McIlroy: Players Championship ‘incredible’ but four majors suffice
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — Rory McIlroy, a two-time champion of the Players Championship, considers the PGA Tour’s premier event to be among the finest tournaments globally — but not a fifth major.
During a press conference on Tuesday prior to the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, McIlroy was inquired about the ranking of The Players in relation to the other major tournaments (Masters, PGA Championship, U.S. Open, and The Open) after he achieved a career Grand Slam by winning a green jacket at the Masters last year.
“I would love to have seven majors instead of five; that sounds fantastic,” McIlroy stated. “I believe The Players is one of the top golf tournaments in the world. I don’t think anyone contests that. From a player’s viewpoint, it’s exceptional. From the perspective of fans on-site, it’s remarkable. It features a fantastic golf course, location, and venue.
“However, I am a traditionalist. I have a deep appreciation for the history of the game. We have four major championships. If you want to see what five major championships look like, look at the women’s game. I’m not sure how well that has worked out for them.”
The LPGA features five majors in its annual schedule: Chevron Championship, U.S. Women’s Open, Women’s PGA Championship, Amundi Evian Championship, and the Women’s Open.
McIlroy believes that competing for the four established majors is sufficient for the men’s professional circuit.
“But it’s The Players — it doesn’t need to be anything more,” McIlroy remarked, who triumphed over J.J. Spaun in a three-hole aggregate playoff at last year’s Players Championship. “I would argue it has a stronger identity than the PGA Championship currently does. From an identity perspective, I think The Players has it figured out. It is a remarkable tournament in its own right, and I don’t think its classification as a major or not affects its significance.”
Regarding the PGA Championship, McIlroy mentioned that the tournament should revert to August as the final major, when it was regarded as “glory’s last shot” each season.
The discussion about whether The Players should be recognized as the fifth major intensified recently after the PGA Tour released a trailer featuring the slogan, “March is going to be major.”
LIV Golf League captain Phil Mickelson, the 2007 Players Championship winner, responded by stating on his X account: “I’ve won it. It’s not.”
The Players has historically been viewed as one of the most challenging tournaments to win due to its competitive field — world No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler is the only back-to-back champion, in 2023 and 2024, in the event’s 51-year history.
Mickelson contended on X that since LIV Golf stars like Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm are barred from participating in the event, the PGA Tour can no longer support that claim.
“I remain very proud to have won that tournament twice, as I believe all the other champions do,” McIlroy stated. “It stands on its own without the label, I suppose.”
