The Players Championship

[jrm1493]

How surprising that an English chap like yourself would view the Open as the most important major.

I'm an American and I consider the Open to be the most important major; its not just restricted to Brits. I did live outside London for a year in HS so I guess that may bias me somewhat; I think its the most important because it was where the game was invented and the courses that they play on are closer to what the game was originally played on.

[Left Is Right]

I dont think either major is more important then the other they are all the same in my eyes(like big m said)

I mean if i was on the tour and just won the pga i wouldn't be like crap i just won the suckiest major, no! id be like wow i just won one of the four equally greatest tournaments in golf competing with the best players from all overs the world and came out on top

they are all equal and the players should not be a major

When i referered to it as a minor major i was saying that its in my opinion one of the better and more prestigious non majors with a nice course and top players

[BallCrusher]

No we shouldn't. It's relatively new compared to current majors. Booo.. no history.

[AmenCorner]

I dont think either major is more important then the other they are all the same in my eyes(like big m said)

They are "equal" in the sense that they are all majors, none officially better than the next. However, there is no doubt that players would rather win some more than others. I bet you almost nobody out there would prefer to win the PGA over either Open or The Masters. In my eyes, that means that they are not perfectly equal.

[Lefty731PM]

I mean if i was on the tour and just won the pga i wouldn't be like crap i just won the suckiest major, no! id be like wow i just won one of the four equally greatest tournaments in golf competing with the best players from all overs the world and came out on top

Really? If I had been playing and I won the tournament and they were giving me the trophy, I'd be pushing it away and screaming "Get that vile thing away from me!. I was only here for some practice."

No-one is suggesting that te PGA it it is not a major. The fact remains that it is regarded as the least prestigious of the big four. Incredibly prestigious, but not quite as much as the other three. You need to think about what people are actually saying in these threads. We're talking about what the players say and think. One of the reasons is that some club pros have qualified to play. I mean, it is the PGA play and some of the (greedier?) players (who have not qualified) believe that that weakens the field. Now I await someone to ask what PGA stands for. We've just had someone in another thread ask what R&A; stood for.

[AmenCorner]

Champions Tour has five.

Good reasoning.

[Thrash13]

I'm happy there are only four majors, but The Players Championship is definitely not far behind. There is a reason a lot of professionals consider it the "fifth major." The course is very good, and the field is great as well. This year, 45 of the top 50 are teeing it up. Tiger and Arron Oberholser are nursing injuries as well, so it would be 47 out of 50. That's top-notch right there. On my list of favorites, The Players is only behind The Ryder Cup and U.S. Open.

As for this year's Players, my Thrash Talk this week talks about it. Look for that on Thursday.

[Avid Golfer]

So really, im saying that The Players is a very important tournament and could be considered a 'Major'. Its o a tough course and all the best players are there.

That is why I consider it a major.

It is played on a well designed, and skill testing golf course that is important for a major to have. It also has a strong (usually the strongest) field every year. It has a history of having winners (and contenders) who have preformed well over long periods of time and often in the other majors (including golfers like Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Raymond Floyd, Fred Couples, Tom Kite, Steve Elkington, Davis Love III, Nick Price, Greg Norman, Justin Leonard, and Phil Mickelson). Like all tournaments it has its weaker winners (like Jodie Mudd, Craig Perks, and Stephen Ames) who never amount to much, but they are the exception rather than the rule. You can find a list of winners, contenders (also a strong list), and additional information on the Players Championship at the link below: http://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/r011/winners.html

[Thrash13]

I wouldn't list Stephen Ames as a weak winner at all. He has been in the top 50 in the world quite a bit in the last few years, including 30th right now. And as far as Ames' win goes, it was honestly one of the most impressive performances I've seen in the last decade by anyone not named Tiger Woods. Ames' play was more impressive than DL3's blowout win because of the tougher conditions.

I'm not a Stephen Ames fan either for what it's worth.

[Lefty731PM]

That is why I consider it a major.

Well, you're insane. There are 4 majors. No more, no less.

Tell Adam Scott that he's won as many majors as Geoff Ogilvy and see what reaction you get from both of them.

[Craig Mac]

Tell Adam Scott that he's won as many majors as Geoff Ogilvy and see what reaction you get from both of them.

I would have to agree with that good point.

[rudygu]

Well, you're insane. There are 4 majors. No more, no less.

I agree - except for calling Avid Golfer insane for having a different opinion than yourself.

[Elsfan]

I agree - except for calling Avid Golfer insane for having a different opinion than yourself.

True. If he had the same opinion I might call him insane.

[Lefty731PM]

I agree - except for calling Avid Golfer insane for having a different opinion than yourself.

I do not have the "opinion" that The Players is not a major.

For him to claim that it is a major is hardly logical. If I said that it was my opinion that Tiger Woods was a potato, would you say that my opinion was valid? What if I said that a 19 degree hybrid was a cut down 3 wood? You'd be correct in calling me an idiot. The Players is not a major. That is a matter of fact, not opinion. My reference to Scott and Ogilvy was intended to prove that saying that The Players was a major is insane. Note" There is a difference between saying "is" and "should be".

[Avid Golfer]

Well, you're insane. There are 4 majors. No more, no less.

Perhaps you did not read my post carefully. I stated that

I consider it a major. I never said that the media, or general public (who generally don't know much about golf and its history ) consider it a major. When you look at the course, field, and benefits for winning (exemptions, etc), and the type of players that win and contend it is not difficult to understand why it has often been refered to as the fifth major. It may not be called a major by the clueless media, but it offers many of the same perks that players get for winning the official majors.

[Frank-0-Sport]

Greetings ....

While not necessarily the most important stat, the Players Championship will once again have the largest purse in golf - $9.5 million overall, with $1.71 million to the winner. For the first time in PGA Tour history, a solo 2nd place finish will be worth over $1 million - $1,026,000 to be exact. 3rd place is $646,000, larger than the 1st prize at all official money events of $3.50-million and under, larger than the 2nd place prizes in many events.

The priceless rewards of a Players Championship win are as follows ....

• 5-yr exemption for the PGA Tour as well as the event itself
• 3-yr exemption for the Masters (2009-10-11) and British Open (2008-09-10).
• 1-yr exemption, in 2008, (WHAT!?!) for the US Open and PGA Championship.

... plus the satisfaction of having beaten one of the best fields in golf, even if Mr. Woods is not teeing it up!

Thanx-A-Lot, Frank-0-Sport

[rudygu]

If I said that it was my opinion that Tiger Woods was a potato, would you say that my opinion was valid?

Point taken, lol.

The Players is not a major. That is a matter of fact, not opinion. My reference to Scott and Ogilvy was intended to prove that saying that The Players was a major is insane.

I already said you were right...I just didn't see any need to call him insane to get your point across. Forgive me for mistakenly using the word "opinion" in my first post

[hawkeye]

Just turned on Live at the Players on PGA Tour dot com - Poulter scores a 2!

My man Harrington birdies one and two! He's the only Irish player playing on any major tour this week - looking to make it 4 in a row for Ireland!

Come on Paddy!