The Players Championship is done and dusted for another year after Rory McIlroy came out on top and now one of Tiger Woods’ former coaches, Hank Haney, has made a big call about the future of the event.
The Players is often referred to as golf’s fifth major and for a player like McIlroy, winning here is as good as it gets barring winning one of the four majors on the calendar.
Of course, Haney knows a thing or two about winning at TPC Sawgrass having worked with Tiger Woods for so long.
Woods, as we know, is one of a few players to have won the event twice, coming out with success in both 2001 and 2013.
And after witnessing the event one more time this year, Woods’ former coach Haney has now said he’s changed his mind about the tournament.
Hank Haney admits The Players should officially be a major championship
Haney is always good for a comment on the big golf events and he often doesn’t hold back in his opinions.
Now, after witnessing McIlroy win his second Players Championship, Haney has taken to social media to concede he’s done a bit of a U-turn on the tournament.
Lee Trevino agrees with Hank Haney’s suggestion on The Players
While it would represent a big shift to suddenly class another event as a major and make it five on the PGA Tour calendar, there are those who feel The Players should be given such status.
Indeed, just this week, Lee Trevino said he wanted The Players ramped up to major status.
“The question that’s always been around and people keep talking about is should this be the fifth Major?” Trevino said while on media duties. “Yes, and there’s no question in my mind about it.”
“I mean if you really look at the golf course, it’s a fabulous golf course in fabulous condition. We have the strongest field of any golf tournament and the viewing is absolutely unbelievable.
“I think that it’s qualified now, we’ve been doing this now for what 47, 46 years here or something so I don’t see any reason why it shouldn’t be another Major championship.
“I don’t think it’s going to tilt the base one way or the other of who won more Majors or anything – it’ll give Jack a little bit more, Tiger a few more and me one more! So I don’t see any reason why not.”
Indeed, new winner Rory McIlroy has said similar as well.
“If there’s ever going to be a fifth major, it’s already here,” McIlroy said previously, while Jack Nicklaus has previously said that everything is in place for it to be a major.
Whether or not it ever gets upgraded, is down to the powers that be.
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