How long before the golf channel announcers call the players "the 5th major"?

[Bad9]

I'm on the other side, it's a very important tournament. It's basically a WGC-level field except there is a cut and it's played on an iconic, difficult golf course. To me those things add up to higher quality and more compelling golf than some of the majors, particularly the PGA.

 

Important? Do the pros prepare the same way for this tournament as the other 4 majors? Do they turn up a week before to check the course out? I think not....

 

Beats me, but it's worth the same amount of FEC points as a major to me that's pretty important. I have no idea how often pros go to tournament sites early when the course is the same year after year. The obvious exception is the Masters but I think anyone who loves golf would play that course as much as possible whenever given the chance. Again, I have no clue just an important tournament in my view.

 

Its worth the same FEC points as a major because the PGA Tour gave it that many. Its not a coincidence that the PGA Tour owns the Players and the FEC and wants people to think of the Players as the 5th major and is doing everything it can to try and make that happen. The Players is the 5th most prestigious professional golf tournament in the world but it is not a major.

[toc]

I'm on the other side, it's a very important tournament. It's basically a WGC-level field except there is a cut and it's played on an iconic, difficult golf course. To me those things add up to higher quality and more compelling golf than some of the majors, particularly the PGA.

 

Important? Do the pros prepare the same way for this tournament as the other 4 majors? Do they turn up a week before to check the course out? I think not....

 

Beats me, but it's worth the same amount of FEC points as a major to me that's pretty important. I have no idea how often pros go to tournament sites early when the course is the same year after year. The obvious exception is the Masters but I think anyone who loves golf would play that course as much as possible whenever given the chance. Again, I have no clue just an important tournament in my view.

 

Its worth the same FEC points as a major because the PGA Tour gave it that many. Its not a coincidence that the PGA Tour owns the Players and the FEC and wants people to think of the Players as the 5th major and is doing everything it can to try and make that happen. The Players is the 5th most prestigious professional golf tournament in the world but it is not a major.

 

Yea the whole FEC is a PGA Tour-contrived event, but it's still 10 million bucks and gets every player's attention. The Players gets an outstanding field of players, regardless of the rea$on that brings them.

[Vindog]

PGA Championship is worth 10 mil as well. Win that and you get the high purse, as many FedEx points, more OWGR points AND a Major Championship Victory.

[Bad9]

I'm on the other side, it's a very important tournament. It's basically a WGC-level field except there is a cut and it's played on an iconic, difficult golf course. To me those things add up to higher quality and more compelling golf than some of the majors, particularly the PGA.

 

Important? Do the pros prepare the same way for this tournament as the other 4 majors? Do they turn up a week before to check the course out? I think not....

 

Beats me, but it's worth the same amount of FEC points as a major to me that's pretty important. I have no idea how often pros go to tournament sites early when the course is the same year after year. The obvious exception is the Masters but I think anyone who loves golf would play that course as much as possible whenever given the chance. Again, I have no clue just an important tournament in my view.

 

Its worth the same FEC points as a major because the PGA Tour gave it that many. Its not a coincidence that the PGA Tour owns the Players and the FEC and wants people to think of the Players as the 5th major and is doing everything it can to try and make that happen. The Players is the 5th most prestigious professional golf tournament in the world but it is not a major.

 

Yea the whole FEC is a PGA Tour-contrived event, but it's still 10 million bucks and gets every player's attention. The Players gets an outstanding field of players, regardless of the rea$on that brings them.

 

And the Masters gets the weakest field but no one would argue its not a major.

[toc]

 

 

Yea the whole FEC is a PGA Tour-contrived event, but it's still 10 million bucks and gets every player's attention. The Players gets an outstanding field of players, regardless of the rea$on that brings them.

 

And the Masters gets the weakest field but no one would argue its not a major.

 

It's definitely a debate (an unimportant one in the grand scheme of things) that will never be settled. I don't think they should officially declare it a major because it'll retroactively impact so many career records but I'm ok with it being called the unofficial 5th major.

[Lagavulin62]

I remember when it was a roaming event in the mid 70's. It came to Colonial and the only reason I cared was because it meant Jack and Arnold would show up. Jack didn't really like Colonial in those days, it was too restricting for his knock the socks off style. Then when they first moved to Sawgrass I thought that was the ugliest course I had ever seen and they were winning with something like +1 I believe? Really stupid golf to me. Then Dye courses have never apoealed to me with all the water and crossties. So this whole tournament has always been over hyped and I never cared at all about it except that one year in the 70's. ... I looked at the photo display that is promoting the changes to a few holes and not impressed at all. I know I'm a minority. I think the Stanley Cup trumps TPC anyday.

[disco111]

Since this general subject has another life on another thread, I'll just repeat what I offered there - here...........

 

The original Grand Slam or "The Impregnable Quadrilateral" or whatever the golf writers wished to call it, was the British and American AM's and Opens (1930 Bobby Jones). Since then, the AM's have been dropped and replaced by the Masters and the PGA. Whom ever was the designator(s) for replacing and anointing the title of modern Grand Slam surely had the blessings of the USGA and R&A. So then, the premise that either a new major could/should be added or even a current one replaced, really is not that far fetched. The main proviso, at least IMO, would be the money return on investment.

 

Now the following is nothing more than wishful thinking, but if an amature was to surface and repeat the original Jones slam, you have to wonder what the golf overlords would call it and how would it be addressed in the record books.

[AmazinBlue]

To all of a sudden declare the Players a Major would be akin to changing golf history and "replacing" an existing major with the players is just crazy. I know 95% of this is tongue-in-cheek, but don't even hint at suggesting replacing the Masters with the Players, that is downright blasphemy!

 

I like Players more than the PGA and I'm in favor of moving the Players back to March the PGA to May, but you have to do away with one of the WGC events, there is too much already packed into March and non-major events are not getting prime fields now because of the two WGC within a few weeks of each other.

 

And one other thing, the 17th at Sawgrass is NOT the most famous par-3 in golf, the 12th at Augusta is!

[umassgolfer]

Oh boy, this again...

 

- Not every big tournament has to be a major. Some can simply be more important tournaments than others.

- The Players definitely has the pedigree of a Major - past champions, venue, purse, etc. And it does stand to reason that the PGA Tour would run a major, given their stature in the professional game.

- Obviously the announcers are going to call it the 5th Major. That's what the PGA Tour wants and they are in no position to upset the TOUR.

 

Whats funny to me is calling it the 5th major acknowledges it isn't a "true" major. Otherwise, it would be the year's second Major. No one calls the Masters the third major...which it would be since OPEN and US Open are older.