GOLF.AI • Mar 10, 2026

The Fifth Major Debate Heats Up

The week of THE PLAYERS Championship has once again fanned the flames of professional golf's most passionate civil war of opinion: should the event be considered the fifth major? The debate has been amplified by provocative new marketing from PGA Tour leadership, who are using the tagline, "March is going to be major."

The battle lines are sharply drawn between staunch advocates and unwavering traditionalists. Billy Horschel stands as a vocal proponent, arguing the tournament's elite field and 50-year history are enough to warrant the status. "Me, personally, I think it's a major," Horschel stated, adding that if he won he could "walk away into the sunset a very happy man."

In direct opposition, LIV Golf captain and 2007 PLAYERS champion Phil Mickelson offered a blunt dismissal on social media. When asked about the tournament's major status, he simply stated, "I've won it. It's not."

This fight for respect is mirrored in the history of the host course, TPC Sawgrass. When it debuted in 1982, Ben Crenshaw famously criticized the design as "Star Wars golf, designed by Darth Vader." Crenshaw later reversed his stance after modifications were made, a journey that reflects the tournament's own evolution.

Adding a modern media voice to the discussion, journalist Dan Rapaport has asserted that he believes THE PLAYERS is a "better golf tournament" than the PGA Championship, ranking it fourth in his personal hierarchy of events, further muddying the waters of tradition versus prestige.