those are the major influences...)

Because the U.S. rocks.

Some good posts here and attitudes even in the face of one members insisting on standing on a soapbox for hours on end.

I like the debate about the WGC events and to that end I believe Finchem has already announced his commitment to get more WGC events played outside the U.S. But people do forget, it's not Finchem's call, it's the sponsors. The WGC sponsors are not all that keen to sponsor an event played in Thailand (for example) at some plush course with lots of off course entertainment in exchange for small attendance and lousy TV times. It's simple economics. We should be thankful that some traditions have evolved with the economics and remain intact.

The Australian Open is not a 5th major, never has been, never will be. End of story. Debate all you want about whether it should be, but using a tennis analogy makes no sense.

I am getting a little tired of hearing about how non-U.S. players are better because of the tough conditions they endure off the course then show up to shoot 66. So what. Yes, golf is golf, and you should show your abilities on a variety of tracks. But let's be honest here, the Euro Tour and the Asian Tours are not dominated by links style courses, or wind that cannot be found here in the U.S., or any other tough condition that proves something that cannot be proven here. Fact is, Americans have gone to other Countries and won, many times, so the argument is dead. Watch the Euro Tour, with the exception of a few pristine events (and they are easy to find, just look at the purse), many courses are not up to par so to speak with the course conditions here. Are we trying to test player skills in the face of adversity created by a lack of budget? That's not the goal. If it was, the Masters would be in August.

Last thing, and this is for you lagpressure, unless you have something new to add here that you have not posted before, you are done. The ugly american argument is not welcome here, just like any other member here would not be allowed to argue their points by resorting to name calling another nationality. Move on.

I think lag's posts are beating a futile drum. As much as I would like there to be another major, it is not going to be the Aussie Open anytime soon. But it is a fact that Arnie and Bob Drum drew up the list of 4 current majors, so a US bias was set from the start. If an international consensus had been sought with the R&A and a few others, the US PGA would probably not be in the list.

I also haven't heard anyone seriously advancing the argument that International player are better because of the tough conditions they endure, but I do think some of them are given too little respect by US fans, who seem to think that there is only one Tour. So Monty has never won anything in their minds.

Look also at the recent thread about the 10 best players ever. A huge number of posts listed 9 US players and Gary Player. Some of them had never even heard of Bobby Locke or Peter Thomson, both of whom were resented by the US players when they came over and started to win a bunch of events. Locke won 10 events in 2 and a half years before being kicked out of the Tour. If he had been there in 1945, Byron would not have 11 victories in a row. Thomson won 5 British Opens, and never played a US PGA.

I keep reading that the PGA is the weakest of the Four Majors. Statistically it is the strongest field of the four. I also can’t understand the push for the Australian Open to be the fourth or a fifth major. In this decade the fields have been very week in comparison to even a regular PGA Tour event. If a fifth major was to be added I would have to say the Players Championship would be it and again it is a US based event. The best players in the world play on the PGA Tour the result is 3 of the four majors are played on US soil.



The Australian Open winners since 1999.



2007 Craig Parry - Australia
2006 John Senden - Australia
2005 Robert Allenby - Australia
2004 Peter Lonard - Australia
2003 Peter Lonard - Australia
2002 Stephen Allan - Australia
2001 Stuart Appleby - Australia
2000 Aaron Baddeley - Australia (professional)
1999 Aaron Baddeley - Australia (amateur)



World Golf Rankings:

• Tiger Woods USA
• Phil Mickelson USA
• Ernie Els ZAF
• Steve Stricker USA
• Adam Scott AUS
• Geoff Olgilvy AUS
• K.J. Choi KOR
• Jim Furyk USA
• Vijay Singh Fji
• Justin Rose ENG
• Padraig Herrington IRL
• Rory Sabbatini ZAF
• Hennrik Stenson SWE
• Stewart Cink USA
• Trevor Immelman ZAF
• Aaron Baddely AUS

You have to go down to the number 16 player in the world today to find a past winner in this decade. I don’t feel this constitutes a consideration for a major.JMO

Americans have been ugly for golf..

Americans invented the motorized golf cart
therefore cart paths, that ruin a course... do you like it when your ball hits a path and goes OB?

Americans invented Metal Woods, and destroyed the tradition of this fine game, all the ridiculous gear, space age drivers,
long putters, perimeter weighted irons. All to the detriment of the game.

Only an American company would go so far as to sue the USGA in supreme court insisting they make their clubs legal so they
can profit from exploiting the game. PING

Callaway (USA) was one of the biggest NASDAQ winners of the 90's prostituting our precious game for the sake of their own profits, with huge marketing campaigns aimed at brainwashing the public into believing that the best way to improve your game was to buy their clubs, rather than working on their swing technique, or mental abilities. Callaway also threatened the USGA with legal action to allow their designs into the rules. The USGA forked over millions to PING in damages in the 80's and didn't want to do it again.

This in turn has left the governing body of the game toothless, and merely a pawn to the forces of big money capitalism of the USA.

Want to hear more? I doubt it....

Nurse, the screens please!

Lagpressure,

If you still want to play "purist" golf you can. Bring out your old persimmons, blades, and napa style putter and hit the links. You might have to move up a few tees to make it like "good ole times" but that might be too much for your ego...

Please i started this thread for grounds to have a healthy debate, Lagpressure i do not believe in your comments at all as i'm sure you have used the so called benefits of what the Americans have invented ! I also agree to that International players are not better i like to think of an even playing field no matter what the nationallity, granted we do suffer with bad conditions over here, but so do the states and one of my golfing ambition's is to play over there, so please stop name calling going on.

I have to say, as someone who has gone on record as saying that a degree of rollback may be desirable, I sincerely hope that no-one associates my viewpoint as being remotely similar to some of lagpressure's comments.

Lag, I admire your perseverance and dogged determination in stating your case; but you're so far off track with some of those comments that the search and rescue birds have got no chance of finding you...

Not that I'm a seasoned vet, by any means. But this guy joined 2 days ago, and every post heads down the same road. Troll perhaps?

Well said.....

I am with mat here. You only really know how effective anti-psychotic medication is when someone stops taking it.