First aid for the PGA

Golf Digest, August, 2004 by Johnny Miller, Guy Yocom

When you have four major championships played during the course of a year, one of them has to rate as the weak sister of the bunch. That distinction goes to the PGA Championship. For all its trappings--a rich history, a great field and an excellent venue--the PGA unfortunately ranks fourth among the four.

The PGA is a victim of poor timing. After the British Open ends in July, enthusiasm wanes a bit. With three majors having been played and the sweltering heat of August at hand, most of the questions for the year have been answered. If a player such as Tiger Woods won the year's first three majors, the PGA would instantly become the year's most important major, and it would get more attention than any event in history. But that hasn't happened, and it's unlikely that it will.

What the PGA needs is a new date. It should be played earlier in the year, say in late May. If the U.S. Open moved to late June and the British Open to the end of July, you'd really have something. The British Open wouldn't suffer because it's so darned distinctive anyway, and the Masters and U.S. Open wouldn't lose a thing.

An earlier date would save the PGA from being played in excruciatingly hot weather. It would have more flexibility in terms of choosing courses--Pinehurst or Shoal Creek would be great, because the weather would be cooler yet the course would be nice and ripe.

If a date change isn't feasible and the PGA keeps the place on the calendar it has now, the PGA of America should at least choose more courses in the Pacific Northwest and West Coast. There are many to choose from, the weather is great and fans out west would get a rare treat.