Golf

The history of golf is a hazy study indeed. Some historians debate that it was the Romans who initially invented the sport by smashing stuffed leather balls with bent sticks. Others contend that it spawned out of an 8th century Chinese game known as "chuiwan". Whatever your belief, the fact remains that golf is one of the most popular sports played throughout the world today.

There have been several golfing legends that have dictated the sport, all the way back to the 1800s. Ben Hogan, Bobby Jones, and Arnold Palmer are all considered to be the finest players of their era; however, the general consensus on the two best players of all time is set on Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.

Nicklaus started his career as a 21-year-old and made an immediate impact. He entered the World Golf Hall of Fame (http://www.wgv.com/) at only 34 years of age, well before his retirement. Winning 18 PGA Tour Major Championships in his career, Nicklaus holds the record as the most successful PGA Majors player in history. His success after the PGA Tour followed him onto the Champions Tour, where he won the first tournament of the season.

Tiger Woods has followed in Nicklaus’s footsteps in a remarkable manner. Turning pro at 21, he picked up his first major in only his second year on Tour. Surprisingly, when Jack Nicklaus was 34 years old (Tiger Woods’s current age) he had won 14 Majors – the same amount Tiger has won thus far in his career. Many expect Woods to surpass the Nicklaus record of 18 Majors, and he is well on his way to achieving it.

There are four Major events held during the PGA Tour season. The first is The Masters Tournament; it is the only Major that is held at the same location each year, at Augusta National Golf Club.

The US Open is the next Major on the calendar, and is played at various locations across the United States, some of which have included Bethpage State Park, Torrey Pines Golf Course, Pebble Beach Golf Links, and Hazeltine National Golf Club.

The Open Championship, also know as The British Open, is the only Major to be played outside of the United States, and its venue varies each year across nine locations within the United Kingdom. Some previous events have been held at Turnberry, Scotland; Royal Birkdale Golf Club, England; St Andrews, Scotland; and Royal Portrush Golf Club, Northern Ireland.

The final Major of each season is the PGA Championship. Similar to the US Open, its venue changes each year to different courses across the United States. Some of the more popular events have been held at Oakland Hills Country Club, Medinah Country Club, Whistling Straits, and Valhalla Golf Club.

Golf has been a popular sport and pastime for centuries, and thanks to the influence of televised events, its place alongside other popular, global sports looks to be secure.