The PGA Tour is one of four major golf tournaments that take place every year. Golfers like Arnold Palmer, Sam Snead, and Tiger Woods have all competed in the PGA and made history breaking the list of top winners in the tournament's history.
On the surface, the PGA looks like any other golf tournament. It’s a gentlemen’s sport first and foremost. Dig a little deeper underneath its pristine image though, and you’ll find a whole different "game" that's played.
For years the golfers, caddies and fans have all participated in activities hidden from the public that would tarnish the good reputation of the sport. From insiders, WAGs of golfers and those who’ve actually competed in the PGA, we uncover the sketchier side of the tournament its execs don't want widely known (PGA.com).
20 Security Gets Rough
A professional trainer to golfers, Jim Weathers, decided to celebrate golfer Chez Reavie after his win. He ran out with a champagne bottle until a police officer seized him, thinking he was some prankster.
Although there were no hard feelings, it just goes to show, one should never mess with an officer during the PGA Tour (geoffshackelford.com).
19 Those Who Get Cut From The Tournament Like To Party
They’re the ones the public never hears about. Many pro golfers come up short in an attempt to qualify for the PGA. Instead of packing up and going home though, they make the most of it.
BroBible reports that cut golfers will tend to stay until their hotel reservation is up, go on a bender and party with groupies to forget the pain of failing to make the cut.
18 Players Have Codenames For Groupies
Groupies hang around players all the time on the PGA Tour. According to The Daily Beast, players create codenames to represent the types of women they come across.
All of them are double entendres too racy to put here, but if one imagines common golf terms used on the course, it’s easy to figure them out.
17 Players Love Mary Jane
It may not seem compatible with the sport at first, but golfers love to smoke some Mary Jane.
According to BroBible, there’s a lot of it going on and that’s not the only substance they’re fond of. They’ve got the money to afford it and won’t hesitate to do it.
16 Strippers Are On The Tour
There are a lot of different people on the tour. The PGA may not advertise it, but there are strippers on the tour. Pro golfer John Daly’s ex-wife, Sherrie, wrote a book that reveals many hidden details about the tour.
“There are the occasional stops where there are strippers,” she shared in a quote provided by Deadspin.
15 Tinder Brings People Together
No one likes Tinder as much as pro golfers do—or at least, no one else seems to get more out of the app than they do on the PGA Tour.
In a report by BroBible, golfers and groupies use the app to connect with each other whenever the tour rolls through town.
14 Some Clubhouses Party Hard
On the outside, clubhouses appear as civil places with well-behaved players. Multiple sources told The Daily Beast, however, they’re akin to frat houses, echoing the same party atmosphere. Players will even boast about the many antics that go on at these parties.
No one would know from the outside, but golf culture is different than what it seems.
13 Hooters Is A Sponsor
Hooters is among the PGA Tour’s many sponsors, much to the chagrin of Sherrie Daly. She wrote about her former husband who played on the tour and recalls seeing their tent at one of the events.
In a quote provided by Page Six, she remembers Hooters girls “screaming” for her husband and wearing revealing outfits.
12 A Golfer Skimped On His Caddie’s Wages
Golfers can get hefty pay for their time on the course. According to BroBible, Matt Kuchar got $1,296,000 for playing the Mayakoba Classic in 2018. His caddie, on the other hand, only got $5,000.
This amount landed well below their agreed-upon 10 percent of winnings, which suggests an injustice when it comes to a caddie's pay.
11 PGA Stands For ‘Party Groupie Association,’ According To Players
PGA may stand for Professional Golfers’ Association, but the golfers have another abbreviation in mind. According to The Daily Beast, players say it stands for “Party Groupie Association.”
Apparently there’s no shortage of ladies on hand at these events, many of which want to see their favorite golfers up close and personal.
10 Players Aren’t Guaranteed Pay
Players in most sports sign contracts. According to a pro golfer, in a report by Fox Sports, golfers don’t have contracts. That means if they get injured or are unable to play, they don’t get paid.
It’s a lot tougher of a sport than it looks, even if it doesn’t necessarily require athleticism.
9 Caddies Serve As ‘Wingmen’ To Help Pick Up Girls For Players
There are PGA attendees who end up catching players’ attention. Insted of players making the first move though, their caddies give a helping hand instead.
A caddie admitted to The Daily Beast that his player would have him go up to girls. “'See who is easy on the eyes,’” remarked the caddie, quoting another player’s instructions.
8 A Smoke-Filled Course
Think golfers don’t smoke anymore? According to BroBible, it’s still widespread on the PGA Tour. Just because audiences don’t see it from the comfort of home on TV doesn’t mean it’s not going on.
The same source reports that 20 percent of players smoke and an astounding 75 percent of caddies do too.
7 Lightning Once Struck Players
There were simpler times when the only threat at courses seemed to be airborne golf balls. Yet according to a report by AP News, six people got injured during a PGA event when lightning struck a course in August.
One witness said, “There was just a big explosion and then an aftershock so strong you could feel the wind from it.”
6 It Lost A Major Sponsor
A major sponsor for PGA bites the dust. The Chicago Tribune reports that one of the PGA Tour’s major sponsors, BMW, just brought its partnership to a close.
That can’t mean good news for the PGA Tour once the deal officially ends after this September when the tournament takes place.
5 There’s A Gambling Problem
What people see of the PGA Tour on TV is everything on the golf course. Behind the scenes though, there’s something of a gambling problem.
BroBible reports that whenever the PGA Tour stops in areas where there are casinos, players end up going all in. Major golfers such as John Daly were really into gambling.
4 Players Rent Houses And Shack Up With Women
Sherrie Daly was the wife of pro golfer John Daly, who played the PGA Tour. She spills a lot of secrets she learned along the way in her book “Teed Off.” Sherrie said, in a quote provided by Deadspin, “On the tour, the players get houses they rent off the course and they can be there for a solid week.”
She goes on to claim they might invite a woman to stay with them during their time there.
3 They Randomly Test Golfers For Substances
PGA execs recognize that golfers use substances on the tour—they just don’t want the public to know about it.
As a way to deter golfers from taking performance-enhancing substances—or something more recreational—BroBible reports that the PGA randomly tests golfers to make sure they're on the straight and narrow.
2 Pro Golfers Don’t Get Along With Each Other
Not exactly groundbreaking information, but players don’t get along. It makes sense with how competitive the sport is. A pro golfer who used to play in the PGA told Fox Sports that players will even eat by themselves at separate tables.
Even though they’re all into the same sport, it doesn’t mean they get along.
1 Golfers Get Serious Swag
Players getting awesome gifts from the PGA may not seem like a big deal on the surface. That is, until one realizes the potential motive behind such lavish loot.
According to BroBible, tournaments will give golfers expensive items like iPods and Tiffany bracelets because they hope to entice them to come back next year and play again.
Sources: PGA.com, BroBible, The Daily Beast, Fox Sports, Deadspin, Chicago Tribune, Page Six, AP News, geoffshackelford.com