Respect tradition, not be bound by it. Are the PGA TOUR preparing to declare The Players as a Major?

Remember when you were a teenager, you probably at some point needed to borrow some money from mum and dad. To prepare them to be asked for a loan, you might do some extra chores, make dinner or a cup of tea on a more regular basis. Buttering them up to ask them for £20 for a night out.

Golfers, you too are being buttered up.

Last week the PGA TOUR launched its television advertising for next month's Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass, and the ending to it says 'March is Major'. This was planting the seed.

Then the mainstream media took up the baton, with Golf Channel discussing whether The Players was a major during Golf Central at the WM Phoenix Open. "The Players, to me, stands alone and above the other four major championships as not just a major, it is in my estimation, the best major." The comments of analyst and former PGA TOUR player, Brandel Chamblee. He then followed this up on the Sky Sports Golf Podcast with Jamie Weir during the week, and then the baton was passed to Social Media.

In the main , the reaction has been overwhelmingly negative towards the idea of The Players Championship becoming a major, but discussion and debate means there has been engagement with the issue.

On Tuesday of The Players Championship week, the PGA TOUR Commissioner, now CEO, usually addresses the assembled media, and Golfers, I just have a feeling that Brian Rolapp may just be preparing to make one of the most significant announcements in the history of the sport.

When Rolapp assumed his role in June 2025 he penned an open letter to the members of the PGA TOUR, in it he said:

"I’m honored to step into the role of CEO of the PGA TOUR.

Golf has one of the deepest histories and many of the most timeless traditions in all of sports. That history and those traditions have inspired generations of players and fans, creating both a game and a TOUR that millions around the world love. At the same time, professional golf is evolving, as are the ways fans consume sports. My goal as CEO is to honor golf’s traditions but not be overly bound by them.

Over the past few years, the TOUR has made meaningful progress in addressing these changes—from creating more opportunities for players to improving the competitive structure and enhancing the fan experience. But there’s still significant work to do and incredible opportunity remains ahead. From creating the highest quality golf product that includes the best players in the world, to strengthening commercial partnerships—as I spoke to players, board members, and fans in recent months, I felt drawn to this potential.

I come from the National Football League, so I’ll be the first to admit—I’ve got a lot to learn about golf. But I love the game, I play the game, and I am a PGA TOUR fan myself. To that end, I cannot wait to meet every one of our players, get in front of as many fans as possible, and better understand the needs of our partners. I’m all in.

I am here with deep respect and curiosity to listen, learn from all of you, and help take the TOUR to the next level. Players are central to everything we do, and making sure they are supported and heard will be a top priority. At the same time, we are going to keep challenging ourselves to grow the game in new ways, reach new fans, and create a TOUR that reflects the future of sports and entertainment.

Respect the past. Build the future. Let’s move forward together."

The PGA TOUR is the world's leading professional golf tour, despite remaining largely American-centric and not showing much regard for how the rest of the world connects with this great sport. They must be reminded that the sport is Golf and not the PGA TOUR. Having said that, there is no doubt that the PGA TOUR is the world's premier platform for golf, and the one which impacts the most golfers and has the greatest community impact. Week-in-week-out it is the most consumed golf on the planet across TV, streaming and social media with more than 17 million followers across Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok. It is the TOUR with the largest percentage of the world's best golfers and it is the TOUR with the richest purses in the sport across the season.

BUT, the stone cold undeniable fact is currently the PGA TOUR does not own any of the five biggest events in Men's golf. Augusta National Golf Club owns The Masters, the PGA of America owns the PGA Championship, the USGA owns the US Open, the R&A owns The Open, and the PGA of America and Ryder Cup Europe Ltd own the Ryder Cup. The members of the PGA TOUR, their administration and many of their fans can make a credible argument that The Players Championship should be a Major, it is just that the vast majority of golfers around the world do not agree with them, and believe that there only four majors, no matter the credentials of any other tournament on the planet.

This is where the initial comments from Brian Rolapp should be taken notice of.

"My goal as CEO is to honor golf’s traditions but not be overly bound by them. we are going to keep challenging ourselves to grow the game in new ways, reach new fans, and create a TOUR that reflects the future of sports and entertainment.

Respect the past. Build the future."

Golf's traditions are deep rooted, but have evolved over the last 166 years.

The current four Major Championships have not always been golf's Major Championships.

Of course, originally it was The Open Championship in 1860, the world's first championship and as the tournament landscape developed over the next four decades it was undoubtedly the world's most important championship. With the establishment of the PGA of America in 1916 the tournament landscape changed beyond recognition, and for Americans the Majors were the US Open, PGA Championship and the Western Open, along with the Metropolitan Open.

For golfers in the Commonwealth for many years the News of the World British PGA Match Play Championship was viewed as a Major Championship, with many of the world's greatest golfers outside of America playing in and winning it. The whole concept of the 'Grand Slam' only became a serious one in the 1960's and the emergence of Arnold Palmer and Mark McCormack, but since the 1960's there can be no doubt what the four major championships in men's golf have been - The Masters, US Open, The Open and the PGA Championship.

Tournaments have come and gone over the years since, which have been established to become the fifth major of men's golf. In 1978 the European Open was launched as part of the European Tour, with the aim of becoming the fifth major championship, it was played at Walton Heath Golf Club in its first few years, but eventually became a regular event on the European Tour, and never fulfilled its ambitions. In 1991 the Johnnie Walker World Golf Championship was launched by IMG and Johnnie Walker in Jamaica as a year-ending championship for the best golfers in the world, and aimed to become the fifth major, but was terminated after 5 years.

The management of the PGA TOUR, and its rank and file members know that The Players Championship is its biggest event, and one of the few the TOUR actually owns among the events on its schedule. Over the years they have allowed the media to create the noise regarding the fifth major tag, but this time it would appear they are creating the noise themselves, and it would not surprise me at all if one of the significant changes announced to the tour at Sawgrass in March, will include the status of The Players Championship.

They have shown flexibility by creating a pathway back to the PGA TOUR for Brooks Koepka, and I can see the PGA TOUR declaring The Players Championship as a Major at this year's event. I can see them saying that "we respect tradition and history, but we are not going to be bound by it. This is the strongest field in golf, and this is the home of the world's most important golf tour. We have surveyed our players and fans, and they agree, along with our media partners, that The Players Championship is a Major Championship".

This would of course generate plenty of debate and discussion across the world of golf, with many of us around the world objecting to the addition of another US-based Major. But the PGA TOUR have shown little regard for golf around the world, and they care simply about the interests of their tour and the players who play on it. Declaring The Players as a Major would enable the PGA TOUR to sell separate TV rights to the event, and enhance its sponsorship proposition for prospective partners. The crucial element to this could be the DP World Tour.

If the DP World Tour includes The Players Championship on its schedule, and recognises it as a Major, then the PGA TOUR decision will be vindicated, but if they do not then it will make the PGA TOUR a complete outlier in the world of golf.

The world awaits with baited breath as the PGA TOUR gets ready to announce changes to its schedule next month, and we should be prepared for an announcement which will shake the sport to its very foundations.

SHANK, by Matt Hooper