Every golfer/golf fan has their favorite. What is yours?
Professional golf has a reputation for being a respectable, serious sport. We don’t often see golfers embroiled in scandals or controversies. While deep-rooted social issues influence how golf is viewed by the public, they rarely generate wider discussion.
However, the PGA Tour is currently dealing with a fairly serious issue. The Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series was launched in 2021, and its first event was held last week near London. Saudi Arabia’s extensive history of human rights violations should have been enough reason for golfers to refuse to join, but the high payouts have convinced some to participate.
The PGA Tour has responded by suspending the golfers who agreed to join LIV. This is the right decision both in terms of protecting the sport and in defending human rights. We will have to wait and see how the golfers who have already joined and who were considering joining LIV respond. But hopefully, losing their ability to compete in the world’s premier golf tour will be enough to make them reconsider their choice.
With all of that going on, it has distracted a bit from the upcoming PGA events. As we head into summer, the golf season heats up. Here are five examples.
Courtesy USGA
U.S. Open, June 16-19: The U.S. Open gets a lot of attention for good reasons. This year it will be held at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, and offers a $12.5m purse. Because the United States Golf Association oversees the U.S. Open, the PGA’s player suspension will not have any effect. Major events, such as the U.S, Open, also tend to draw in new sports bettors because it is a high-profile event with a lot of excitement. With more sportsbooks being granted licenses to operate in the United States, including most recently SI Sportsbook, it’s also easier than ever to place bets. Betting on sports doesn’t always pay out, but it is a fun way to feel even more engaged with the action, especially when you can’t attend in person.
John Deere Classic, June 27-July 3: Since 2000, the John Deere Classic has been held every year on the TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois. It is the only event held in Illinois and one of the few tournaments held in the Midwest. The main reason that golf fans get excited about the John Deere Classic is that it is the last chance for players to qualify for the Open Championship. Players who finish in the top five automatically qualify for the Open Championship, making it a high-profile event. These factors make it stand out from the more traditional East Coast and Southern events.
Genesis Scottish Open, July 7-10: This will be the first year the Scottish Open will be co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour and the European Tour, making it a much-anticipated event for golf fans. It is also part of the European Tour’s Rolex Series — making it one of the premier golf tournaments in Europe. Although it was previously held at a number of different clubs, it has been held at the Renaissance Club in North Berwick, Scotland for the last few years.
Courtesy Links Golf, St. Andrews
The Open Championship, July 14-17: The Masters was dominated by a discussion of Tiger Woods returning to the sport, and the U.S. Open is being overshadowed by the LIV controversy. So The Open might be the only Major being talked about for what is likely to happen on the course. And what a course it is! The Open will be held on the Old Course in St Andrews, the oldest golf course in the world. There is extra excitement surrounding this year’s tournament because it will be the 150th year it is being held. That’s an anniversary worth celebrating!
3M Open, July 21-24: The 3M Open rounds out our list of hotly anticipated upcoming PGA Tour events. A relatively new event, in 2019 it replaced the 3M Championship. Held in Blaine, Minnesota, at the TPC Twin Cities course, it has a purse of just over $6.5m. New events always attract a lot of attention, and the 3M Open is no different. It is being hailed as the Minnesota event of the summer, which says a lot about how popular it already is.
