It’s Players Championship week, and so the inevitable debate around whether the annual tournament is the “fifth major” is back in earnest. While some people have sensed a coordinated push by the PGA Tour to make that a reality, veteran pro Billy Horschel is pushing back against that Players Championship major conspiracy theory.
And, according to Horschel, there’s one party to blame: the media.
Horschel took to Twitter Tuesday evening to state his case, writing that he has “never heard or been told by anyone from the Tour that we need to talk or push for The Players being a major,” and that it’s the media, and the media alone, who pushes the conspiracy theory.
I’ve been on Tour for 10 years, playing in my 7th @THEPLAYERSChamp. I have never heard or been told by anyone from the Tour that we need to talk or push for The Players being a major. But you know who always talks about it the media. The media is the one who always talks about it
— Billy Horschel (@BillyHo_Golf) March 12, 2019
The five-time PGA Tour winner and 2014 FedEx Cup champion then backtracked his blame-game (sort of) claiming that he was “not calling the media out on this,” before re-stating his argument by writing it’s ridiculous that “people believe the Tour has pushed the players to talk about The Players in the same breath as other majors.”
I’m not calling the media out on this. Just think it’s ridiculously that people believe the Tour has pushed the players to talk about The Players in the same breath as other majors. Some Tour players believe it is(I’m one) some don’t. One thing is for certain, it’s a GREAT Champ.
— Billy Horschel (@BillyHo_Golf) March 12, 2019
The debate over the major status of the Players Championship is not a new one. Without a doubt, the PGA Tour has pushed hard to raise the profile and prestige of its flagship event (While the four actual majors are officially sanctioned by the PGA Tour, they are operated by other organizations).
This year, the Tour unveiled a fancy new trophy for the tournament, and then had pros like Jason Day record videos fawning over the new hardware and the event itself.
You're going to want to be there Sunday when the new hardware is handed out. 🏆 pic.twitter.com/1owaB6SlLT
— THE PLAYERS (@THEPLAYERS) March 5, 2019
Tournament officials even came up with a new theme song, a not-so-subtle nod to the true first major of the year in April.
But no matter which side of the Players Championship major conspiracy debate you find yourself on, Horschel was right on the mark with the final point in his tweet: “One thing is for certain, it’s a GREAT Champ.”
