Sign up now!!!<\/a><\/p>\nChamblee\u2019s comments have gone down like a lead balloon.<\/p>\n
His Golf Channel colleague Johnson Wagner passionately disagreed when speaking on the Golf on CBS YouTube channel.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not a fan of this take,\u201d Wagner said. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt seems like the PGA Tour put out something that said March is major, and then I almost wonder if Brandel is getting a little kickback for this, because it just made no sense the way he said it\u2019s the best major championship golf course as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said with the exception of the 17th hole, and I\u2019m sorry you think this is better than Shinnecock, better than Augusta, Pebble. I mean, there\u2019s a lot of great major championship venues that require these shot values he was talking about.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, The Players is an unbelievable event. I\u2019ve played in a lot of them. They treat us so well that week. And I love the golf course, the fans, everything about it. But it\u2019s like you said, be the best non-major there is. And they do it great year in, year out. The necessity of being called a major is infuriating.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, LIV poked fun at what Chamblee said with a social media video of commentators Arlo White and David Feherty talking about why LIV Adelaide should be the fifth major during last week\u2019s event.<\/p>\n
The players themselves have taken a similar stance.<\/p>\n
Although, several former champions have joked that it would be nice to have their win\/s at TPC Sawgrass added to their major tallies.<\/p>\n
\u201cLook, I\u2019d love to have seven majors instead of five, that sounds great,\u201d Rory McIlroy said earlier this month.<\/p>\n
Australia as a nation would benefit immensely if the change was implemented.<\/p>\n
Present day heroes Adam Scott, Jason Day and Cameron Smith would all be multiple winners.<\/p>\n
While Greg Norman and Steve Elkington (two Players titles) would both become three-time major champions if the history books were re-written.<\/p>\n
But it is a possibility that does not excite the modern day players. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think The Players is one of the best golf tournaments in the world. I don\u2019t think anyone disputes that or argues that,\u201d McIlroy continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think from a player perspective, it\u2019s amazing. I think from an on-site fan experience it\u2019s amazing. It\u2019s an amazing golf course, location, venue. But I don\u2019t \u2014 like again, I\u2019m a traditionalist, I\u2019m a historian of the game. We have four major championships.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you want to see what five major championships looks like, look at the women\u2019s game. I don\u2019t know how well that went for them. But it\u2019s The Players. Like it doesn\u2019t need to be anything else.<\/p>\n
\u201cLike I would say it\u2019s got more of an identity than the PGA Championship does at the minute. So like from an identity standpoint, I think The Players has got it nailed. But I think The Players can be \u2014 it is an amazing tournament in its own right.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd I don\u2019t think it being classified a major or not a major makes it any more or any less. I\u2019m still very proud to have won that tournament twice as I\u2019m sure all the other champions are. I don\u2019t think \u2014 it stands on its own without the label, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n
Unlikely American claims LIV Adelaide | 01:02<\/p>\n
McIlroy\u2019s shots at the women\u2019s professional game and the PGA Championship have taken the debate further.<\/p>\n
LPGA star Charley Hull responded to McIlroy\u2019s comment about the five women\u2019s majors by saying: \u201cI\u2019m very happy having five majors. It\u2019s one more chance to win than the men!\u201d<\/p>\n
Although, confusion has happened in recent years when the history books are opened.<\/p>\n
Last year Australia\u2019s Minjee Lee was unaware that she was one win away from the career grand slam after claiming the Women\u2019s PGA Championship.<\/p>\n
It was the third major title of Lee\u2019s career, after previous triumphs at the Women\u2019s US Open and the Evian Championship, but in order to protect the history of the women\u2019s game, winning four majors is still regarded as the career grand slam.<\/p>\n
Winning all five majors is called the \u2018super career grand slam\u2019, a feat accomplished by Australian legend Karrie Webb.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, it was not the first time McIlroy took a dig at the PGA Championship.<\/p>\n
Last year when discussing iconic venues he would love to win at, McIlroy quipped about the 2027 host course: \u201cI\u2019d love to win a PGA at PGA Frisco\u2026 not\u201d.<\/p>\n
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – DECEMBER 03: Rory McIlroy speaks to media prior to the Crown Australian Open 2025 at The Royal Melbourne Golf Club on December 03, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Morgan Hancock\/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
The view that the PGA is not on the same pedestal as the other majors has led to growing calls that it needs to be moved outside of the United States.<\/p>\n
Three of golf\u2019s four majors are played in the US.<\/p>\n
Whereas tennis shares its grand slams between Australia, the UK, France and the US.<\/p>\n
It is a more global model that many would like to see golf come closer to.<\/p>\n
Former Scottish professional turned Sky Sports commentator Ewan Murray echoed golf fans around the world last year when he shared the same view.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a championship I\u2019d like to see move around the world,\u201d Murray said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt would be lovely to have the PGA down there in Australia. Maybe one over in Asia. South Africa, with its involvement, maybe should have a major every now and again<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd they can do that because the International Federation of PGA Tours is global, it\u2019s worldwide.\u201d<\/p>\n
