They call the Players Championship the “fifth major” and there seems to be momentum building to make that official.
The precedent has been set by the LPGA Tour deciding a few years ago that the Evian Championship in France would become a major.
The fact that big names like Jordan Spieth are getting behind The Players’ claim to be a isn’t going to hurt its cause.
He makes some pretty strong points.
For a few years now they have always had a stellar field and the top 50 in the world are at Sawgrass this year. It certainly seems to produce good winners.
And it’s also got the iconic 17th hole, which has to be one of the most famous in golf now.
Spieth says that The Players has a major “aura” and he should know.
It’s not as if he needs to be a PR man for the event. He’s missed the last three cuts so it would be understandable if he actually played it down.
Traditionalists probably wouldn’t want four to become five but sport moves on and I don’t think five is too many.
It’s not as if the majors have been around forever anyway. The term only really started being used in the 1960s, I believe.
If you look at tennis, the Australian Open is now a genuine grand slam but it wasn’t that long ago that some of the top players didn’t even bother putting it on their schedule.
It would be a good marketing tool to have a fifth major and no sport is going to turn its back on that.
And when the big players push for something, whatever the sport, they usually get it.
My guess is that this is going to happen.
* It’s not often I get the chance to watch so much sport on the TV but that’s one of the upsides of a hip operation!
I was hooked on the snooker last week for the semi-finals and final.
The Higgins v Williams final was an epic.
Watching it brought back great memories of all the finals I used to sit down for with my dad and I bet there are loads of people who get nostalgic about snooker.
Mind you, I’m not sure that a 42-year-old against a 43-year-old, who were at their peak over 10 years ago, is the dream final for those who want new stars to emerge to take the sport forward.
* I’d like to thank everybody who has wished me well after my operation.
I’m getting around the house a bit better and hopefully I’ll be able to get rid of the crutches soon,
The next step after that will be to start driving again.
I’ve got my head around not being able to golf for a while but I must admit I’m getting withdrawal symptoms from being in the gym!
* My dad’s team got the semi-finals of the World Seniors which was a good achievement.
They missed out on a medal so unfortunately it is another fourth place for the Muirheads to report!
* There was sad news for Scottish curling recently with the death of Graham Shaw on his farm near Coupar Angus.
Graham competed in a lot of national championships and he loved the sport.
Our thoughts are with Graham’s family.
