Golf now features 6 major events

The PGA officially holds four major events each year — The Master’s, The U.S. Open, The (British) Open, and the PGA Championship. In that order.

But two tournaments feel like majors, include the top golfers on tour, and, let’s face it, grab our television attention. What better indicator of a major sporting event is there besides TV ratings? Nothing.

Do I have to tell you which two tournaments are the unrecognized majors? If so, you haven’t watched golf since Tiger Woods got injured. And even if you watched back when Eldrick could still play (he’s finished, right?) you weren’t really paying attention.

So pay attention.

The other two majors are The Players Championship and the recently contested Tour Championship, which dots the I and crosses the T in determining the winner of the FedEx Cup — which oddly features no Is or Ts whatsoever.

You know The Players. It’s the one held in Florida at the TPC Sawgrass. The golf course with the famous 17th hole, a nickel-sized green surrounded by water, the hole where you get to watch many a pro make the “kersplash” sound when their balls land in the H2O. Just like us.

And the Tour Championship, forgetaboutit. Whoever wins that wins the FedEx Cup, so the tension is palpable. Unless, of course, like Tiger and other FedEx leaders from the past they’re so far ahead that all they have to do is finish in the top ten or so. But this year it felt like a major, since the FedEx Cup winner, Rory McIlroy, came from behind and won the championship and the cup. I suppose on years when the Tour Championship winner is not the FedEx winner, it feels less like a major. I suppose.

So golf now features 5 1/2 majors. That’s what I said, right?

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