Is The Players Championship on the Verge of Major Status? The PGA Tour Hints at a Shift
The PGA Tour may have just dropped a not-so-subtle hint about how it views its crown jewel event. A new 30-second promotional video for the 52nd Players Championship, set for March 12-15 at the iconic Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass, is stirring conversation-and not just about who might win this year.
The video opens with familiar faces: Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, and Justin Thomas-all past champions-staring down the infamous par-3 17th Island Green, a hole that needs no introduction. From there, the montage shifts between triumph and heartbreak-balls splashing into the water, others finding the bottom of the cup-before culminating in one of the most iconic moments in golf history: Tiger Woods’ “Better Than Most” putt from 2001.
The screen then fades to blue with a bold message: **“March is going to be Major.” **
Now, that last line has fans and insiders buzzing. Is the PGA Tour making a push to elevate The Players to major championship status? Or is it simply leaning into the long-running debate that’s been circling golf for decades?
The Tour isn’t officially calling it a fifth major-but it’s not exactly shying away from the conversation, either. In a statement, a PGA Tour spokesperson said: “Fans and players have long discussed The Players Championship's status as a major.
We understand that it is not for us to decide. Ultimately, it is up to our sport and its fans to recognize what the professionals who play the game already know.”
That’s a telling quote. The Tour isn’t declaring The Players a major, but it’s acknowledging that the perception might already be shifting-and that the people who matter most, the players and the fans, are the ones driving that change.
A Tournament Like No Other
Let’s be clear: The Players Championship has long been the PGA Tour’s flagship event. It boasts the strongest field in golf, the largest purse, and a course that’s as iconic as it is unforgiving.
But technically, it’s never been considered one of the sport’s four major championships: The Masters, the U.S. Open, the Open Championship (British Open), and the PGA Championship.
And while the phrase “the fifth major” has been tossed around for years, the Tour itself has cooled on that language in recent seasons. Instead, it’s let the tournament’s quality and prestige speak for itself.
Still, the roots of this event run deep. When former PGA Tour Commissioner Deane Beman created The Players in 1974, it bounced around a few venues before finding a permanent home in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Since 1982, it’s been played at the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass, a venue specifically designed to test every part of a player’s game-and to create drama, especially down the stretch.
Beman believed that hosting the event at the same course every year-like Augusta National does with the Masters-would help it build a unique identity and elevate its status. And in many ways, that vision has come to life.
Who Gets to Decide What’s a Major?
Here’s where things get a little murky. There’s no official governing body that declares what is or isn’t a major championship. That might sound strange, but it’s true.
Back in the early 20th century, the majors weren’t even the same four we recognize today. In Bobby Jones’ era, the Grand Slam meant winning the U.S. and British Opens and the U.S. and British Amateurs. Jones famously won all four in 1930, a feat still revered in golf lore.
But by 1960, the landscape had shifted. The professional game had grown, and the amateur majors had lost their luster.
That year, Arnold Palmer had already won the Masters and U.S. Open when he boarded a flight to England with sportswriter Bob Drum.
Over drinks, the two casually floated the idea of a new Grand Slam-one that included the Masters, U.S. Open, the Open Championship, and the PGA.
That offhand conversation helped solidify the modern definition of golf’s majors.
So, if a conversation over cocktails could help redefine the sport once, why not a 30-second video and a growing consensus among today’s players?
The Players by the Numbers
From a competitive standpoint, The Players already walks and talks like a major.
The World Golf Hall of Fame treats a Players Championship win as equivalent to a major when it comes to its points system for induction. The FedEx Cup awards 750 points to the winner-the same as any of the four majors.
And the field? It’s consistently one of the most stacked of the year, often tougher to win than some of the traditional majors.
Then there’s the purse. Year after year, The Players offers the richest prize in golf. Combine that with the course’s reputation and the intensity of the competition, and it’s no wonder players hold the tournament in such high regard.
Just ask Rory McIlroy, who won his second Players title in a three-hole playoff with J.J. Spaun after a Monday finish.
Reflecting on the experience, McIlroy didn’t hold back:
“It’s amazing, during that four-hour rain delay or storm delay, there were a few of us in the locker room chatting, and we were all sort of consensus [that it’s] probably the best experience for a player of any golf tournament in the world.
It’s absolutely amazing.”
That’s high praise from a four-time major winner. And it echoes what many in the game have been saying for years: The Players may not officially be a major, but it sure feels like one.
A Shift Already Underway?
The PGA Tour isn’t trying to rewrite golf’s history books overnight. But it is leaning into the idea that the game evolves-and that The Players Championship might already be on par with the majors in everything but name.
Whether the rest of the sport catches up remains to be seen. But if the Tour’s latest promo is any indication, it’s not waiting around for a formal declaration. It’s already treating March like it matters.
And if the players and fans agree? That might be all the legitimacy The Players Championship needs.