The Players=major?

[Power_fade]

I've noticed a lot of hype about the Player's this year. I think I saw my first commercial for the players before the first for the Masters! Thats making me wonder, since there are majors in april, june, july and august, but none in may, not to mention the fact that majors are golf's biggest ratings grabbers and profit makers, is there any chance the PGA might be considering adding a fifth major within the next little while? And if so, would that be a good idea?

[JetFan1983]

Doubtful, even though the Stadium course at TPC Sawgrass is one of the hardest on tour year after year. They gotta stick with just the four majors though, IMO, because guys like Arnie, Jack, Snead and the rest of the golfing legends only had four chances every year, and it would be unfair to them to add a fifth major. It would screw up all the stats, and stats are everything to a sports nut.

[kfowler]

Sergio would certainly be in favor of it. May be his only way to win a major.

[Shindig]

I've noticed a lot of hype about the Player's this year. I think I saw my first commercial for the players before the first for the Masters! Thats making me wonder, since there are majors in april, june, july and august, but none in may, not to mention the fact that majors are golf's biggest ratings grabbers and profit makers, is there any chance the PGA might be considering adding a fifth major within the next little while? And if so, would that be a good idea?

It's doubtful. First, the PGA doesn't decide what a major is (nor does the PGA Tour). The PGA Tour calls it a 5th major, but really, how many believe it? The Players hasn't been around long enough to be considered a major.

Sergio would certainly be in favor of it. May be his only way to win a major.

Depends. When the LPGA changed what they considered to be a major, did previous winners of the added event get retroactive credit for a major?

[HSip]

Don't know if it will ever be officially considered a major but many of the tour players themselves consider it one. It sure seems to produce "major" moments.

[buckman821]

Interesting point shindig. it's true that neither the pga or pgatour decide what a major is.

However (correct me if i am wrong) if you win a major you get a 10 year exemption on the pga tour. A regular event gets you only a 1 year exemption. I believe, again i'm not sure, that a Players Champ gets you a 5 year exemption.

my numbers might be way off but i'm sure somebody on here knows what I am talking about and can correct me.

it all comes down to what you define as a major. This (years of exempt status) might be the closest thing to a formal definition we have. The truth is though that a major is a major when it is perceived as a majors.

remember Us open, british open, us am, british am? - it's all subject to change.

[buckman821]

wow. ok. so i did i little research, guess i should have done that first since my numbers were waaay off. I thought I remembered reading it in a john feinstein book.

heres how it breaks down

PGA, Masters, British, US Open, AND Players = ALL 10 year exemptions
Tour Championship and all WGC events = 3 year exemptions
Normal PGA Tour event = 2 year exemption

So, in this measure, yes, it is a major.
Seems to me like a 5 year exemption would be a little more fitting, putting the players championship somewhere between a WGC and a major in importance.

[iacas]

PGA, Masters, British, US Open, AND Players = ALL 10 year exemptions

No, that's just the PGA Tour trying to amp up the importance of its own event.

[buckman821]

No, that's just the PGA Tour trying to amp up the importance of its own event.

Haha. This makes a lot of sense. My thinking seems a little muddled...it was very late.

[iacas]

Haha. This makes a lot of sense. My thinking seems a little muddled...it was very late.

They do have one of the "strongest fields" in golf, which they like to promote, too. No denying that.

But for various reasons, I hope the majors are always capped at four, and unless we lose the PGA or the Masters (we won't be losing the two Opens), the Players will be just another "big tournament" throughout the year, kind of like some of the others: Quail Hollow (formerly Wachovia), the AT&T; with Tiger, some of the WGC events... It's ever so slightly ahead of those in my opinion. But yeah, like I said, the PGA Tour themselves does everything they can to make it "major-ish." They don't control any of the majors (unlike on the LPGA Tour), so this is the best they can do.

[Shindig]

wow. ok. so i did i little research, guess i should have done that first since my numbers were waaay off. I thought I remembered reading it in a john feinstein book.

You must have an old book. The exemptions for majors are now 5 years. I suspect The Players is at most 5 now, too. That's why Todd Hamilton's recent good play is so important to him: he is nearing the end of his exemption from the 2004 British Open.

[David in FL]

Nope.

Not in my opinion.

[buckman821]

You must have an old book. The exemptions for majors are now 5 years. I suspect The Players is at most 5 now, too. That's why Todd Hamilton's recent good play is so important to him: he is nearing the end of his exemption from the 2004 British Open.

Right you are. No more posting on forums when I'm that sleep deprived.

I think the fact of the matter is this. It's the 5th biggest tournament in golf. Whether or not you call it a major is irrelevant - it will still be the 5th biggest in golf. Having said that, I think its a lot closer to some of the bigger regular events than it is to the majors.

[NorCalGolfer]

I could really care less whether they decide to make it a major or not. But if it does become a major, I will never give Sergio credit for it. He can lick balls for all I care. And by balls, I mean human testicles.

[uttexas]

ha, good one

[Shorty]

I could really care less whether they decide to make it a major or not. But if it does become a major, I will never give Sergio credit for it. He can lick balls for all I care. And by balls, I mean human testicles.

"Could care less"???????????????????? You mean"Couldn't care less", surely.

It won't ever become a major - it's a ridiculous proposition, so why use it as an excuse to bag Garcia, even though I agree he is a jerk.

[tuckerhankdad]

"Could care less"???????????????????? You mean"Couldn't care less", surely.

Nice thread gentlemen.

Thanks Shorty for pointing this out...that annoys the hell out of me when people say the COULD CARE less when it is COULDN'T! Also great points Mr. Bareski...indeed it is the usually strongest field of any event. The Players is not a major and most likely never will be considered a major...but I do think it is a GREAT tournament and it is the 5th "best" tourney--here's why. On Sunday if it's a tight race the potential drama at 17 and 18 can be outstanding. Think about O'Hair down the stretch and Goydos in the playoff and what happened to them at 17 last year...and 16 can also add a lot of drama...think about Craig Perks incredible three hole finish several years ago. The finishing holes alone make it fun to watch. I was lucky enough to be there when Pate jumped in the lake the first year the event was played on the Stadium course...I haven't been back unfortunately as I live in Texas now. On more quick question: Eric what do you mean by "unless we lose the PGA or The Masters"? Just wondering--thanks.

[Prairie Golfer]

In the late 1960s the PGA Tour players got a divorce from the PGA of America and this tournament was founded as their championship a few years later. The PGA Championship and The TPC are pretty much the same thing except for club pros and sixty years of history. For the TPC to rise up to major status either the Tour pros quit competing in the PGA or Augusta National decides not to hold The Masters any more.