Rory McIlroy believes The Players Championship has a stronger identity than the US PGA Championship right now. He just does not believe it needs to become golf’s fifth major.
The world number two, who completed the career Grand Slam with his Masters victory in April 2025, weighed in on the long-running debate as The Players ramps up promotion for its 2026 edition at TPC Sawgrass.
The tournament, often nicknamed “the fifth major,” recently launched a campaign built around the tagline: March is going to be major.
McIlroy is not buying into the idea.
A traditionalist’s stance
“I’d love to have seven majors instead of five; that sounds great,” McIlroy said, referencing his five major titles and two previous Players Championship victories.
He was quick to praise the event itself.
“The Players is one of the best golf tournaments in the world. I don’t think anyone disputes that. From a player perspective, it’s amazing. From an on-site fan experience, it’s amazing. It’s an amazing golf course, location, and venue.”
But for McIlroy, history matters.
“We have four major championships,” he said. “I’m a traditionalist. I’m a historian of the game.”
While women’s golf already recognises five majors, McIlroy suggested the men’s game does not need to follow that route.
Identity over label
Interestingly, McIlroy argued that The Players may currently have a clearer identity than the US PGA Championship.
The PGA Championship moved from its long-standing August slot to May in 2019, positioning it between the Masters and the US Open. When it was staged in August, it carried the slogan “Glory’s Last Shot” as the season’s final major.
McIlroy, who won his two PGA titles in 2012 and 2014 when the event was still played in August, believes the championship has lost something since the change.
“It needs to go back to August,” he said.
“The Players doesn’t need to be anything else. I would say it’s got more of an identity than the PGA Championship does at the minute.”
For McIlroy, the solution is not adding another major but strengthening the distinct character of the four that already exist.
The fifth major debate continues
The Players Championship, held each March at TPC Sawgrass, has long promoted itself as having the strongest field in golf. That claim has been challenged in recent years following the LIV Golf split, which has left several high-profile names absent.
Still, McIlroy’s view is clear. The event stands on its own.
“It stands on its own without the label,” he said.
As he begins his 2026 PGA Tour campaign defending his Pebble Beach Pro-Am title, McIlroy’s message is simple: prestige is not created by renaming tournaments.
Golf already knows what its majors are.
