The Players: Is $10.5M championship destined to become a ‘major’ event?

It is known as golf’s unofficial “fifth major,” but the Players Championship has an identity problem.

The prestigious event, with its famous island green 17th hole, has all the trappings of a major and is regularly touted as deserving equal status with the game’s big four tournaments.

But – and there is always a but – it is never quite seen in the same light as the Masters, the U.S. Open, the British Open or the U.S. PGA.

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The Players, held at TPC Sawgrass in Florida, is the PGA Tour’s flagship event.

It boasts arguably the strongest field in golf, prize money on a par with the majors, a stunning, fan-friendly layout in the purpose-built Stadium Course, and by all accounts, unsurpassed hospitality for the players.

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According to former U.S. Open champion Geoff Ogilvy, it is only a matter of time before the Players is elevated to major status.

“Time does a lot of things,” the Australian told CNN’s Living Golf.

“The Masters evolved into a major, it wasn’t meant to be one. There is a strong likelihood that in 20, 30, 40, 50, 100 years the Players might be the most important tournament in golf.”

Rickie Fowler tees off at 18 in a playoff for the 2015 Players title.

Rickie Fowler, who won last year’s tournament in a three-way playoff with Sergio Garcia and Kevin Kisner, is already convinced.

“I feel like I look at this event as basically like a major,” Fowler told reporters at Sawgrass.

“It has the major feel, obviously one of the best fields we play all year, on a tough golf course.”

The tournament began in Atlanta in 1974 before settling, in 1982, into the new Pete Dye-designed Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on 415 acres of swamp land bought for $1 near Ponte Vedra Beach.

It was the brainchild of then PGA Tour commissioner Dean Beman, who wanted a site for the only tournament owned by the players of the tour.

This year, in its 43rd edition, the winner will take home a whopping $1.8 million, a payout matched only by the three American majors – and a little more than the British Open.

The overall purse is the richest on all of golf’s tours, with a prize fund of $10.5 million available, the biggest by $500,000.

Alongside the bumper payday is the claim that whoever wins will have beaten the strongest field in golf: The Players features arguably the top 144 players on the planet.

The Masters, on the other hand, is invite-only, based on certain qualifying criteria and a field of about 90. Past champions and a smattering of amateurs and international players make up the numbers.

The U.S. Open and the British Open also have spots for qualifiers and amateurs, while the U.S. PGA reserves 20 or so places for its teaching professionals.

A general view of the eighth hole during the final round of The Players Championship in 2013.

Then there is the Stadium Course itself – a layout hailed for its design, with no two consecutive holes running in the same direction, a tough test for players of all styles, and stadium-style vantage points for huge galleries.

And there’s also that iconic 17th green, surrounded on almost all sides by water which acts as a magnet to balls. A total of 45 balls drowned there last year, to the delight of the baying crowd.

There are even particular Players Championship traditions. Ever since Jack Nicklaus won the inaugural event, the victor has donated one of his winning clubs to the collection, housed in Sawgrass’ 77,000-square-foot, Mediterranean-style clubhouse.

The Players, then, has cash, kudos and character. So what’s holding back the major recognition?

History.

The dreaded 17th green at TPC Sawgrass.

The four modern majors came together when the Masters, run by the Augusta National, began in 1934.

The British Open, hosted by the R&A, began in 1860, while the U.S. Open was first held in 1895 and the U.S. PGA began as a matchplay event in 1916 before switching to strokeplay in 1958.

All of golf’s major milestones are based on these events. Nicklaus holds the record with 18 major titles, while Tiger Woods’ pursuit has stalled on 14 majors. Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth et al are busy chasing these landmarks.

Then there is the “grand slam” – holding all four majors at the same time. No player has achieved the modern grand slam, and only five players have won a “career” grand slam of victories in all four majors at some point in their life – Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Nicklaus and Woods.

“Majors define history, they define a player’s career,” Mike Davis, executive director of the U.S.G.A. which runs the U.S. Open, told CNN’s Living Golf.

The British Open, which returns to Royal Troon in July, began in 1860.

“One of the things that sets the majors apart is the history to them makes the current year’s championship and certainly future ones all the more special.”

The Players, then, may tick all the other boxes but it can’t turn back the clock.

Or can it?

“I would say it’s fifth on the list of tournaments most guys want to win, except maybe their national open,” Ogilvy said.

“If it all stopped now I’d be happier there was an Australian Open on my mantlepiece and I wouldn’t miss the Players as much.

