STRIPED or SHANKED: Should THE PLAYERS Become the Fifth Major?

I feel like this is an annual conversation, like whether you’re aunt asks if you’re having kids yet dinner Thanksgiving dinner: should THE PLAYERS be designated golf’s fifth Major?

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Rather than focusing on the fact that The Open Championship was about to kick off, Brandel Chamblee by claiming from the set of Golf Channel “Live From” that THE PLAYERS officially become golf’s fifth Major, stating:

“LIV has managed to poach some compelling players away from the PGA Tour, and it’s made the majors more compelling. But I think there should be more sting in defecting away from the PGA Tour. I can’t think of a better way to do that than make the Players Championship a major. It should have been a major eons ago, and in my view it is. But it should have that designation. The PGA Tour has the power to do that. The players have the power to do that.”

Brandel continues to believe that LIV is the first sign of the apocalypse, despite the fact that the TOUR and DP World Tour have an agreement to work together and form a unified, super league. So rather than focusing on his continued disdain for LIV, allow me to explain to you why Brandel’s take is a complete shank and that THE PLAYERS should never be officially designated as a Major.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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First, there is only one Major that is held annually at the same location-The Masters at Augusta National Golf Club. And as much as I like TPC Sawgrass, it should not be put on a pedestal alongside the hallowed ground that is Augusta National (just ask PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan, who’s trying to squeeze an Augusta membership out of the LIV-PGA-DPWT combination).

Second, golf will not benefit from a “Major” that excludes the world’s best golfers. Contrary to Brandel’s personal desires, the simple fact is that golf suffered when the LIV golfers were cut out of events. Indeed, the elevated events have been a complete disappointment, with many golfers withdrawing from the events—despite facing a financial penalty—and ratings crashed.

Third, maybe it’s just me, but there are more than enough parkland and stadium/championship courses already on the schedule. And with three of the four Majors already hosted on U.S. soil, adding a fourth just sounds like we’ll be forcing more of the same, played-out stroke-play golf that nobody wants.

If you’re genuinely interested in “creating” a new Major, please, for the Love of Golf, take it somewhere that actually will spur some interest in golf and bring with it some new, uncommon challenges with it.

One of my favorite takes from Golf Twitter—who were sharpening their pitchforks right after Brandel made this proclamation—is that the best site for a fifth Major would be Australia. I mean, look at this place?!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by ⛳️Gary Lisbon Golf Photography (@garylisbongolf)

Except for hosting The President’s Cup (and other local events that get zero media coverage), we do not get any sandbelt golf, which is such a letdown since Australia offers a unique combination of links elements—fast, firm, undulating terrain—with a completely different spin on it.

THE PLAYERS is already a great event, but simply calling it a Major doesn’t mean it’ll magically have the allure of the Masters, the grit of the U.S. Open, or the excitement of The Open Championship.

Cover Image via GolfWeek