PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — The idle chitchat about The Players Championship’s status as golf’s “fifth major” that historically comes and goes like pollen season in March, ballooned into a full-blown talking point on Tuesday thanks, in large part, to a not-so-subtle push by the PGA Tour marketing minds.
Launched the week of the WM Phoenix Open, the campaign focused on the circuit’s upcoming flagship stop with the tag line, “March is going to be Major.” It was a deft touch that drew opinion from every circle of the golf ecosystem, including the fans, media and the players, who have always held the keys to The Players’ major championship status.
Compelling arguments for and against The Players becoming the game’s fifth major can easily be made, from its best-in-class strength of field to its iconic golf course that is as recognizable as any in the game. Opponents will argue the Tour’s move to gain major status is simply transactional for an organization that doesn’t have a stake in any of golf’s four majors or the Ryder Cup. Regardless, it seems many of those who would benefit the most from a major promotion at TPC Sawgrass remain lukewarm.
“No, I don’t think they do,” said Tommy Fleetwood when asked if the players view this week’s championship as a major, “But, I’ve seen some people say it is a major.”
“It’s not demeaning the tournament in any way; it’s The Players Championship. We’ve always called it the fifth major and that’s like a saying, but there’s four majors and I think four majors is right. That’s what sits right in the game and that’s what the history of the game has been. The Players has its unique and very special place in the game, it doesn’t have to be a major,” Fleetwood added.
While the players obfuscate and the Tour’s marketing campaign stops well short of making its own detailed case for major status, there are real ways to move the conversation forward.
For starters, the Official World Golf Ranking could add mathematical weight to the conversation by awarding ranking points based on a tournament’s strength of field, not an arbitrary threshold. Winners of the major championships earn 100 points, compared to this week’s winner at TPC Sawgrass who will collect 80 points, despite having a historically stronger field. If the OWGR used its field rating system, The Players Championship winner would receive more points than for a win at the majors.
The Tour could also nudge the conversation with a schedule change, which shouldn’t create much chaos, considering the heavy lifting the circuit is currently considering for a completely reimagined schedule.
The Players is a better major championship test when it’s played in May, like it was from 2007 to 2019, than it is March. The average winning score in May was 12.58 under par compared to 15.71 under par for the seven Players held since the event was moved to March.
“There’s a lot of variables there, but the golf course should play the way it was designed to be played so I would answer [it would be a better test] in May. I would have it in May if it was going to be a major,” Lucas Glover said.
Not everyone believes in the May Players, and to be fair, Scottie Scheffler’s two wins since the event relocated back to March totaled 37 under, which accounts for a good portion of the low scoring since the event returned to the spring.
“I’ve had this conversation with other players about this, Justin Thomas likes it’s better in May because it’s not overseeded, it gets fast and firm, it’s Bermuda [grass],” Billy Horschel said. “My issue with the May date is you never get a north wind, so 17, 18, 9, 1, 15 are always downwind, so it’s always easier on those holes. I think that course was designed to play with a north wind. I’ve liked it better in March, but I understand it’s softer conditions. As a major test it should be played in March.”
The move back to May would also remove two potential issues in The Players’ quest for major status. Primarily, it would allow the Masters to remain the lead-off Grand Slam hitter — a spot that only adds to the tournament’s cachet — and gives the PGA Championship the opening to return to its August date and its status as “Glory’s Last Shot.”
Neither moving The Players back to May, nor convincing the OWGR to opt for pure numbers and not a predetermined threshold will be the decisive blow that lifts The Players over the major championship hurdle, but it will help push the conversation from idle debate to something much more substantive.