It’s one of professional golf’s most timeworn clichés: You drive for show, but you putt for dough. Which is to say that PGA tournaments—and the multimillion-dollar paychecks associated with them—are usually won by those who can best command their short stick (and their nerves) more so than their drivers.

Of course, the overwhelming majority of recreational golfers never get to experience the kind of pressure that comes with standing over a dimpled ball on the 18th green as a huge chunk of cash rides on the outcome of one final putt. At least not until the Major Series of Putting came along.

Structured in much the same way as the World Series of Poker, the MSOP (as it’s known) offers everyday golfers the opportunity to put their money where their putter is: Competitors of varying skill levels pony up an entry fee in one or more of several formats, with the winners pocketing a sizeable portion of each pot.

This year, upward of 10,000 participants competed in 10 official MSOP events (nine in the U.S., one in Canada), as well as numerous sanctioned qualifiers at local goal clubs. It all culminates with the MSOP Championship, a 10-day putting extravaganza that will be staged at a specially constructed stadium just steps from the Las Vegas Strip. Designed by renowned golf-course architects Nicklaus Design (as in Jack Nicklaus), the 18-hole course promises to be as challenging as it is pristine, with undulations and breaks intended to test each competitor’s putting skills … and nerves.

Indeed, with millions of dollars up for grabs in 10 different events—including a high-stakes celebrity charity tournament that benefits the One Drop Foundation and pays $110,000 to the winner—nearly 1,000 weekend duffers will finally get to feel that pulse-pounding, putt-for-dough pressure usually reserved for the PGA Tour stars.

202 Audrie St., tournament times vary, Oct. 29-Nov. 5. msop.com