In recent years, there's been quite the debate on whether or not The Players should be considered the "Fifth Major" of men's professional golf. However, with the quick rise of LIV Golf, it seems as if the idea of a fifth major has quieted down substantially.

For reference, the current majors on the men's side of professional golf are The Masters (hosted by Augusta National), the PGA Championship (PGA of America), the US Open (USGA), and The Open (R&A). There are many people who think that the PGA Tour hosts the PGA Championship (because of the name) when in reality the PGA Tour and the PGA of America (who actually host the tournament) are in fact two completely separate organizations. Considering that a golf club (Augusta National) is able to host a major, it's not that far fetched of an idea to think that the most prominent professional golf tour in the modern day could also host one. At the moment The Masters is the only major hosted at the same golf course each year. That would change if The Players became the fifth major as it's hosted annually at TPC Sawgrass.

With that said, it seems as if the momentum of the "Fifth Major" idea has all but vanished. With the top players in the game split between multiple, The Players no longer has a field containing all of the top players in the world. It became quite apparent this year considering the defending champion, Cameron Smith, was not allowed to play. The reasons for that decision seem valid but ultimately not in the spirit of what a major championship is all about.

The field was still strong for 2023 and a deserved champion in Scottie Scheffler emerged. The major champion may not have earned himself another major title, but adding the title of being The Players champion is still impressive for the resume. He also regained the top spot on the OWGR but that's a story for a different day.

In the end, until the schism in professional golf gets rectified, it'll be nearly impossible to make the argument that The Players should be considered the "Fifth Major". So, for now, the women's side of professional golf will be the place to view five majors in a season.