Welcome to the 11th installment of our “Caddie Confidential” series, with monthly, inside-the-ropes perspective from dozens of Tour caddies on rotating golf topics. Up this month: we take a look at the highlights and lowlights of a PGA Tour season from caddies, covering most overrated and underrated tournaments, as well as the best and worst destinations.
There’s no denying that there are some events in golf that are hyped up like crazy, but rarely — if ever — live up to the billing.
But, which events are they?
That’s what we wanted to know, so we polled nearly four dozen PGA Tour caddies to get their opinion on the events in golf that are the most overhyped and why, promising them anonymity in an effort to get their most honest answers.
Some of the responses might surprise you. Like this one:
“The Ryder Cup. Golf isn’t a team sport. Golf is very diverse and the fact you would root for USA vs. Europe is ridiculous. Plus, there’s no purse.”
Which event – major, team competition, or otherwise – is the most overhyped in golf and why?
Check out this selection of responses from caddies:
Presidents Cup. The Ryder Cup steals the thunder for team events.
Open Championship because it tends to be goofy golf.
The Presidents Cup! Because the rest of the world always loses.
U.S. Open because the media overhyped the rough at Torrey. It was actually pretty wispy. In a lot of ways it played easier than when we play it in January.
I don’t think you can “overhype” anything golf related.
None of them are overhyped. Each is unique in its own way.
U.S. Open. It’s the same stuff every year. They (the USGA) make it about them and not the players. It happened again this year by having their director and player support person out playing as a marker and videoing it. Joke.
Presidents Cup. Does anyone even remember moments in those events?
They’re all great and have their reasons to be on the schedule, but the Presidents Cup is clearly the little brother of all the other big boy events.
The Presidents Cup. It was created to make the rest of the world feel included in a championship like the Ryder Cup. And maybe it was created to make money. Either way it was not needed.
PGA Championship.
Ryder Cup. Lame chanting of U—S—A all day long and players running around screaming “Let’s f***ing go!” We need to change the cheering and celebratory jingles… it’s getting old.
The FedExCup Playoffs. Be done by football season. Golf is not a playoff sport unless you finish with a match-play format.
U.S. Open. More of a survival test from logistics at the beginning of week to navigating a sadistic unfair set up by a bunch of staunchly bitter old men! It’s a challenge every year to find your parking and get yourself credentials. Not to mention the inevitable traffic nightmare!
Opposite-field events. Need to get rid of them.
Las Vegas — Because staying on the strip for a week or more is just too much.
Presidents Cup guys play against each other on same Tour all year and split off as an us against them, not the drama you might think.
I’m not sure I have an answer for this. If it’s hyped, it’s usually hyped for a reason.
Hilton Head. Terrible traffic, poor golf course.
Ryder Cup is overhyped.
Interested in more from our November 2021 installment of Caddie Confidential? Be sure to check out the destinations caddies on Tour dread the most, which ones they love the most and which tournaments are the most underrated.
You can view all the results from our entire Caddie Confidential by clicking here.