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Is the Players Championship the 5th Major?
Coming off the back of all the excitement of Sergio Garcia’s win at The Players Championships at Sawgrass, there have been repeated calls to acknowledge this event as the 5th major. Already billed by some as the ‘unofficial’ 5th major, there is an increasing clamour from the games modernizers that this be made official.
Of course traditionalists could not disagree more, arguing that to add another major would water down the achievement that is winning a major; something that should be the crowning glory of a career. They also say that it would short-change those who build their season around the 4 events that we currently call majors and that the Players Championship does not have the tradition associated with a major (even if this was the 89th time the event has been held).
I use the phrase ‘events that we currently call majors’ as it might surprise some that the events that we currently recognise as majors are now are not the original majors that the likes of Bobby Jones would recognise. The original majors were The Open, The Amateur Championship, The US Open and The US Amateur Championship (the first two normally being known as the British Open and the British Amateur Championship). When Bobby Jones held his 1930 grand slam of all four majors in a season, it was these events he won – not the Masters (which didn’t exist until 1934) or the PGA (which had only existed for 16 years at that point).
As an aside, for someone like Sergio including two amateur championships would finally allow him to lose the tag of most talented player never to win a major having won the British Amateur in 1998 and Tiger’s total would be boosted by 3 US Amateur Champs. But while they remain highly regarded events, the restriction to amateur players means that they will never regain the prestige that they once had and will certainly never count as majors again.
The selection of the four events we know as the majors is generally ascribed to Arnold Palmer in 1960. Having won the Masters and the US Open, he is said to have commented that if he won the British Open and the PGA he would have a grand slam to equal Bobby Jones. While Palmer’s comment was the first time that the events were mentioned as majors, they must have been known as the most prestigious events for some time for him to say that. This selection has now hardened into one of the central tenets of golf.
That the definitions of majors have changed once in the past obviously means that however unlikely, it could possibly change again. But assuming that the Players was accorded the status of a major, how would it happen – would the Players go in as a 5th major or would it replace one of the current ones?
Adding it in as the 5th major would be the easiest route as it still would not take away from the current ones. But as I mentioned earlier, would this not dilute the achievement? And why stop at adding one event, what about adding in others like the Australian Open? It is a great example of an event with excellent pedigree and a roll call of illustrious winners with the added bonus of being outside the US and therefore more appealing to the global market? Would it not create the possibility of two tiers of majors where you have your major-majors and your minor-majors (if that doesn’t sound too Gilbert and Sullivan)?
If you choose the other option and say that one of the current majors were demoted, which one would it be? While it’s only my opinion, one of them does look far more vulnerable than the others. The Open has too much tradition and an international outlook with the closest links back to the origins of the game to ever be demoted. The US Open is always set up as the toughest test in golf with the idea being that the winner should be the only person on or near par. The Masters has the pomp and ceremony (or affected gravitas and snobbery if you see it from the other side), and it has Augusta; arguably the most beautiful and demanding course in the world. That leaves the PGA somewhat sucking hind teat.
The PGA Championship used to be the grand hurrah of the season. With the increasing length of the professional golf season, this is no longer so and the addition of the end of Tour competitions on the US Tour (the Fedex Cup) and European Tour (the forthcoming Dubai World Championship) has taken away some of glare of the spotlight. Added to the perceived lack of distinctive personality of the PGA and the sensation that the winners’ roll of the PGA does not always reflect the best golfer as the lucky journeyman, then you might think that the PGA is ripe for replacement.
But you’d be wrong.
The personality of the PGA is far more subtle than that of its colleagues’. It was and is primarily a competition by the professional golfer for the professional golfer – originally at a time when professional sportsmen were nowhere near as venerated as they are now. It reserves a large proportion of its places for club professionals, rather than the touring professionals that we are used to seeing, and while this might be slightly anachronistic, it shows a refreshing independent from the moneymen. Something that was noticeably lacking at the Masters when invitations went out to players a long way down the world ranking purely because their home countries are ones where golf is a fast growing sport.
It became a major for a reason. It still attracts the highest calibre of players and while maybe not all the courses it visits could be seen as classic major venues, a vast majority are and it is held right across the country offering the chance for many people to see a major in their home town.
In some ways the PGA would not have lost some of its distinctiveness if it had not stopped being a match play event when it changed in 1958 to stroke play. In this age of television coverage, this makes a lot of sense as it allows constant golf to be seen. In match play the final day is often just the last two competitors and maybe a play-off for third and forth place. Done correctly, match play is a superb, in fact it’s possibly the best format in golf with the Ryder Cup is the most prominent example of that. Were the PGA to switch back, it would immediately have an identity that would separate it from the rest of the majors. It would also open up the chance of one of the club pros causing an upset, something that would guarantee excitement.
