RIP Grand Slam Of Golf

Mixed emotions on this one. It was certainly a dead event due to the reasons noted (quite forthrightly) in the PGA of America's press release, along with the always embarrassing spector of a Jim Furyk or Padraig Harrington tagging along despite not winning a major.

But for those of us from a certain generation, "silly season" events like this one were a great part of the schedule and offered opportunities to watch the game in different formats. Clearly those days are certainly gone with wraparound schedules.

The PGA of America's full statement:

After carefully evaluating the PGA Grand Slam of Golf over the past few years and studying how this event fits with today's golf landscape and the PGA of America's long term strategic plan, the PGA has decided to discontinue the event.

When the PGA Grand Slam of Golf was launched in 1979, the golf world was much different than it is today. The PGA Tour's wrap-around schedule, the European Tour's Race to Dubai, plus other important international events, make the fall schedule very busy and hectic for the top players in the world.

It had also become challenging to attract fans, television viewership and media interest. While we have enjoyed staging the PGA Grand Slam of Golf, given those many factors, the timing is right to discontinue the event.