Is The PLAYERS the 5th Major?

When The PLAYERS rolls around each year talk inevitably turns to the question of it’s status in the pantheon of world golf- is this the 5^th Major?

The old adage seems to apply, that if it walks like a duck, talks like a duck and looks like a duck, then it’s a duck. But nothing is ever that easy in the tradition bound universe that is championship golf.

The golf commentariat seems to be trending toward recognition or affirmation that The PLAYERS should be awarded the same status as the current, acknowledged quartet of major championships: The OPEN, the U.S. Open and The MASTERS. At least that’s the predominant flavor of Golf Channel’s prime time panel at their nightly broadcast from TPC Sawgrass.

The estimable Rich Lerner plays referee and devil’s advocate with the trio of former pro’s who comprise their banner team- Brandel Chamblee, Frank Nobilo and David Duval.

Duval is far and away the man with the best bona fides from a playing career standpoint and he opened Tuesday night’s telecast with a flat out declaration that “it is the fifth major”. Chamblee, ever the contrarian, played against type and wholeheartedly agreed with Duval. Lerner made the case for the PGA Tour to flat out declare it a fair accompli.

Frank Nobilo, who has practically made a broadcast career from disagreeing with his loquacious partner, Chamblee, was a predictable naysayer.

The attached clip from Monday’s Golf Channel broadcast details the various arguments.

As I see it, the designation of “major status” isn’t something that can’t be asserted by any entity, especially by a unilateral declaration from the PGA Tour. That would be hubris and self-defeating. Think about how the LPGA Tour, just a few years ago, decided to up their major count from four to five by elevating the regular tour event, the Evian Championship, as it’s fifth major. If most of the golf world noticed, they were snickering.

It just ain’t that simple.

Status, like respect, needs to be earned. And many times even that isn’t enough.

There are many arguments that augur for 5^th Major status for the PLAYERS:

• It consistently hosts the strongest field in world golf.
• It’s the flagship property of the PGA TOUR, which is the best golf product in the world.
• Each of the other 4 majors are hosted by entities that have nothing, or little, to do with today’s professional golfer, while the PGA TOUR is a pro players enterprise.
• The difficulty of the course and tournament are such that it demands elevated status.
• It’s a de facto major already, given the way the players prepare for and approach it.
• It’s been the deciding factor in electing players on the margin of eligibility for the Golf Hall of Fame.
• It will increase interest in golf from the casual fan and help grow the game.

Decent points all but not convincing.

On the other side of the ledger, there are also various arguments, including:

• Tradition- it’s 4 now and forever more.
• It will confuse the historical record and make comparisons of the game’s greatest players more problematic.
• It will short change Champions from earlier days as a fifth major will dilute the value of a major championship.
• It’s patently unfair to change the rules of the “greatness game” in mid form, since champs like Jack and Arnie didn’t really have an opportunity to play their entire careers with a PLAYERS. (It‘s worth remembering that Jack still won 3 PLAYERS).
• The interests of growing golf on a global scale are not well served by establishing yet another major based in the U.S.

In my mind, The PLAYERS seems to be that proverbial duck. But I’m not calling it the 5^th Major. The powers that be, or some evolving consensus of the world golf community might some day just end up deigning the championship an “official” major. Isn’t that what happened with The MASTERS back in the fifties?

I can wait it out and some fun in the meantime debating the question.

While we wait, we can enjoy the high caliber of play and ensuing drama that The PLAYERS delivers year after year. As Frank Nobilo put it, “let’s enjoy the special status of this stand alone event”.