The Players Championship has always had a strong reputation, and there are more than a few signs that it could soon become an official major.
The way people see the event is also starting to shift. In 2020, Rory McIlroy called The Players Championship ‘the greatest non-major we have’, but over time that label seems to be changing.
Chamblee spoke recently about whether The Players will ever reach major status, noting:
“Well, I think it already is,” he said on Golf Channel. “You look at the history of this championship… it is essentially the same as the Masters. Both of them were begun by great players. Augusta National started in 1934 with Bobby Jones… and in 1974 they had Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer establish what is now known as TPC Sawgrass.”
Chamblee backs Players as a major with strong endorsement
Chamblee has never held back when it comes to speaking his mind about the game, and he didn’t shy away from this topic either.
The conversation around whether the Players should be recognised as a fifth major came up during Friday’s coverage of the WM Phoenix Open, and Chamblee was asked for his view on the matter.
Appearing on Golf Channel, Chamblee said:
“We’ve been doing a ‘Live From The Players Championship’ since 2004, since I first started working at the Golf Channel. Just by that mere fact, we give it the attention of a major championship, we give it that prestige.”
The discussion isn’t just about whether it deserves that label — many already treat it with similar importance. It’s about where tradition meets evolution in golf.
Brandel Chamblee backs Players Championship status by referencing the Masters
Chamblee was asked whether Rory McIlroy would feel the same nerves and anticipation on a Saturday night at TPC Sawgrass as he would at Augusta National.
Chamblee responded: “But by virtue of the designation of it being a major championship, there is more prestige attributed to it.”
He continued: “We don’t say Jack Nicklaus won 21 major championships because he won the Players’ Championship three times back in the ’70s.”
“So if you add the four major championships, there were six major championships.”
The question remains whether The Players Championship would immediately be held in the same regard as golf’s other four majors if that change were ever made.
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