For a long time, the Players Championship has been the topic of a major controversy. The tournament is unquestionably one of the biggest on the PGA Circuit, and it has been proposed that the Players can become the fifth golf major. TPC Sawgrass, which hosts the Players each season, is regarded as one of the most challenging courses to play on, and a five-time PGA Tour winner recently spoke about it, noting that he has always believed the tournament to be a golf major.
This golfer is none other than Russell Henley, who was recently present at the 2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational, which is taking place this week at the Bay Hill Golf Club. In a pre-tournament press conference, Henley discussed the Players Championship and how he always regarded it as a golf major because the TPC Sawgrass is a difficult golf course that only exceptional shots work on.
According to an X post, Henley stated that the golf course is frightening and that the tournament’s history is extensive. He also asserted that, unless you are Scottie Scheffler, no golfer has won the Players Championship back-to-back. The 36-year-old explained,
“I mean, I think it’s a major. It’s our, it’s our home tournament... And the history with that tournament, I mean, I’ve always considered that a major in my mind and it’s just such a, it’s such a tricky golf course and it rewards great shots and typically and it, you know, visually is very intimidating and I feel like if you have a good week there, you’ve done a lot of really good things and, you know, you look at the past champions and nobody is really, hasn’t really favored any one player.”
The 2026 Players Championship is going to take place this month, and here’s more information on the tournament and the golf club that will host it.
When is the 2026 Players Championship going to start?
The Players Championship will begin this season on March 12 at the TPC Sawgrass, with a total prize pool of $25 million, one of the highest on the PGA Tour circuit. This season’s tournament has also undergone significant changes, with only 120 golfers competing, a decrease from the previous year’s field of 144. This means that after 36 holes, only 65 golfers will take part in the weekend game.
The TPC Sawgrass will host the event since it is one of the most iconic courses in the world. It serves as both the home course for the Players Championship and the PGA Tour’s headquarters. The par 72 course spans 7,275 yards and consists of 18 holes. The most iconic part of the golf course is its par 3 Hole 17, which is approximately 137 yards long and is surrounded by water bodies.
The tee shot at Hole 17 is one of the most nerve-racking, and it is responsible for some of the tournament’s most dramatic finishes over the years. The 2025 Players Championship was won by World No. 2 Rory McIlroy, who finished his campaign in a dramatic playoff victory over JJ Spaun.
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