Overview
- Players Championship executive director Lee Smith said the 'March Is Going To Be Major' campaign reflects new confidence and was intended to 'start a conversation.'
- Rory McIlroy praised The Players’ stature but said men’s golf should keep four majors and urged moving the PGA Championship back to August to sharpen its identity.
- Phil Mickelson dismissed elevating The Players, posting 'I’ve won it. It’s not,' after analyst Brandel Chamblee argued the event stands above the traditional majors.
- LIV Golf mocked the Tour’s promotion with a satirical 'Major Championship Applications Are Now Open' post after McIlroy’s remarks.
- Commentators noted the PGA Tour cannot unilaterally create a new major and that any change would require agreement across golf’s governing bodies despite The Players’ elite field and purse.