'Fans Won't Like It, But It's Inevitable' - The Players Championship Major Debate Revisited

'Inside The Ropes' is the chance for Golf Monthly's tour experts to share their honest opinions on the biggest subjects in the game. This week, it's all about The Players Championship.

Every year around early March, or maybe even just before, a debate is sparked on planet golf - should The Players Championship become a Major?

The conversation has been taking place for years now and even the pros themselves have often weighed in - take Russell Henley just last week, for example. The Georgian was the latest to outright say he considers The Players a Major.

Meanwhile, greats of the game like Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy have positioned themselves just on the other side of the fence, building up the TPC Sawgrass-based event as "one of a kind" but stating that it doesn't need to hold Major status.

Those in favor of making it so point to the fact The Players has the prestige, the history, the prize money, the field and the host course to rival any of the other four biggest championships in men's professional golf.

However, those against would argue The Players is purely a PGA Tour-centric event, its field cannot be considered of a Major standard if certain tours are not invited or even allowed to compete and that there are countless other tournaments which have hold more history in their fairways.

The debate is a good one, though, with a healthy number of worthwhile points belonging to either side - ideas which are constantly evolving as the golfing planet keeps on spinning.

Let us know in the comments whether you believe The Players Championship should be designated as a Major? Meanwhile, some of Golf Monthly's tour experts have had their say...

Elliott Heath

It pains me to say it as a traditionalist and knowing just how messed up the history books will become, but I do think The Players should become a Major. I mean, it already is when you look at the money, world ranking points and other perks players get for winning it.

I say that with the caveat that it cannot currently demand Major status without inviting LIV Golf’s top stars as a Major has all of the best golfers in the world and The Players does not currently have that.

Once that is sorted out, which it eventually will be, I think the men’s game will finally have five Majors. Fans won’t like it but it is inevitable.

The Players has a strong identity now, arguably stronger than the PGA Championship, with a very good history, a seriously strong list of winners and an amazing golf course. It is a Major in almost every department already.

International fans also will not like four of the five Majors taking place in the US, but the reality is that is where the money, viewership and best players all are.

The Players at TPC Sawgrass is one of the best tournaments in the world and with Brian Rolapp at the helm of the PGA Tour, funded by SSG’s billions, I can only see it growing to the point where it cannot simply be classed as the ‘next-best’ tournament anymore.

Nick Bonfield

I hate this debate with a passion. No, it shouldn't be a Major. Why does it have to be? It's simply a PR stunt from the PGA Tour, which is effectively trying to add a Major tag to an event LIV Golfers are excluded from.

I'm not a fan of the Saudi-backed circuit at all, but events can't be Majors if they omit some of the best players in the world. History and tradition bring meaning to professional sport, and men's golf has four Majors. That's the way it should always be.

If that changes, records and historical data would need to be recontextualised. What for? So the PGA Tour can claim a PR victory. It's a nonsense debate and I truly wish it would stop.

Paul Higham

It's a pretty emphatic no from me, for a few reasons. Firstly, I don’t think men's golf needs a fifth Major as four is enough already, they’re the best events in golf with years of history and tradition and I just don’t see the need to manufacture a fifth one at The Players.

And also, I don’t really see anything wrong with The Players as it is – it's a brilliant event with a stellar field (although it could be slightly better with a few LIV players sprinkled in there) played at an iconic venue that’s seen some great finishes down the years.

It’s a top tournament that doesn’t need Major status, it has it’s own special place in golf - so just let the Majors be the Majors and the Players be the Players, they’re the cream of the crop in golf just as they are so why mess with them?

Jonny Leighfield

It has to be a no from me, if only because The Players belongs to the PGA Tour. None of the other four Majors are run by a tour, and I think it would be an extremely sad day for the sport if and when that changes.

The Players is the crowning jewel for the PGA Tour, and it can make the event as fancy and shiny as it wants. It can add in more money or change the field size, but money doesn't buy you status - at least not in this case - and unless everyone is allowed in, that's an easy rejection in my eyes.

Without delving too deeply into changes to Majors, if there were to be any alterations, the PGA Championship should be taken all around the world like The Olympics - that's how you really grow the game.

But, returning to the question at hand, The Players can only ever be the best event of the year on the PGA Tour and nothing more. It's arguably LIV Golf Adelaide on the PIF-backed circuit and possibly the BMW PGA Championship on the DP World Tour.

Those tournaments are what The Players should measure itself up against, not the Majors, and I for one hope that never changes.

Matt Cradock

Personally, I don't think you can class a competition as a Major if players from certain Tours aren't allowed to play in it.

Yes, The Players Championship possesses the best field in golf, but that's because the PGA Tour benefits the most from the Official World Golf Ranking. When the likes of Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm from LIV Golf aren't in the field, or even allowed in the field, then can you call it the best field in golf?

I've said numerous times, but the US having another Major would be wrong, in my eyes. They already possess 75% of the big four, so adding another Major to the US would make it 80%.

Money and viewership is the issue, but if a Major event could be held in Australia, South America or Asia, then it would be so much better and enhance golf's global reach.

The world is full of amazing golf courses and fans so, if a fifth Major were introduced, I'd rather it be in these regions than the US.