The Only Golf Events You Need to Watch on TV

I have recently had a good old moan about pace of play on the PGA Tour and the fact that I believe there is too much golf on TV, and I remain utterly convinced that the golf season is too long. If it’s true that you can get too much of a good thing then it is also true that we can too much mediocrity. 

Part of the problem with such a packed schedule is that many of the world’s best golfers opt to sit out many run-of-the-mill golf tournaments - and who can blame them?

But there are still plenty of events that I consider to be must-watch experiences in the men's professional game, either from the comfort of your sofa or in the flesh.

Here is my top 10 for 2025:

The Masters

For many golf fans, this is when the season really kicks off. There is something magical about Augusta National. No matter what you think of the traditions surrounding the season’s first major (and I love most of them), there is no other course on the planet quite like Augusta National. It tests every single facet of the game. The greens are like glass and those who play in this event know that if they find the wrong part of the greens they are looking at three putts - or worse. The course is an assault on the senses. The colours are simply breathtaking and the course is like no other. There are times when it borders on the unfair but there will always be somebody in the field who survives the bad breaks, who holes the crucial birdie and par putts and avoids the water. What can be better than spending four days in April sitting in front of your TV watching the drama unfold?

Ryder Cup

It is hard to believe now but back in the 1970s there was little or no interest in the Ryder Cup. And then the great Jack Nicklaus came up with the idea of the USA taking on Europe instead of hammering GB&I every two years. And everything changed forever. Europe, inspired by the great Seve Ballesteros, nearly won on American soil for the first time in 1983 and finally won at The Belfry in 1985, with Sam Torrance in tears after holing the winning putt. Suddenly, we had a contest. And since 1985, Europe have held the upper hand. Under the captaincy of Luke Donald, they thrashed the Americans in Italy in 2023 and he was persuaded to lead them again at Bethpage Black later this year. Europe have not won in America since The Miracle at Medinah but this year could be different - and I cannot wait. The atmosphere will be both hostile and electric - and I fancy that Europe will cause another upset. This is must-watch TV!

The Open

The only thing that comes close to an Open Championship at St Andrews is surely this year’s return to Royal Portrush. When it was last played there in 2019, Rory McIlroy, who began the tournament as a red-hot favourite, started his first round with an eight and missed the cut. He was devastated - as were the local golf fans. But they received a major consolation prize in the performance of Shane Lowry, who strode to a memorable and dominant victory, with Tommy Fleetwood finishing second. I always thought that you could not beat Scottish golf fans. I was wrong. The galleries who will turn up at Royal Portrush in July are just amazing - and as knowledgeable about the game as their Scottish counterparts. Sky Sports Golf will be on air from the moment the first shot is struck until the winning putt is holed. Yes! Yes! And yes!

The US Open

The US Open returns to Oakmont in 2025 - and I will be tuning in from start to finish. The USGA do not like their champions to tear their courses to shreds and have often been accused of creating conditions that verge on being unplayable. But the conditions are the same for everybody, and these are meant to be the best golfers in the world. I get fed up watching PGA Tour events being won by golfers shooting four rounds in the mid-60s. This is a major and the field should be tested. There will be press conferences at which we hear golfers moaning about the conditions - and that it part of the appeal for me. It is watching how the very best rise to the challenge and keep their cool that keeps me coming back to this tournament.

US PGA Championship

This would not normally figure on my list of much-watch events but it figures in this list because in 2025 it is being held at Quail Hollow. This is the course that hosts the Wells Fargo Championship. If that rings any bells with you it will almost certainly be because this is probably Rory McIlroy’s favourite course on the entire planet. It was where he won his first PGA Tour title, having nearly missed the 36-hole cut. That was in 2010. He won it again in 2015 and 2021. And he claimed it for the fourth time in 2024. If McIlroy can only forget that this is a major and treat it like any other golf tournament then it could be the place where he finally wins that elusive fifth major - and I will be tuning in to watch him try.

The Players Championship

This is the PGA Tour’s flagship event and that means that the field is a proper who’s who of golf. Forget all the nonsense about it being our sport’s fifth major - it is no such thing. It’s not the huge prize fund that makes this a standout viewing experience - it is Pete Dye’s TPC Sawgrass, a stadium course that works for both TV viewers and for the on-site galleries. For me, the viewing is all about the final three holes, where all manner of drama can and does unfold. The 16th is a par five that can yield eagles. The 17th is the world-famous Island Hole. It measures less than 140 yards but the green is entirely surrounded by water and you can absolutely guarantee that at some point you will be watching a superstar come to grief here. The 18th is no less of a challenge, with water in play for both the drive and approach. A golf tournament that was made for TV.

BMW PGA Championship

I have attended this tournament several times. There is something special about Wentworth, home of the DP World Tour. And there is something special about this tournament. Perhaps it is something to do with the fact that the course is so familiar to us all. More likely, it is because of the stellar field that it attracts - and not just from Europe. You would expect the likes of Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, Viktor Hovland, Ludvig Aberg and Tommy Fleetwood to be in the field. But we are also now seeing an increasing number of Americans making the trip. Just ask Billy Horschel if he likes this tournament.

The Memorial

There are many reasons to love and watch The Memorial. It is played at Muirfield Village which, in my humble opinion, is the best course on the PGA Tour, It was designed by Jack Nicklaus and he is not frightened to make changes, having had the greens rebuilt. Unlike too many other courses, Muirfield Village is set up properly - the rough is thick, the fairway bunkers are punishing and the putting surfaces are like glass. Like Augusta, finding the right position is vital. And then there is the fact that the champion is greeted by Nicklaus as he comes off the 18th green. A proper golf tournament played on a proper golf course.

Scottish Open

Other than The Open, this is my favourite European TV tournament. I admit that it holds a special place in my heart because I am Scottish. It is always held the week before The Open and is jointly sanctioned by the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, and that means that we are guaranteed a world-class field, with Europe's finest going toe to toe with America’s finest. Who could fail to have been moved by Robert MacIntyre’s incredibly emotional victory in this event in 2024? There wasn’t a dry eye in the house. And, of course, it also serves as a form guide for The Open.

DP World Tour Championship

And finally…the season-ending DP World Tour Championship is a must-watch for me for a number of reasons. It takes place in November - a time of year when the weather in the UK is grey and bleak as we head into winter. What’s not to like about watching our favourite European golfers playing in the sunshine? It also helps that McIlroy is always in the field and that he has happy knack of winning this event and securing the Race to Dubai. It is also the tournament where all the PGA Tour cards are sewn up.