Farcical Par 3s, Boring Interactions And Is US Golf 'In A Quiet Crisis'? - Our (Latest) Unpopular Tour Opinions
Many of us have an unpopular opinion relating to tour golf, and it turns out the team at Golf Monthly have several - here is the latest round
'Inside The Ropes' is the chance for Golf Monthly's expert team to share its honest thoughts on the biggest subjects in the game. This week, it's all about our latest unpopular tour golf opinions.
Earlier this year, we shared version one of our unpopular tour golf opinions as part of the Inside The Ropes franchise. It generated a fair few comments under the article itself and many, many more across social media.
We published takes on which circuit was the best, what the future looks like for Tiger Woods and talked about how pampered pros are. Some of you agreed, many did not.
And that's fine, it's good. A healthy debate on this great game is what we want to see!
We've also had plenty of time to think of a few more hot takes since then, with the main portion of the golfing campaign really fueling the cogs in our brains.
So, without further ado, here is the latest round of our unpopular tour golf opinions.
Feel free to chip in with yours underneath the article in the comments box - the more the merrier!
CADDIE-PLAYER DISCUSSIONS ARE NOT 'INTERESTING'
Caddie-player interactions aren't interesting or "fascinating insight", despite what commentators usually say during of these tedious back-and-forths.
They normally involve both player and caddie doing some maths, rechecking that maths, picking a target in the distance and then working out the wind.
What then follows is some bog standard, straight-off-a-template trope from the looper about committing to the target, seeing the shot or trusting the process.
These discussions take too long and don't generally reveal anything out of the ordinary; it's a sensitive player seeking validation and assurance from a colleague who robotically spews out an acceptable phrase.
If there's a disagreement over club selection and the player goes on to hit a poor shot, listening to the fall-out can be entertaining. But for the most part, I'd much rather see more action than hear inane discourse about an upcoming shot.
US Men's Pro Golf Is In A Quiet Crisis
Slowly but surely, and very quietly, American professional golf has been regressing in my opinion. After the historic beatdown the US gave Europe in the 2021 Ryder Cup, it looked like a true golden generation was primed to dominate for the next decade.
Of the 12 men on that team, I'd argue at least nine have regressed. Scottie Scheffler, obviously, is the top performer. Xander Schauffele now has two Majors and Collin Morikawa has looked sharp this season despite a back injury.
Outside of that? Dustin Johnson essentially semi-retired after going to LIV, as did Brooks Koepka - for a period at least. Injuries and general bad form have damaged the stock of the likes of Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas and Daniel Berger.
Bryson DeChambeau has lost his way in 2026, Harris English hasn't made that next step many expected and players like Tony Finau and Patrick Cantlay have seemingly fallen off the face of the earth.
It's OK, though, for there will be plenty of players coming off the American conveyer belt, right? Let's have a look - Chris Gotterup, check. Cameron Young, check (although he's been poor recently). Wyndham Clark, OK. Errrrm, Sam Burns? Ben Griffin? JJ Spaun? These aren't exactly names that scream 'superstar'.
The US have had stars exit stage left and they haven't really come close to replacing them. If the Americans want to be competitive in future team events, they could really use the likes of Jackson Koivun, Preston Stout and Blades Brown enjoying Spieth-like arrivals on the PGA Tour. What age is Charlie Woods again?
Par 3 Holes Over 200 Yards Are Farcical
I know players are hitting the ball farther than ever, but par 3s that are over 200 yards are farcical. Bar one or two, I'm struggling to think of any good par 3s that measure more than 200 yards.
They're too much of the same. Nobody wants to see players strike a long iron into an identical spot on the green, then safely two putt for a par. There needs to be jeopardy and a chance of creativity.
I remember covering The Open Championship at Royal Troon back in 2024. That week, the best and most destructive hole on the course was the iconic Postage Stamp, a hole that measured 123 yards and saw everything from a 2 to an 8.
It's the same for the 12th at Augusta National, the 17th at TPC Sawgrass, the 16th at TPC Scottsdale. I could go on! If every par 3 is under 200 yards then it still allows players to attack the flag but, if they're off, then a high number can occur.
By having a par 3 that's over 200 yards, it basically takes a birdie out of the equation, and who wants to see 156 shots from players repeated over and over again? Certainly not me...
Money is eroding the essence of professional golf
I was disappointed to see that PGA Tour purses will remain at a minimum of $20m for the biggest events under the new two-tier structure in 2028.
With the Saudi PIF no longer funding LIV Golf (it still feels odd writing that), it was a great chance for the game to reset its incredibly out-of-touch, and unsustainable, prize funds.
The Tour played for $327m in 2016 and ten years later than figure has risen by 49% to $487m. That's comfortably above the inflation rate of around 40% and has resulted in players becoming richer than ever before.
I guess that's what happens when the PGA Tour Board features players, who have become increasingly more powerful since the inception of LIV.
It means many big names don't need or wish to travel around the world or play in prestigious events like the Australian Open or BMW PGA Championship as the prize funds are not worth it for them.
Dustin Johnson recently turned down the chance to play in final qualifying for The Open... Why is that? Probably because he has more money than he knows what to do with and, because of that, likely isn't chasing greatness in the way his predecessors did. I fear money is eroding the essence of professional golf.
THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH BIRDIE-FESTS
The John Deere Classic is often accused of being too low-scoring of a tournament...
I hear takes on this subject a lot and it slightly annoys me. There's nothing wrong with a birdie-fest in tour golf. Absolutely nothing at all. As long as it isn't every week.
I've said this countless times already on the Golf Monthly Tour Issue podcast, it's all about variety in pro golf.
If they were playing brutal slug-fests every week, that would become boring as well. Personally, I really want to see how many birdies tour pros can make on a 7,500-yard course every now and then.
Also, and it is such a cliche, but isn't par kind of irrelevant? Whoever plays the least golf wins the golf tournament. It's weird, but that's the way the sport works. The number next to the champion's name could say anything for all the difference it makes.
In the end, varied golf courses which provide a plethora of different tests are what it's all about in my eyes. Variety, variety, variety!
Feel free to leave a comment below this article letting us know your own unpopular tour golf opinion!