Archive · 16 Aug 2026
Golf's Fiercest Competition Isn't for the Trophy
A professional golfer named Rahil Gangjee wrote a funny column about a special game in golf.
It is called Nearest-to-the-Pin, and players try to hit their ball closest to the flag.
He says this little game is the most exciting competition in all of golf.
Even when the prize is tiny, like a mug or a bottle of cologne, players get very serious.
On company golf days, people put away their phones and focus only on their shot.
Professional golfers also love making friendly bets with each other in practice.
A famous golfer named Phil Mickelson said making a putt for a small amount of money helps you make one for a million dollars.
Gangjee believes the prize never really matters to golfers.
What they remember is their one perfect shot and the fun story they can tell afterwards.
He says that is the wonderful, silly thing about golf.
Professional golfer Rahil Gangjee argues the fiercest competition in golf is the Nearest-to-the-Pin prize, not a Major or the Ryder Cup.
On corporate golf days, amateurs become intensely focused on the designated par-3, competing fiercely for small prizes like cologne, coffee mugs and dinner vouchers.
Gangjee says tour professionals also gamble in practice rounds, citing Vijay Singh's belief that players prepare better when something is riding on the outcome.
Phil Mickelson, known for his love of side bets, is quoted: "If you can't make a putt for a couple of hundred bucks, how are you going to make one for a million?"
Gangjee concludes the prize never really matters — golfers remember the perfect shot and the story it creates long after the event.
- Who
- Rahil Gangjee, a professional golfer, writing about amateur and professional golfers
- What
- An opinion column arguing that the Nearest-to-the-Pin contest, not major tournaments, is golf's most fiercely competitive event
- When
- Shortly after the August 15 Independence Day holiday
- Where
- Golf courses in India, along with international tours such as the DP World Tour and Asian Tour
- Why
- Because a tiny prize transforms friendly rounds into fierce competition, and golfers treasure the story of a perfect shot more than any trophy
- Author
- Rahil Gangjee, professional golfer
- Topic
- Nearest-to-the-Pin competitions in golf
- Format
- Opinion column on life on a golf course
- Golfers cited
- Vijay Singh, Phil Mickelson, Viktor Hovland
- Example prizes
- Cologne, coffee mug, keychain, toaster, dinner voucher
- Tours mentioned
- DP World Tour, Asian Tour
- Notable quote
- "If you can't make a putt for a couple of hundred bucks, how are you going to make one for a million?" — Phil Mickelson
- Key message
- The prize matters less than the story of the perfect shot