The “fifth major” conversation has surfaced and dissolved every decade since the late 1970s; the same argument, different voices, identical stalemate. What shifted in February 2026 was not the debate itself. It was who decided to turn it into a target.

On February 16, LIV Golf posted an Instagram Reel filmed at the conclusion of LIV Adelaide, the tournament Anthony Kim had just won the previous day. Two on-site presenters, the setting of a live event, and the content of a direct institutional challenge:

“All anyone in the world of golf is talking about at the moment is when LIV Golf Adelaide will be confirmed as the fifth major championship… We have gone from 54 to 57 players. A gargantuan leap… What about the quality of patrons? Apart from maybe the Waste Management, the classiest in the game… And of course, there are few prizes more coveted in world sport than a victory shoeie. Who wants to drink claret from a jug when you can swill beer from a golf shoe with just a hint of bunion in it?”

The clip was not a bid for major designation. It questioned the logic underpinning one, and it landed six days after LIV had already tested that logic once before.

On February 10, LIV posted four photos on X of notices pinned to a tree on a golf course. The opening read: “Important Notice. Major Championship Applications Are Now Open. Since we’re doing that now…” A checklist of criteria followed, pressure, field strength, and crowd atmosphere. The final slide: “We’re not saying it’s a major. Just making sure the paperwork’s in.” The post drew more than 90,000 views and split opinion sharply. Two posts, six days apart, the same satirical architecture, the same target. This was not a reactive posting.

News served to you like never before!

Prefer us on Google, To get latest news on feed

Prefer Us on Google

The trigger for both was a promotional video the PGA Tour released on February 5 during Golf Channel’s WM Phoenix Open broadcast, closing with four words: “March is going to be major.” The Tour’s official standing still holds that designation is “not ours to decide.” Lee Smith, executive director of The Players Championship, moved past that line at a media day shortly after.

“I hope you noticed our use of the word that we’ve somewhat shied away from over the last 10 years,” Smith said. “This is a signal of the confidence, momentum, and offensive drive coming out of our building these days. We’re confident about the qualifications of The Players Championship. We wanted to start a conversation.”

For ten years, the PGA Tour chose to hold back. Then, it made a clear decision to end that restraint. That move from inside the institution gave LIV its opening, not once but twice.

There is a strong case for The Players. In 2025, the tournament had 48 of the world’s top 50 players and a $25 million purse. That matches or beats every major. Brandel Chamblee called it ‘the best field in golf’ during the Phoenix Open broadcast. On X, he pointed out that the Masters only started in 1934, the PGA Championship needed format changes to gain respect, and the list of majors has changed before. The debate between Chamblee and Mickelson showed the real split: is it about field strength or who is in the field, history or merit, official status or independence?

Phil Mickelson‘s counter was specific. “You can’t prohibit four of the top 10 and be considered a major. That’s just reality.” He was referring to Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, and Joaquin Niemann. The four established majors currently admit eligible LIV players to compete, while The Players does not. Mickelson also stated that member egos, rather than competitive rationale, were driving the exclusion and suppressing the commercial value of the SSG investment the Tour had accepted.

Rory McIlroy, a two-time Players champion who claimed his second title via a Monday playoff over J.J. Spaun in 2025, addressed the designation question at Pebble Beach on February 10. “I’m a traditionalist, I’m a historian of the game. We have four major championships. It’s The Players. It doesn’t need to be anything else.” He then went further: “I would say it’s got more of an identity than the PGA Championship does at the minute.” The two-time champion of the event is making the case against the label, and that detail went largely unexamined. The governance argument, covered in the fifth major debate reporting, explains why McIlroy’s position may be the most structurally accurate of all.

The Players Championship’s ‘fifth major’ bid has a governance problem

The field size and the purse are significant. Fifty years of history at TPC Sawgrass means something, but the main issue remains unresolved. The Players is run by the PGA Tour, the same group leading the campaign. The Masters is controlled by Augusta National, the U.S. Open is run by the USGA, the PGA Championship is managed by the PGA of America, and the Open Championship is under the R&A. All are made up of independent bodies. The Players does not have that independence.

Lee Westwood framed the gap in concrete terms, challenging Tour CEO Brian Rolapp to invite the top 15 LIV players as a test run, to place an actual open field against the field-strength argument and measure what it reflects. Rolapp has not responded.

Smith began the discussion. The Tour cannot settle this on its own. The Players Championship is only weeks away. The Masters comes next. LIV has already filed its paperwork.