Why The Players Still Can't Be Considered Men's Golf's Fifth Major

Golf's unofficial fifth Major returns to our screens as the iconic TPC Sawgrass hosts The Players Championship.

The event features the largest purse in golf, for a single tournament, and has one of the best fields seen all year. But for all the great things about The Players, it still can't be considered men's golf's fifth Major.

I must admit I got quite excited recently by the thought of LIV Golf's top names returning to the PGA Tour in time for TPC Sawgrass until it was clear that nothing would come of it. It was a brief reminder to me of how exciting the men's game will be once a deal is done.

Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka playing at TPC Sawgrass would elevate the event massively. Add in Cameron Smith, Joaquin Niemann, Tyrrell Hatton, Dustin Johnson and a handful of others and suddenly men's pro golf would be trending significantly upwards.

The PGA Tour does seem to be doing well right now. Rory McIlroy even commented last week that the US-based circuit is riding a wave of momentum and that it doesn't even necessarily "need" PIF to invest.

Perhaps that is true, as TGL has been a fresh addition and TV ratings have been fairly promising so far this year. It's coffers are certainly looking good as well after the investment from SSG and it didn't lose any notable stars to LIV Golf this winter.

The Players Championship will undoubtedly be one of the best and most-watched tournaments of the year, too, so all things are looking good. But I just think it could be far better.

The return of LIV Golf's biggest names would potentially take the PGA Tour to heights that it hasn't been before, exceeding where it was in terms of viewership pre-LIV Golf.

TPC Sawgrass is one of the greatest courses on the PGA Tour. It is on most golfers' bucket lists thanks to some of the most recognizable holes in world golf and is always presented in stunning condition. It makes for superb viewing and it's hard to picture a better closing three holes.

The tournament has built up huge prestige to rightly place it among the sport's greatest events and I can see it being on par with the PGA Championship in years to come once the men's game has sorted itself out. The R&A, USGA, PGA of America and Augusta National have their Majors, and the PGA Tour certainly could have its own in the future.

As you can tell, I love The Players but right now it remains as 'just' the best tournament on the PGA Tour that sits below the four men's Majors, which have all benefitted since the inception of LIV Golf as they are the only four events where we get to see all of the world's best players together again.

I'd love to watch an in-form Sergio playing TPC Sawgrass this week, or see the likes of Bryson and Rahm fighting down the stretch against Ludvig Aberg or Rory McIroy.

It's these kind of scenarios that we know are coming, eventually, once the PGA Tour and PIF can come to a deal - and I'm patiently waiting for it.