At LIV Adelaide, former world No.1 Jon Rahm also offered an opinion that was music to the ears of Australian golf fans.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe only other sport you can compare it to is tennis,\u201d Rahm said. \u201cTennis has two (grand slams) in Europe, one in America and one in Australia.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it can get a little bit controversial (for golf). Do you create a new one? Do you move one of the ones you have? It\u2019s very tricky. The game of golf is global and big enough to do something like that. It\u2019s certainly worth a discussion.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you were to ask me, I think the country with the following and golf courses big enough to do something like that, if you were going to take it out of US, is Australia.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot only because I\u2019m here (in Adelaide). As a Spanish man, I would love to have it in Spain. But The Open is close enough and we have Ryder Cups. If you\u2019re going to be fair, I think Australia is the most deserving country for that.\u201d<\/p>\n
ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA – FEBRUARY 14: Jon Rahm of Legion XIII at his press conference during day three of LIV Adelaide at The Grange Golf Club on February 14, 2026 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Sarah Reed\/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
Fellow Spaniard Sergio Garcia agreed.<\/p>\n
\u201cDefinitely, without a doubt. Not only Australia, there\u2019s so many places in the world that you have a great golf following. Obviously, Australia is one of them,\u201d the 2017 Masters champion replied when asked the same question.<\/p>\n
Understandably, Australia\u2019s Cameron Smith had a similar viewpoint off the back of the success of LIV Adelaide and the record crowds at Royal Melbourne for McIlroy\u2019s appearance at the Australian Open in December.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it would be cool for (Asia Pacific) to have a major,\u201d Smith said. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think the Australian Open can be that event. It showed last year what it\u2019s capable of. I hope it keeps trending in the same direction.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would love an event in Australia similar to the Masters where all the good players showed up, were there for a week, loved it and got treated well.\u201d<\/p>\n
ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA – FEBRUARY 14: Cameron Smith of Ripper GC at his press conference during day three of LIV Adelaide at The Grange Golf Club on February 14, 2026 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Sarah Reed\/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
But Northern Irishman McIlroy stopped short of joining the chorus despite expressing his love for Australia during his recent trip.<\/p>\n
McIlroy is locked in to play the Australian Open again at Kingston Heath this December, but his solution to the PGA Championship problem is only a minor tweak. <\/p>\n
One that would tie it to the past.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think glory\u2019s last shot,\u201d McIlroy said. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think it needs to go back to August.\u201d<\/p>\n
Such a move would space out a condensed major schedule that currently consists of The Masters in April, the PGA in May, the US Open in June and The Open in July.<\/p>\n
Officially making The Players the fifth major would make the schedule even more jam-packed.<\/p>\n
For now, golf fans can simply enjoy The Players for what it is – the PGA Tour\u2019s strongest field of any of its non-major events and a tournament where the annual drama of the par 3 17th island green captivates audiences.<\/p>\n
Chamblee may not like that take, or the famous 17th hole, but in the ever-changing landscape of professional golf, some things can remain the same.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u201cThe best major\u201d – they are the three words that have caused a stir in the world of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":486942,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[566],"tags":[5487,6074,246390,2095,246394,244250,64,63,689,6946,3600,108977,3193,29743,246397,246406,246388,148595,246395,246393,2057,246400,2592,2105,755,9262,5505,108973,1745,113264,246399,24416,22886,216697,246398,246387,5499,246407,29757,647,113222,246401,246408,2041,2067,677,246404,51334,246391,48014,668,29453,63841,756,246402,182914,6952,246405,246403,239908,2643,1314,1183,18780,3595,2020,85,246396,246392,38445,183159,2614,660,246389,2062],"class_list":["post-486941","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-golf","tag-adam-scott","tag-africa","tag-amazing-golf-course","tag-america","tag-american-claims","tag-arlo-white","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-australia-and-new-zealand","tag-australian-golf-fans","tag-australian-legend","tag-brandel-chamblee","tag-cameron-smith","tag-career-grand-slam","tag-championship-golf-course","tag-championship-venues","tag-championships-looks","tag-david-feherty","tag-day-heroes","tag-deserving-country","tag-europe","tag-ewan-murray","tag-france","tag-getty-images-inc","tag-golf","tag-golf-course","tag-golf-courses","tag-golf-fans","tag-golf-news","tag-golf-tournaments","tag-green-captivates-audiences","tag-greg-norman","tag-history-books","tag-host-course","tag-identity-standpoint","tag-international-federation-of-pga-tours","tag-jason-day","tag-johnson-wagner","tag-karrie-webb","tag-melbourne","tag-modern-day-players","tag-multiple-winners","tag-never-ending-debate","tag-north-america","tag-northern-america","tag-oceania","tag-on-site-fan-experience","tag-pebble-beach-company","tag-player-perspective","tag-playoff-hole","tag-press-conference","tag-professional-game","tag-professional-golf","tag-rory-mcilroy","tag-royal-melbourne-for-mcilroy","tag-royal-melbourne-golf-club","tag-sergio-garcia","tag-shot-value-standpoint","tag-shot-values-perspective","tag-single-way","tag-sky-sports","tag-social-media","tag-south-africa","tag-southern-africa","tag-southern-europe","tag-spain","tag-sports","tag-steve-elkington","tag-tennis-shares","tag-title-defence","tag-tournament-director","tag-united-states-of-america","tag-victoria","tag-waste-management-phoenix-open","tag-western-europe"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/486941","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=486941"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/486941\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/486942"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=486941"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=486941"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=486941"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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