“The PGA Tour in the U.S., whether right or not, is generally the overseeing body of all golf – they have the most influence – so their tournament at their course, which keeps getting won by the best players in the world, at some point may be recognized as one of most important tournaments in golf.

“Possibly not in front of the two Opens but it could definitely evolve into that spot.”

For now, defending Players champion Fowler knows he is yet to claim a major title.

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“The number one goal on my list, yeah, I want to win a major,” he told a press conference for this year’s Players Championship in April.

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Tiger Woods says he is planning to return to action in October after missing over a year of competitive action. The 40-year-old has undergone multiple back surgeries over past year and has not competed since August 2015.

The 14-time major winner has a long history of injury problems. Here he has cream rubbed onto his back by caddy Steve Williams during the 2004 American Express Championship.

Woods won the the U.S. Open in 2008 -- his last major victory to date. He missed tournament in July 2011, citing knee and Achilles tendon injuries.

In October 2010, Woods appears dejected after losing a match to Lee Westwood and Luke Donald in the Ryder Cup teams competition in Wales. Later that month he lost his No. 1 ranking to Westwood, a position he had held for 281 consecutive weeks. He had taken a break from golf earlier that year after reports of marital infidelities emerged in late 2009.

Woods misses a putt at the Frys.com Open in October 2011. That month, he fell out of golf's top 50 for the first time in almost 15 years. Woods reportedly lost millions in endorsements after sponsors ended their ties with him in the wake of his sex scandal.

Despite his problems, Woods remained a key attraction -- being invited to the 2011 Australian Open, where he finished third. That year he was the highest-paid American athlete on Sports Illustrated's "Fortunate 50" list.

In July 2011, Woods dropped Williams, his caddy of 12 years. "I want to express my deepest gratitude to Stevie for all his help, but I think it's time for a change," Woods said.

After a nearly three-month break, Woods returned to golf at the Bridgestone Invitational in August 2011.

In August 2011, Woods failed to make the cut at the PGA Championship for the first time in his career. He has won the season's closing major on four occasions, most recently in 2007.

In October 2011, Woods landed Rolex as a sponsor despite not having won a major tournament in nearly two years. "Rolex is convinced that Tiger Woods still has a long career ahead of him," the high-end watchmaker said. The following month he played for the U.S. in the Presidents Cup in Melbourne, Australia.

In December 2011, Woods earned his first win in two years at the Chevron World Challenge, a charity tournament that he hosts which does not count on the PGA Tour money list.

Woods lines up his putt at the Honda Classic in March 2012. He shot a 62, his lowest final round as a professional, but he tied for second in the PGA Tour event.

Woods signs autographs at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March 2012. His win there marked his first PGA Tour victory since September 2009.

Woods drops the ball on the 15th fairway during the final round of the AT&T National in July 2012. He overtook Jack Nicklaus for second place on the all-time PGA Tour victory list and now has 79 overall -- three behind Sam Snead's record.

In 2012, Woods became the first PGA Tour player to earn $100 million when he finished third at the Deutsche Bank Championship, taking home more than $500,000.

Woods hits his tee shot on the 12th hole during the final round of the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in January 2013. He lost his title the previous year as the world's top-paid athlete, dropping to third place on Sports Illustrated's "Fortunate 50" list.

Woods holds the trophy for the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in January 2013, where he clinched his 75th PGA Tour title.

In March 2013, Woods and Lindsey Vonn announced they were dating on Facebook. In January that year, the champion skier had finalized her divorce from Thomas Vonn, after initializing proceedings in 2011. Woods split up with his wife, Elin Nordegren, in 2010 after admitting a series of infidelities. In May 2015, Woods and Vonn announced their breakup, with the golfer claiming he "hadn't slept" in the days following.

In 2013, Woods regained the No. 1 spot in world golf rankings with a win at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Woods winces in pain after striking a tree root with his club after a shot from the rough in the final round of the 2015 Masters Tournament in April. He tied for 17th place.

Woods' best result of an injury-hit 2015 was a tie for 10th at August's Wyndham Championship -- his last appearance this season before having back surgery.

In July 2015, Woods missed the cut at the British Open for just the second time in his illustrious career.

Woods throws his club in disgust following a shot from the rough during the first round of the 2015 U.S. Open at Chambers Bay in June, when he missed the halfway cut after rounds of 80 and 76.

Tiger Woods: From highs to lows

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