Until 1958, the United States PGA Championship was a match-play tournament with a stroke-play qualifier. Ben Hogan didn’t play it that often because he didn’t like match-play. Plus, the tournament was on the same weekend as the Open Championship in Britain.

How about that – they’re both major championships today; last century they were played the same day.

In more recent times, in 2019, authorities moved the tourney from August to May, and thus it became the second major of the year.

Leadership of the PGA of America have proven they can be progressive, too. In 1961 they scrapped the “Caucasian-only” membership clause in their bylaws.

On the PGA of America website it declares of its flagship event: “As the only major championship for professionals, and by professionals, the PGA Championship boldly influences the future of our sport, inspiring the golfer in all of us by challenging golf’s premier athletes and showcasing the PGA of America Golf Professionals who are the backbone of the game.”

How about that for some high-octane corporate gibber-spin. The U.S PGA Championship “boldly influences the future” of golf? By what – trotting out a golf tournament in the same country for 106 years? By boldly holding it on a different weekend to the Open Championship? By boldly allowing non-Caucasians to play?

Another issue, and it’s prevalent in other synapses of the Great American Psyche, is the belief that “the game” is played only between the beaches at Pont Vedre and Pebble. That while the Mexican and Canadian Opens might get a gig on the PGA Tour (if not “elevated” status), the only time they go “overseas” is for the January swing in Hawaii.

PLUS...

When a gin-slinging journo pal of Arnold Palmer's created golf's grand slam

The concept – some would describe it as a “construct” – of major championships, as we know them today, first gained traction in 1960, when Arnold Palmer was on his way to play the Open Championship at St Andrews after winning the Masters and U.S Open.

Anyway, if the governing body is unlikely to give it up, and the R&A and USGA and PGA Tour and PGA Tour Enterprises, and whoever else is focused only on their patch of golf and are okay with the status quo – and particularly don’t want to rock the boat in fractious times when people have just started being relatively nice to each other – it behoves someone with a massive amount of money and power, and belief in the power of golf to spread the love around the world, and convince the PGA of America it’s a good – and profitable – thing for a different country each year to host the world’s fourth major.

Kerry Packer brought so many superstars to Australia in the ‘70s that Jack Nicklaus called the Australian Open “the fifth major” (even if our Mike Clayton reckons he was further justifying his appearnce fees).

Greg Norman has taken LIV Golf around the world. The Saudi oil money that funds LIV might prevail upon the PGA of America.

Elon Musk and Donald Trump might … yeah, maybe not. Can’t see old Trumpy getting expansionist, outside lobbying for a major in Moscow. Certainly get the conversation started, though.

America, and this will be anathema to America – sorry, America – needs to give up the fourth major championship and gift it to the world. America needs to be happy with two majors a year, and a third one every 7-10 years on a rotating basis.

The U.S PGA could still be a major, but only when it’s their turn. And they are of course welcome to continue playing their United States PGA Championship. But major status, and major legacy value, and all the rest, should not be conferred upon it.

Now, yes, I know the concept of “major” status is a construct, a concept, not a Thing, per se. But the number of majors someone wins in their career is important for legacy’s sake and a way of measuring greatness, and we all love a good list, so.

PLUS...

Cleary: PGA Championship is generic, beefed-up Tour event not befitting major status

It is the mangiest of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. It is the drummer in Spinal Tap. It is the character “Mike” – the not very funny one – in The Young Ones. It is a fifth wheel in a four-event swing. It is, of course, the United States PGA Championship, known as a “major” championship. And its time should be up, reckons Matt Cleary.

So! Spread the love, America. Take golf global. Convey major status upon a different country’s Open or PGA Championship each year. And bring the world of golf to that country for that fortnight. Because that would be magnificent. And your reputation for inward-thinking would cop a dent. USA! USA!

Crazy idea? Perhaps. But people power has overcome more. They tore down the Berlin Wall. There was an Arab Spring. And Australians marched and voted for marriage equality for our gay brothers and sisters. The intrinsic nature of our Australian “Fair go” could yet prevail upon our weird cousins in America.

Some years ago, for a Q&A in Inside Sport magazine, I put this entire hypothesis to a great Australian, the late Jack Newton, who nodded along and slightly raised his eyebrows as if muse, yeah, like the idea. But then, in his forthright style and gravelly voice, he said: 

“America thinks it owns golf. Hard to see ‘em giving it up.”