A new MAJOR?

With all the dicussions on golf equipment, how about this for an idea.

A 5th major is introduced where all players have to play with the same clubs and balls.

This will then truly determine who is the best player.

Which equipment brand?

It would actually be neat for one of the big sponsors (like Taylormade or Nike) to have a "single equipment" tournament of only their players ... maybe have them all using the next year's versions ... like a showing off the latest stuff.

hi
what would be better would be for the many paid sponsored played of the big makers playing with the club that the handicap player buys and not the special clubs that are made and tweaked and are miles diffrent from the ones you and i buy can buy.
like tiger using prototype clubs and balls that no other player can buy and he is not the only one that has clubs made just for him and no one else can buy them at any price.
cheers
bill

I disagree that it will determine the best player. KJ Choi and Ernie Els are supposed to use the same length clubs? It'll never fly - it's a silly season event at best, never a major. What we'd be determining is who adapts to the specs put forth best - and those at the ends of the spectrum will be at a disadvantage.

Don't get me wrong - I like the idea. The same heads, same shafts; custom fit to the particular pro's lengths and lies, and they can all play with balata balls.

hi
what i would like to see if a one club challenge like the one from the late 70s trevino V seve at St Andrew's Lee shot a 70 with a 5 iron that he de-lofted a bit and seve use a 5 iron also and shot 69, they had to putt the with 5 iron too.
watching these to wonderful shotmaker turning there 5 iron into 1 ions by shutting the face to drive and then opening the face to make them into 7 irons and opening the face of the 5 iron to get out the deep bunkers at St Andrews was something to see.
it showed just what both these wonderful men could do with a golf club and i don't think there has been two better guys at making a club work for them and showed just how much talent both of then had at there fingertips.
it would be great to see some of the modern played trying that at the end of the golf year and see how good some of then really are.
cheers
bill

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ping ist 47% wedge
ping zing2 52% s/wedge
ping mb 56% wedge
ping c10 G2I broom handled putter
top flight "T" golf balls

With all respect I think its a daft idea but I would like to see the whole "major thing" re-examined to reflect the world game with 3 New Open Championships to reflect the various tours plus what mught be viewed as a World Play Off.

So, for example, we could have a NEW European Open - replacing "The Open" and the current European (sorry R&A), an Asian / Australasia Open and a US Open (replacing all 3 of the current US Majors) - obviously the qualification criteria for these is open to debate. The top whatever of each of those would qualify for a World Championship - location tb rotated around the tours.

I can hear the squeals of outrage, especially from the States, already but the current set up is pretty much based on the whim of Jack Nicklaus and is unjustified particularly in the case of the Masters due to the nature of the Augusta club.

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Good suggestion Bill. I like the idea - i'm sure I remember seeing this on the TV when I was younger.

It would put people like Lefty to shame - he was at one point carrying 2 drivers in his bag las season. Didn't he have the ability to work the ball both ways with 1 driver?

hi
i don't think using two drivers are a bad idea if you have some doglegs right and some left, even the best players have a favored shot be it a draw or a fade, and he could of had a club set for a high fade and the other a low draw and if it had worked like he thought then we might of seem more using it but really it did not made any difference as he missed fairways with both drivers.
cheers
bill

Love the idea. Who do i need to write to to get the suggestion moving forward.

Why does America have 3 of the 4 majors?

hi
the open is a very special and old competition and is played only on links courses and is open to anyone even you. name another major that any golfer can enter for. you play in play off till you get to the final numbers for the open itself.
i know of three friend that have tried to qualify but all have failed to make the open. none of the three would be ably to enter any of the other majors and i think that the fact that "THE OPEN" is open it should remain as always one of the top prises in golf.
cheers
bill

__________________
ping zing2 metal driver
ping zing2 metal 3 wood
ping eye2 1 iron
ping zing2 3/9 irons
ping ist 47% wedge
ping zing2 52% s/wedge
ping mb 56% wedge
ping c10 G2I broom handled putter
top flight "T" golf balls

Anyone can enter the US Open as well, IIRC. You have to play through qualifiers to make the field at the actual US Open - but anyone can try.

Why does America have 3 of the 4 majors? Because they televised them first.

I agree that the more global golf gets, the more the PGA Tour either needs to rename itself the USPGA Tour, or start including many more worldwide events. Part of the issue with Ernie Els is that he's a worldwide player, and the PGA mandates that you must play so many PGA events. If they played other locations outside the US, I think this wouldn't be a problem for other players. I think it'd be great to get to see some South African and Australian courses (I can watch EPGA coverage for the Euro courses - I'm not being discriminatory!)

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hi lowpost
i did not think the us open was fully open but i stand corrected. thanks for putting me right on that.

cheers
bill

Actually, after making my outrageous claim - it turns out I'm wrong. It's open to those carrying a handicap better than 1.5 >

There go my dreams...

hi lowpost
was just reading the rules for our open and its any male pro golfer and and male handicap golfer playing of scratch or better and the bit that suprised me. any women that finished in the top of 5 of the womens us open, British women open and also the McDonald's LPGA and the Kraft Nabisco.
do you know if the us open is open to women too????
cheers
bill

i say they play with clubs from when hogan was running the game and use rock hard balls and see if they still shoot the numbers theyre shooting now.

Dont make it a major though just a tourny, gotta get the big names to show up though pointless if tiger doesnt play.