Ever since I can remember, The Players has always been one of my favorite golf tournaments to watch. I’m not sure if that’s because the media hypes it up as “The Fifth Major,” or the amazing, and I mean AMAZING layout of TPC Sawgrass, or just the tour's biggest purse size of $9.5M. Be it the prestige, the adrenaline rush of hitting the 17th island green, or the ability to boost one's ranking with a high finish, this is one of the most sought after W’s each season.
So will this prestigious tourney ever truly be a “Fifth Major?” There are way too many variables to consider. First off, how would the Professional Golf Association compare how many majors pros have won pre-TPC Sawgrass? After all it wasn’t until 1974 when the first Players was held. It wouldn’t be fair for Tiger (currently has 14 majors) to break Jack's record (18 majors) if suddenly he had five chances each year instead of four. Further, those who had won the Players already and never were recognized as Major winners wouldn't be able to bask in their glory as those do today who win "real majors."
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It just doesn't seem likely that The Players ever be be deemed as a "5th Major." As a Golf Channel analyst stated late third round on the, "Some things are just irrefutable: there are 10 Commandments, 7 days in a week and there will always be 4 Majors in the PGA."
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