Whatever changes the PGA Championships does or doesn’t make to ensure its significance as a major, the question you need to ask is whether any of the winners of the PGA (or any of the others majors for that matter) would swap that victory with winning the Players. The unanimous answer would be no. The Players has a fantastic amount going for it; tradition, pedigree, a superb course and let’s not forget the enormous winner’s cheque but it does not have that certain something that will vault it up a level and into the majors and that, for the moment at least, is the way it will stay.
I’m going to gush in this intro paragraph, to get the emo stuff done early. I’ve not pulled harder for a professional to win, than Cameron Young. I coach golf in New York state, and each spring, my best golfers head to a state championship in Poughkeepsie. I first saw Cameron there as a 9th grade student. I saw him three more times after that. I reconnecected with Coach Haas from Wake Forest, an old interview subject from my days on the Old Gold and Black, the Wake newspaper. He was there to watch Cameron. After four years at Wake Forest, Young won on the Korn Ferry Tour, made it to the big tour, almost won two majors, almost won five other events, and finally got the chalice about 25 minutes from the Wake campus. Congratulations, Cameron. You truly are a glass of the finest. #MotherSoDear
OK, let’s move on to the Tour Rundown. The major championship season closed this week in Wales, with the Women’s Open championship. The PGA Tour bounced through Greensboror, N.C., while the PGA Tour Americas hit TO (aka, Toronto) for a long-winded event. The Korn Ferry lads made a stop in Utah, one of just two events for that tour in August. The many-events, golf season is winding down, as we ease from summer toward fall in the northern hemisphere. Let’s bask in the glory of an August sunrise, and run down a quartet of events from the first weekend of the eighth month.
LET/LPGA @ Women’s Open: Miyu bends, but she doesn’t break
Royal Porthcawl was not a known commodity in the major tournament community. The Welsh links had served as host to men’s senior opens, men’s amateurs, and Curtis and Walker Cups in prior years, but never an Open championship for the women or the men. The last-kept secret in UK golf was revealed once again to the world this week, as the best female golfers took to the sandy stage.
Mao Saigo, Grace Kim, Maja Stark, and Minjee Lee hoped to add a second major title to previous wins this season, but only Lee was able to finish inside the top ten. The 2025 playing of the Women’s Open gave us a new-faces gallery from day one. The Kordas and Thitikulls were nowhere to be found, and it was the Mayashitas, Katsus, and Lim Kims that secured the Cymru spotlight. The first round lead was held at 67 by two golfers. One of them battled to the end, while the other posted 81 on day two, and missed the cut. Sitting one shot behind was Miyu Yamashita.
On day two, Yamashita posted the round of the tournament. Her 65 moved her to the front of the aisle, in just her fourth turn around a women’s Open championship. With the pre-event favorites drifting off pace, followers narrowed into two camps: those on the side of an underdog, and others hoping for a weekend charge from back in the pack. In the end, we had a bit of both.
On Saturday, Yamashita bent with 74 on Saturday, offering rays of hope to her pursuing pack. England’s Charley Hull made a run on Sunday closing within one shot before tailing off to a T2 finish with Minami Katsu. Katsu posted the other 65 of the week, on Saturday, but could not overtake her countrywoman, Yamashita. wunderkind Lottie Woad needed one round in the 60s to find her pace, but could only must close-to’s, ending on 284 and a tie with Minjee for eighth.
On Sunday, Yamashita put away the thoughts of Saturday’s struggles, with three-under 33 on the outward half. She closed in plus-one 37, but still won by two, for a first Major and LPGA title.
PGA Tour @ Wyndham: Young gathers first title near home
Cameron Young grew up along the Hudson river, above metro New York, but he also calls Winston-Salem home. He spent four years as a student and athlete at Wake Forest University, then embarked on tour. This week in Greensboro, after a bit of a break, Young opened with 63-62, and revved the engine of Is this the week once more. Runner-up finishes at the Open, the PGA, and a handful of PGA Tour events had followers wonder when the day would come.
On Saturday, Young continued his torrid pace with 65, giving him a five-shot advantage over his closest pursuer. Sunday saw the Scarborough native open with bogey, then reel off five consecutive birdies to remind folks that his time had, at last, arrived. Pars to the 16th, before two harmless bogeys coming home, made Young the 1000th winner of an official PGA Tour event (dating back to before there was a PGA Tour) throughout history. What’s next? I have a suspicion, but I’m not letting on. Mac Meissner closed with 66 to finish solo 2nd, while Mark Hubbard and Alex Noren tied for third.
Korn Ferry Tour @ Utah Championship: Are you Suri it’s Julian?
Who knows exactly when the flower will bloom? Julian Suri played a solid careet at Duke University, then paid his dues on the world’s minor tours for three years. He won twice on two tours in Europe, in 2017. Since then, the grind has continued for the journeyman from New York city. At age 34, Suri broke through in Beehive state, outlasting another grinder (Spencer Levin) and four others, by two shots.
