Rory McIlroy has never shied away from speaking his mind. Be it about LIV Golf or Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed’s return to the PGA Tour, he has always shared his thoughts on the matter. And right now, one of the biggest debates in the golf world is whether the Players Championship should be called the 5th major. The Northern Irishman has once again spoken his mind, and he is receiving support from fellow professionals.

“I think we could probably give up on the fifth major thing. I don’t know why they’re not marketing like we play for the most money with the best field. That would be my marketing dynamic if I was a PGA Tour, and that would be it,” Kevin Kisner said in a conversation in the Fore Play podcast.

“And it produces every year, just like last year, playoff going into Monday. You can’t make that up. Those are the things that make iconic golf tournaments at iconic golf courses great. You get around 16, 17, 18 on Saturday and Sunday, dude. It’s as wild as anything you could ever imagine it. I mean, it’s not 16 at Phoenix, but you can hardly hear yourself talking to your caddy. It’s pretty electric.”

The PGA Tour reignited the “fifth major” discussion in early February 2026 by airing an ad for the upcoming 2026 The Players Championship during the WM Phoenix Open broadcast. The ad featured many elite professionals, including Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, and others who have played the event in the past. What led to the debate was the text that appeared at the end of the ad.

“March is going to be major,” the text read.

Tournament director Lee Smith signaled confidence in the event’s credibility, saying it was worthy of a major. Many supported this idea, and many were against it. Those in favor largely cited the $25 million purse and competitive field, just like a major event. On the contrary, those who opposed it argued that tradition and history should be the deciding factors.

Rory McIlroy had a brutal stance against the campaign. He acknowledged that the event is one of the best golf tournaments worldwide, and no one would argue that. From a golfer’s or a fan’s perspective, the environment, management, and venue are all excellent. But when it came to giving it the title of a major, the 29x PGA Tour winner was completely against it.

“I’m a traditionalist. I’m a historian 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 don’t know how well that’s went for them. But I don’t think it’s The Players. It doesn’t need to be anything else,” McIlroy said at the 2026 Pebble Beach Pro-Am media press conference.

While disregarding a potential 5th major, Rory McIlroy said he is proud of the two times he has won the event. The 5x major champion has won the event in 2019 and recently in 2025. Thus, he will enter the tournament as the defending champion. But despite being proud, he still does not see it as the 5th major, and Kevin Kisner supports this view.

Kisner also pointed out the same things. He said that the event was amazing. Although it’s not as crowded as the 16th hole at Phoenix Open, the 16th, 17th, and 18th holes on Saturday and Sunday are still as crazy as they get.

“You’ve got people taking you wherever you want. Grass is elite. I mean, it just truly feels like they make the tournament for the players called the players. And I think everybody on tour would agree with me,” Kisner said.

Like Rory McIlroy, Kisner also pointed out that the event is amazing, and no one disagrees. The hospitality at The Players Championship is among the best. From laundry to dinner for the entire family, everything is taken care of. It is a PGA Tour event with the largest purse and one of the strongest fields. However, it still isn’t a major.

As the debate continues to swirl around The Players Championship, many others have shared their thoughts on the same.

Golf professionals on the 5th major debate

Many golf professionals share Rory McIlroy’s view on the 5th major debate.

4x PGA Tour winner Daniel Berger views the Players as the Tour’s flagship event on a great course. However, he insists that it shouldn’t be a major. He wants to preserve the four majors tradition, just like Rory McIlroy.

LIV Golf’s Lucas Herbert also rejected the push. He argues that majors are untouchable. There are many national open events that hold similar prestige among local fans and professionals. However, they hold it without an official major status, and the Players Championship should do the same.

Phil Mickelson also ended his social media hiatus to oppose the idea of giving the event major status. A fan uploaded an X post with a video of Brandel Chamblee supporting the idea. He said that The Players Championship is not just like a major; it’s the best major. Commenting on the post, Lefty wrote, “I’ve won it. It’s not.”

While some oppose giving it 5th major status, others support it. Besides Brandel Chamblee, Russell Henley also called it a major outright. He said that the event has the best field, a challenging course, and a historically diverse list of winners, which makes it worthy of the title.

Ludvig Aberg also dubbed The Players Championship as the “fifth major.” However, he was subtle about it. He said that although it is different from the four traditional majors, it is one of his favorites and has a big tournament feel.

With opinions across the golf world continuing to split, the debate around The Players Championship’s identity remains far from settled. Rory McIlroy and those who share his view appear content to let the tournament stand on its own rather than chase the label of a fifth major.