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I am not so sure about the Player's Championship being a major. In a way, I think it is unfair designating an event as a major that Sam Snead nor Ben Hogan had a chance to compete. Same with Gene Sarazen. However, it may be unfair to keep it from being a major due to it coming so late. I think golfers and the media would have to decide which of the four majors to remove from major status (most likely the PGA with Masters second). I don't think the idea of 5 majors is very good.

I am in the minority of the Player's moving to May being a bad idea. Part of the intrigue of this event to me is the 25-40 mph wind gusts in March. Actually, this may make this event play a little bit easier, since wind won't be a factor.

I think moving this event to May is good because it fills the gap between the Masters and the U.S. Open.

I don't think it should be a Major, though.

I don't like the idea of the Players Championship being a major either. Either way, isn't it really just a designation?

IMHO, the WGC Events are like mini-Majors. A plethora of the world's best players are there just there is for the Majors. Did they have an equivalent event to ANY of the WGC Events when Nicklaus, Player, Palmer, Trevino, etc. were playing?

For one, it sort of is treated as a major, or at least has a lot of the same characteristics of one, by the players. This one has sort of taken the place of the PGA in many players' minds I think. The PGA would obviously fight any removal of 'major' for its tournament, but the practical effect is that the Players' has already replaced the PGA, from a tour player's perspective. So now it's really just getting the media to recognize that, and that should do it.

I may be in the minority that thinks it would be good to replace the PGA with the Players. The majors today aren't the same as they were years ago so I don't have a problem with them changing it up. The PGA would fight like crazy but that's another thread.

I think each major (other than the PGA) has an identity that makes it special.

The Masters has its history, traditions and Augusta National. Everyone that follows golf knows the course so it's easy to identify with when you watch and the history is unique.

The U.S. Open is 'our' national championship and is recognized as tough (often ridiculously so) test of golf's greatest players.

The British Open is 'The Open Championship' and has a history like none other. It features a unique type of golf often not played in the air like American Golf.

The PGA to me is just a watered down U.S. Open. That being said, I don't care if they keep it or use the Players but I think building a course for the PGA would help it become a major more could identify with.

The Players would have Sawgrass which has perhaps the most recognizable hole in golf and can supply late final round drama with 17 and 18. There's no history there but in a way there is.

I wonder if folks who had won it in the past would now be considered Major Champions? Davis would have two more majors. Would PGA champs no longer be major winners or would you just say starting this date the PGA is no longer a major and future champions wouldn't be considered major champions? I guess you'd have to do it that way or it would play **** with records. Plus, while the Players is treated with great respect, I don't think there is the pressure during the final round that there is at a major. It's an important tournament for sure but I would assume nothing chokes a player with weaknesses in his game like the final round of a major.

Green Jacket, US Open Trophy, Claret Jug, Wannamaker Trophy....and a 9 lb hunk of Waterford crystal.

1934, 1895, 1860, 1916....and 1974.

The Championship Committee of Augusta National holds one tournament per year - albeit the best run tournament anywhere. The golf ruling body of the United States and Mexico conducts 13 national championships, including the US Open. The golf ruling body for the rest of the world conducts 11 international championships, including the Open Championship. The organization for 28,000 teaching professional based in the USA condutcs 40 events for its member professionals, including the PGA Championship (one of men's golf's four major championships), the Ryder Cup (the biggest spectacle in golf), and the Senior PGA Championship (one of the five senior majors). The PGA Tour has a weekly tournament 41 times a year, including the Players Championship.

No, I don't think the TPC is or should ever be a major.

I've been down this road before, but this time, I totally agree with MKING7 and the PGA should go as a major, mainly because they let 25 club pros in the tournament thus "watering" down the field. Also, it is the only major that the PGA has any control over and they are not tournament oriented.

They Players has, IMHO, the strongest field of any tournament and warrants major status. I've heard arguments that it would be except for No. 17 at Sawgrass, but that's no worse than what the USGA does to "identify" the best players on tricked up courses ala Payne Stewart. The idea of awarding previous winners a major is just fine and let the past PGA winners keep their wins as majors. No one loses. Remember, Walter Hagen won 4 Western Opens when it was a major and when taken off the major list, 4 major wins were deducted from Walter Hagen. He also won 5 PGA's winning 4 in a row

Unless I missed my guess, the Players invites the top 150 ranked players and if the rankings are honest, you have the best players in the world (but the ranking system is a separate issue with me) and with this field, how can you honestly deny major status?

Well, you can talk about the 25 club pros watering down the field for the PGA Championship but the U.S. Open also has qualifiers from all around. I don't think that's a good case for getting rid of the PGA Championship as a major. I think it actually adds a little something special to the tournament.

I don't think the Players should be added as a major but if it is, I would hope that it becomes a 5th major and doesn't replace any current major.

There are a few points here that I would take issue with ;

Golf fanatic shall we cancel the masters because Bobby Jones, Harry Vardon and Walter Hagen never competed in it ?

Walter Hagen won 5 western opens but they were not considered majors outside the US due to the fact that very few foreign players attended. Now you could argue that at the time you had most of the best players but that does not change the fact that the open and us open , the us and british amateurs were the majors then.

I would argue that the feild at the masters is no stronger than that at the PGA due to the inclusion of aging past champions and amateurs , dont get me wrong I love that about the masters but it is still a relevent factor in the debate.

My last point and most important point though is why oh why are you North Americans so parochial ? Why should another major be in the US at all ? Please do not tell me its all about money surely the majors should transcend just plain lucre . what about developing our great game in other parts of the world ? How about a major in the Asia or South Africa or even Japan.

I actually enjoy the PGA Championship event. Am I on my own here

I agree with a couple points here.

First, the PGA does lack the character that the others have and I don't think any tears would be shed (other than from the PGA organisation) if it were to be stipped of its major status in favor of the Players' or another.

Second, that is a good point about why would the next or new major have to be in the US. It would be interesting to have say a European Open as a major. But I think the reason the Players' is touted as a major is not because it's in the US, just that it is a well established tournament that draws the top field. I don't know if you could instantly change that to establish something like a European Open say.

Don't worry. I'm with you.

Gintonic I think some of the european events get some support from us players I am thinking of the Dubai desert classic and the Deutsche bank / bmw tournament in germany.

Actually the qualification from the PGA Professional National Championship was reduced to 20. But even when it was at 25, the PGA Championship still had the most Top 100 players (typically 95-98) of any of the four majors - not just last year, but for every year in the last decade. Back when it had 40 club pros competing, I think the "watered down field" argument had more weight.

Without question the last major has less prestige than the other three. But even though I am intimately familiar with TPC - served as a volunteer for three years, and my family has had tickets for the last 20+ - it simply is not a major. Kind of like that Senator who couldn't define pornography but knew it when he saw it...I've been to three US Opens, a PGA, the last Ryder Cup, dozens of tour events, and six Players. It's an important event, for sure, but it lacks the pressure of the grand slam events.

As Sluman once said, when you go to Denny's and order the grand slam, they don't bring you five items.