The Players Championship will be played later this week for likely the last time in the calendar month of March. As usual, “The Players” will draw a top field and be contested on a famous, testing course. But The Players is richer than that, and for years, the debate has raged: “is it golf’s fifth major?” The answer, unfortunately, is quite simple: NO.
The U.S. Open, PGA Championship, and British Open all began no later than 1916 with the oldest, “The Open,” dating back to 1860. The Players began in 1974 (or, for the more cynical, 1988). Even the Masters – which was instituted by a guy that won all four of golf’s then-major championships – came into existence more than two generations prior to The Players Championship.
Despite having arguably the “best hole in golf,” a tournament doesn’t become a major simply because someone says it is, because it produces good winners, or because it’s held in high esteem by players and writers. Writing on PGATour.com, Dave Shedloski muddies the waters in saying “Whether the PLAYERS is deigned a major or not is immaterial. It plays like one.”
If it were immaterial, the PGA Tour wouldn’t be doing all it can to promote “its” tournament. The official reason the tournament will move to May in 2007 may be better weather, but the widely held belief is that the real reason has more to do with positioning The Players between the Masters in April and the U.S. Open in June.
But even if The Players is the best tournament outside of the majors (and you’d get arguments from plenty of folks on that one), let’s not get carried away. Let’s not confuse “a big tournament” with “a major.” The year is filled with “big tournaments,” whether they’re esteemed as such heading in (Bay Hill, The Memorial, the WGC events, the Colonial, the Byron Nelson) or whether they turn out to be (Doral last year, etc.). Each of those events are big tournaments that produce great winners year after year.
Why, then, all the ballyhoo around The Players Championship being the “fifth major?” Because it’s exciting golf. Because in 30 years, the winners list includes the names Nicklaus, Wadkins, Trevino, Floyd, Sutton, Couples, Love III, Price, Norman, Janzen, Duval, and Woods. Because the 17th is just so interesting. Because TPC at Sawgrass is the first of its kind. Because the players have had it drummed into their heads that this is “their” championship (what that makes The Tour Championship I don’t know…).
And because the PGA Tour, though not in so many words, says so.
Unfortunately, none of that makes The Players Championship anything but a great tournament. A major? Talk to me in 40 years. Maybe.
Photo Credit: © Stephen Szurlej, GolfWorld.
Besides, if it were a major, wouldn’t Greg Norman have choked in 1994? 😉
I started a forum thread on this topic, so feel free to respond either here or there.
Rick Arnett seems to agree.
the reason for the “5th major” promo is all by the media. simply put, it sells. but the reality is, this is one of those tourns that is important beyond words, that is not a major.
The question is, does the TPC need the title “major”? Does this make it more attractive to players or fans? I don’t think so. All the big names are already there and the fans gather in masses. So why bother? Just go there and watch great golfing moments!