Fifth Major Watch, Vol. 4

Even Ponte Vedra's very own Doug Ferguson, himself guilty of his share of fifth major stories, sounds like he's had enough of the fith major talk, even as he admits that it'll only get worse with next year's move to May.

Some of the great lines...

What keeps The Players Championship from being a major is the very organization that longs for it to be one.

The majors are run by four groups — Augusta National, the USGA, the Royal & Ancient and the PGA of America. Each run one tournament a year with a full field of golf's best players. The Players Championship, on the other hand, is among 41 events run by the PGA Tour. Ultimately, it's a PGA Tour event in a prom dress.

"They can dress it up as much as they want, but it's a regular event with a big purse," Toms said when asked to compare this with the majors. "It's a great event. It's the best one we have."

And the fact this "fifth major" discussion has become a rite of spring speaks to the quality. No other tournament gets consideration as a fifth major.

Still, the more people talk about it, the more it seems like the PGA Tour is forcing the issue.

"If you have to sell it as a major, then it's not a major," Kevin Sutherland said. "It's still a great, great tournament."

Sluman is responsible for the defining statement on the status of The Players Championship as a major when he said three years ago, "When you go Denny's and order the Grand Slam breakfast, they don't give you five things, do they? They give you four."