Golf is not far from being a 52-week-a-year sport and it is certainly safe to say that there is top-class action to take in every month of the year. However, some events are clearly bigger than others. And whilst hardcore fans of golf will gladly watch pretty much any event, on any tour, many fans only tune into the biggest tournaments in the men’s game. The majors are the obvious starting point but in this guide to the biggest and best golf tournaments of 2024 we will also detail all the other must-see action taking place this year.
Golf’s Majors in 2024
The Masters, the US Open, the USPGA Championship and the Open Championship are the undisputed kings of the game and the four pillars on which it is built. Here’s what you need to know about the majors in 2024.
US Masters, 11-14 April
As usual the Masters gets the major season started and of course the iconic Augusta National in Georgia is the host venue. The only major that stays at a single course year after year, the Masters is all the more special for that. Jon Rahm will be back to defend his title, despite his defection to LIV and is among the favourites for glory in 2024.
At the time of writing, Rory McIlroy edges him in the betting as he bids to finally land the career Grand Slam, with Scottie Scheffler also well fancied. Many will also be intrigued to see how Ludvig Aberg gets on and it should be a thrilling week in Georgia!
US PGA Championship, 16-19 May, Valhalla Golf Club, Kentucky
This tournament has changed dates more than most in recent years but is now the second major of the calendar year. This year it will be held at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, and a massive purse of $17.5m will be up for grabs. Brooks Koepka won last year and he will be looking to lead the LIV charge once again.
US Open, 13-16 June, Pinehurst Resort and Country Club, North Carolina
The third marquee event of the year will see even more cash on offer, with a purse of $20m. Wyndham Clark won his first major at the 2023 US Open but who will come out on top in 2024? The usual suspects will be at the top of the betting market in the major where scoring is usually toughest, and it was Martin Kaymer who came out on top last time Pinehurst did the honours. He shot nine under par back in 2014 so scoring may not be quite as tough as it sometimes is.
Olympic Tournament, Le Golf National in Paris
Paris hosts the Olympic Games in 2024 and whilst golf is not a sport that has been readily associated with the Games, its prestige is growing. A gold medal is certainly something many players would love to get their hands on, and the fact the tournament comes around only once every four years only adds to its prestige and allure.
Le Golf National favoured the European Team when the Ryder Cup was played there back in 2018 and it will be interesting to see how many players from that event line up. The men’s tournament runs from the 1st to the 4th of August, with the women in action from the 7th to the 10th.
Players Championship
The 2024 Players Championship will be held at TPC Sawgrass as it always is and the unofficial fifth major is always something a little bit special. A brilliant, iconic course, with unforgettable holes like the island-greened 17th and the testing 18th, plus huge prize money and an absolutely stellar field mean that it is, in many ways, a major in all but name.
It was first played back in 1974 so is starting to develop the history that is in some senses a pre-requisite of a major. The massive $25m prize fund is certainly worthy of any tournament anywhere, and with players like Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Lee Trevino, Greg Norman, Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlroy among the previous winners, it is clear this is a classy and prestigious golf tournament.
Other Highlights
Whilst no other events in golf are quite as prestigious as these five, there are certainly some others that merit a place in the diary of the average golf fan. For fans of team events, 2024 sees the best women golfers from the USA and Europe contest the Solheim Cup. That takes place in Virginia, from the 13th to the 15th of September, with everything to play for after a 14-14 draw last year.
There is also the Curtis Cup, from the 30th of August until the 1st of September, and the Presidents Cup (from Montreal) between the 26th and 29th of September. Moving back to the men’s game, and individual action, The Memorial Tournament is always a highlight of the golfing year. Held at Muirfield Village in Ohio, this event was founded in 1976 by Jack Nicklaus and helps raise money for charity. It also offers a massive cheque to the winner, with Viktor Hovland taking home $3.6m in 2023.
And if big money interests you, then the obvious time of year to tune into golf is the FedEx Cup play-offs which take place in August and September. This play-off series features the FedEx St Jude Championship, BMW PGA Championship, and last of all the Tour Championship, as the top earners of the season are whittled down.
Come the Tour Championship, at East Lake, in Atlanta, just 30 players remain. Coming out on top of the final standings can be a life-changing outcome, even for an already-very-rich player, with Hovland claiming $18m for his win in 2023. Not bad at the age of 25!
In Europe, on the DP World Tour, there is a similar format, culminating with the DP World Tour Championship, from the Earth Course in Dubai in November. Last year the young Dane Nicolai Højgaard came out on top and this is a fitting way to end the wraparound season in Europe.