Taylor Montgomery began the week with 62, then posted 64, then 68, and finally, 70. That final round was his undoing. He finished in that second-place tie, two back of the leader. Trace Crowe, Barend Botha, and Kensei Hirata made up the last of the almost quintet. As for Suri, his Sunday play was sublime. His nines were 32 and 31, with his only radar blip a bogey at ten. He closed in style with one final birdie, to double his winning margin. Hogan bloomed late…might Suri?
PGA Tour Americas @ Osprey Valley Open presented by Votorantim Cimentos – CBM Aggregates
Some tournament names run longer than others. This week in Toronto, at the Heathlands course at TPC Toronto, we might have seen the longest tournament title in recorded history. The OVOPBVCCBMA was a splendid affair. It saw three rounds of 62 on Thursday, but of those early risers, only Drew Goodman would stick around until the end. 64 was the low tally on day two, and two of those legionnaires managed to finish inside the top three at week’s end. Saturday brought a 63 from Patrick Newcomb, and he would follow with 64 on Sunday, to finish solo fourth.
Who, then, ended up winning the acronym of the year? It turns out that Carson Bacha had the right stuff in TeeOhhh. Bacha and Jay Card III posted 63 and 64, respectively, on day four, to tie for medalist honors at 23-under 261. Nathan Franks was one shot adrift, despite also closing with 63. If you didn’t go low on Sunday, it was about the check, not the championship.
Bacha and JC3 returned to the 18th hole twice in overtime. Card nearly chipped in from the thick stuff for birdie, while Bacha peeked and shoved a ten-feet attempt at the win. On the second go-round, Card was long with his approach, into the native grasses once more. He was unable to escape, and a routine par from the fairway was enough to earn the former Auburn golfers a first KFT title.
Card III and Bacha both miss their birdie tries on the first playoff hole.
We’ll play 18 again @OspreyOpen. pic.twitter.com/vNpHTdkHDg
— PGA TOUR Americas (@PGATOURAmericas) August 3, 2025
GolfWRX is live this week from the final event of the PGA Tour’s regular season, the Wyndham Championship.
Photos are flowing into the forums from Sedgefield Country Club, where we already have a GolfWRX spirit animal Adam Schenk WITB and plenty of putters for your viewing pleasure.
Check out links to all our photos below, which we’ll continue to update as more arrive.
General Albums
- 2025 Wyndham Championship – Tuesday #1
- 2025 Wyndham Championship – Tuesday #2
- 2025 Wyndham Championship – Tuesday #3
WITB Albums
- Chandler Phillips – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Davis Riley – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Scotty Kennon – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Austin Duncan – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Will Chandler – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Kevin Roy – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Ben Griffin – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Peter Malnati – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Ryan Gerard – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Adam Schenk – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Kurt Kitayama – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Camilo Villegas – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Matti Schmid – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
Pullout Albums
- Denny McCarthy’s custom Cameron putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Swag Golf putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Karl Vilips TM MG5 wedges – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- New Bettinardi putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Matt Fitzpatrick’s custom Bettinardi putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Cameron putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
See what GolfWRXers are saying and join the discussion in the forums.
Kurt Kitayama just won his 2nd PGA Tour event at the 3M Open. Kurt is a Bridgestone staffer but with just the ball and bag. Here are the rest of the clubs he used to secure a win at the 2025 3M Open.
Driver: Titleist GT3 (11 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD VF 7 TX
3-wood: Titleist GT1 3Tour (14.5 degrees, A3 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8 TX
7-wood: Titleist GT1 (21 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 9 TX
Irons: TaylorMade P7CB (4), TaylorMade P7MB (5-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (52-12F, 56-14F), Vokey Design WedgeWorks (60-K*)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Style Newport 2 Tour Prototype
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy 1.0PT
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Ball: Bridgestone Tour B XS (with Mindset)
‘Why would anybody want to change that swing?’ – Brandel Chamblee says PGA Tour star was wrong to change his swing
‘The stupidest freaking thing I’ve ever heard’ – Billy Horschel slams Open idea suggested by Padraig Harrington
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Golfer proudly posts photo of ball mark on iron, receives immediate roasting
WITB Time Machine: Matthew Wolff’s winning WITB, 2019 3M Open
Oakmont Country Club bans Wyndham Clark over locker incident; Reveals specific conditions to earn reinstatement
Adam Scott puts Callaway blades in the bag at Wyndham Championship
Report: LIV star fires caddie and coach in shock shake up
Rickie Fowler makes equipment change to ‘something that’s a little easier on the body’
The championship formula: How 3 key stats separate winners from the field
Peter Malnati WITB 2025 (August)
Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here. Driver: Titleist...
Cameron Young’s winning WITB: 2025 Wyndham Championship
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting) Buy here. Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX 3-wood: Titleist...
Camilo Villegas WITB 2025 (July)
Camilo Villegas WITB accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. Villegas was undecided on a 3-wood when we shot his bag. ...
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Brandt Snedeker fired a final-round 65 at the 2018 Wyndham Championship to outlast Webb Simpson and C.T. Pan. His 5-under...
