Give the PGA Championship Some Respect!

If you asked Rodney Dangerfield what his favorite major championship was, he’d definitely pick the PGA Championship.

After all, it gets no respect.

It’s not the oldest, or the toughest, or the one with the prettiest flowers.

However, the PGA does have one very important distinguishing feature: it’s the most fun.

The PGA has gotten a very bad rap over the years, and rightfully so. From its inception  back in the early 1920's all the way until the Tiger boom in the mid 90's, the PGA was a crappy tournament. 

It was played at courses that resemble your local muni, it produced weak leaderboards full of no-name players, and it suffered from an extreme lack of personality.

In fact, there wasn’t much to distinguish the PGA Championship from the Greater Greensboro Open, let alone a prestigious major championship.

But, in recent years, the PGA has gotten its act together.

Instead of visiting lackluster tracks like Kemper Lakes and Crooked Stick, the PGA now travels both to classic courses such as Oakland Hills, and new gems like Whistling Straits.

Over the past four years, the PGA has produced stronger champions than any of the other three majors: Vijay, Phil, Tiger, Tiger.

And, best of all, the PGA understands how to run a championship golf tournament.

The British Open (it’s not the Open Championship) relies on history for its prestige—but sometimes history isn’t all that entertaining. The British is plagued by boring courses and often unfair playing conditions.

The U.S. Open tricks up their courses beyond repair, leaving a huge element of luck in the tournament (although this has gotten better in recent years).

The USGA doesn’t understand that golf fans want to see top golfers make amazing shots—not top golfers shanking the ball around like your drunken buddy Louie during twilight hours at Bushwood.

The Masters used to hold top status as the indisputable No. 1 major. However, the Lords of Augusta are beginning to slowly ruin the tournament by contracting USGA-syndrome.

Now, instead of watching Greg Norman, Tom Kite and Jack Nicklaus trade birdies on the back nine—we’re more likely to see Tiger Woods and Woody Austin hoping to hack it out of the rough and avoid Rae’s Creek for safe pars.

Rather than fall into any of these traps, the PGA ignores the battle with its colleagues and throws away the history books.

The PGA pays attention to the most important part of a golf tournament—fan enjoyment.

The result: a top-notch major championship.

The PGA realizes that it’s OK for professional world-class golfers to make birdies. Their courses reward great shots and punish mis-hits.

Golfers can be sure that if they hit the green, the ball will stay there. Phil Mickelson won’t have to worry about hitting the ball a half inch long and watching his Callaway roll into oblivion.

On the other hand, a drive that strays off the course will be gobbled up by rough. But, not six-inch rough like you’d find at Winged Foot. Golfers will at least have an opportunity to challenge the green, not instantly grab the 7-iron and punch the ball 100 yards into the fairway.

Plus, the PGA brings us a constant rotation of fun and challenging courses. Case in point: the PGA will be heading to Kiawah Island in 2012.

Kiawah Island is the amazingly beautiful seaside course made famous by the 1991 Ryder Cup (aka "War by the Shore") not to mention its status as Golf Digest's No. 1 toughest course in America.

Meanwhile, the USGA has to be dragged kicking and screaming to any course that doesn't reside in the Northeast. 

The R&A gives us courses resembling cow pastures with a few bunkers thrown in. And, the Masters ruins the charm of its perfect golf course by lengthening it to USGA proportions.

It’s interesting to see how much more entertaining a tournament is to watch when a player's objective is to make a few birdies and catch the leader, rather than to play for pars and avoid a double bogey.

It’s also amazing how the quality of champions improves when this balanced risk/reward course setup is used.

If the PGA continues its current pace, this poor ugly duckling of a tournament may lose its status as the least-liked major a lot sooner than expected. 

Think Tiger Woods cherishes his Claret Jugs or green jackets more than his Wanamaker Trophies?

I'd seriously doubt that— considering his passionate fist pumps in the 2000 PGA Championship which preserved the Tiger Slam, not to mention the four Wanamaker Trophies sitting in his trophy case.

And, don't forget this: the PGA Championship could very well end up as Tiger's 19th major win.

So, this week, put your negativity aside and give the PGA Championship a fair judgment.

It's fun, it's intriguing, and it's a true test of golf.

And, it's the last major you'll see for eight months.