The Top 5 Golf Tournaments Every Fan Should Know
The Top 5 Golf Tournaments Every Fan Should Know
For many golf lovers, every year starts in March. So many legends were made and history written during these months, that every professional golf player must prepare themselves for the most prestigious events and the ultimate test to their skills.
Of all the events featured by the professional golf circuit, 5 tournaments stand above the rest, 4 of which are commonly referred to as majors while the 5th is often dubbed as the fifth major.
The Masters Tournament
Sometimes simply referred to as The Masters, The Masters Tournament is arguably the most iconic tournament in golf. Held every April at Augusta National Gold Club in Georgia, its traditions precedes even the tournament itself. The green jacket awarded to the winner has become one of the most coveted prizes in all of sports.
Unlike other major championships that rotate venues, The Masters returns to Augusta every year, giving every player and fan a chance to familiarize themselves with every undulation of Amen Corner and every treacherous pin position on the 12th hole. The Masters’ exclusivity and its role in opening the major championship season create an atmosphere of anticipation that’s unmatched in golf.
The PGA Championship
Starting in 2019, the PGA Championship has been played in May on the weekend before the Memorial Day, becoming the second major of the season. With a history of over 100 years, the Wanamaker Trophy has become an imposing symbol of this championship’s prestige. Every year, the winner of The PGA Championship gets to keep the replica of this three-feet-high trophy for one year and a smaller-sized replica for keepsake.
What distinguishes the PGA championship is its strength of competition. Recent years have seen the tournament produce thrilling playoffs, dramatic finishes, and breakthrough victories from players claiming their first major title.
The United States Open Championship
Commonly known as the U.S. Open, the United States Open Championship is the third of the four majors. For over 120 years, thousands of players have competed in this 72 holes of stroke play in mid-June. The U.S. Open also boasts the largest prize purse of all major championships, giving out a total of $21.5 million to players in 2025.
Rotating among America’s finest courses, the U.S. Open deliberately sets up courses to be brutally difficult, with narrow fairways, thick rough, and lightning-fast greens that make even the winners sweat. Surviving four rounds of this championship requires patience, precision, and an unshakable mental game.
The Open Championship
Often called the British Open in the United States and held in mid-July, the Open Championship is the oldest golf tournament in the world and the final major tournament of the year. First played in 1860, the Open Championship contests on historic links courses throughout Scotland and England and brings players to a test that is quite distinct from its American counterparts.
The unpredictable weather, firm seaside turf, and deep pot bunkers require a completely different style of play. Players must adapt to bouncing balls on rock-hard fairways, and navigate fierce winds that can change direction willy-nilly. Winning the Open and hoisting the Claret Jug mean mastering the ancient game of golf in its purest form.
The Players Championship
While not officially a major, The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass deserves its place in any discussion of golf’s premier events. Once offering the highest purse, the strength of field at the Players Championship rivals any major championship.
Every March, virtually every top player in the world will gather in the Ponte Vedra Beach in Florida to compete in the ‘fifth major’. Navigating its island green and winning the tournament will cement any player’s status among the game’s best.
The Grand Slam Dream
Only 6 players in history have completed the career Grand Slam by winning all four major championships: Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, and Rory McIlroy. While the Grand Slam itself is not an official term, this achievement represents the ultimate accomplishment in golf, mastering this sport across different course types, conditions, and mental pressure levels.
Tiger Cliff Golf is publishing a series of blogs on Golf Culture. Together with our tour-level products at everyday prices, we wanna you to enjoy golf to the fullest. Whether you’re a casual viewer or a devoted fan, these five tournaments offer the best the professional golf has to offer. Each championship has its own character, history, and challenges that make even golf’s greatest players yearn to prove themselves.
