Sports
Why The Players Championship Doesn’t Need ‘Major’ Status
It’s an important tournament and the champion will have a notable result when The Players Championship wraps up on the weekend.
But it’s not a major championship, as CEO Brian Rolapp confirmed at his press conference on Wednesday morning.
Frankly, it doesn’t need to be. That’s because golfers heading out looking to conquer TPC Sawgrass this week find plenty of value in the event without a certain prestigious designation, and fans agree.
“I know there’s a lot of talks about it being a ‘fifth major’ and I don’t know necessarily if it should be another major, but it sure feels like it to me,” Sahith Theegala said.
Theegala acknowledges the debate that tends to pop up each year when the tournament is about to begin. It starts Thursday in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
Yet what makes the majors special is that there’s so few of them. Granted, with the addition of the signature events, that does tend to push the TPC into its own category – above those signature tournaments, yet below the majors.
And that’s OK. But let’s not call it a major.
That’s reserved to begin in April with the Masters, when the sports calendar is pretty much cleared to place emphasis on that tournament.
Still, there’s going to be plenty of clamor about this week’s tournament, as well there should be.
World No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler will take his turn, looking to win the tournament for the third time in a four-year stretch.
“You got to strike it well,” Scheffler said. “Around that golf course when you’re hitting the ball in the right spots, you can shoot some low scores.”
Scheffler said the course demands certain attention. How golfers lofted shots onto greens last week in the Arnold Palmer Invitational will be different at TPC Sawgrass. It’s something he said golfers “get used to that as the week goes on.”
The TPC demands attention because of the quality of its champions – and the rankings of its competitors. This year, 46 of the top 50 players in the world rankings have entered.
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland is the defending champion and he has won twice in the last six editions of the tournament (there was no event in 2020 because of the pandemic).
Since Tiger Woods won for the second time in 2013, the list of champions has included, in part, Rickie Fowler, Australia’s Jason Day, Webb Simpson and Justin Thomas.
McIlroy withdrew from weekend rounds in the Arnold Palmer Invitational because of an ailing back, so it’s possible that his status won’t be totally clear until the first round begins Thursday afternoon.
Given the TPC’s status, it figures that McIlroy will make every effort to be a participant. He and Scheffler are each bidding to become the event’s first three-time champion since Jack Nicklaus (1974, 1976, 1978), though only the last of those was contested at TPC Sawgrass.
Whoever wins this week will have secured a special achievement in a tournament that doesn’t need to be lumped in with the majors.
Sports
Galaxy extend D Jakob Glesnes through 2028-29
Feb 8, 2026; Indio, California, USA; LA Galaxy defender Jakob Glesnes (5) poses for a photo after the MLS preseason match against Chicago Fire FC at Empire Polo Club. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images The LA Galaxy signed star defender Jakob Glesnes to a contract extension through the 2028-29 season.
The team acquired Glesnes the 31-year-old Norwegian center back from the Philadelphia Union in December.
Glesnes, the 2022 MLS Defender of the Year, is a two-time MLS Best XI selection and a three-time MLS All-Star.
“Jakob has been an exemplary addition to the Galaxy, and we are excited to announce that he is extending his time with the club,” Galaxy general manager Will Kuntz said in a news release Tuesday.
“His impact in the dressing room and in all phases of the game on the field have provided a huge boost to our group from the first day of preseason. We are thrilled that Jakob will be a key part of our future and look forward to what we’ll accomplish together.”
Glesnes has recorded nine goals and 10 assists in 184 MLS regular-season matches (181 starts) with Philadelphia (2020-25) and the Galaxy.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: Chargers re-signing All-Pro special teamer Del'Shawn Phillips
Nov 9, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Del’Shawn Phillips (53) celebrates after a muffed punt recovery against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the fourth quarter of the game at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images The Los Angeles Chargers are re-signing special teams standout Del’Shawn Phillips to a two-year, $7.5 million contract worth up to $10.5 million in incentives, the NFL Network reported on Wednesday.
Phillips, 29, was selected second-team All-Pro for special teams in his first season with the Chargers in 2025. Phillips played in 17 regular-season games (one start) and had 37 tackles, one sack and one fumble recovery.
He participated on 80% of special teams plays (352).
Phillips has 113 tackles, two sacks, one forced fumble and three fumble recoveries in 86 career games (three starts) for the Buffalo Bills (2020), New York Jets (2021), Baltimore Ravens (2022-23), Houston Texans (2024) and Chargers.
–Field Level Media
Sports
PGA Tour targets marquee courses, big markets and meritocracy
PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolopp addresses a the media, tournament sponsors and Tour employees during a news conference on March 11 at the PGA Tour Global Home in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – While no final decisions have been made, plans are being laid out to “build the best version of the PGA Tour” possible with an emphasis on meritocracy, a 26-event season and the possible introduction of matchplay at the end of the year, says CEO Brian Rolapp.
During a massively attended press conference Wednesday at the PGA Tour’s ‘Global Home,’ Rolapp outlined six pivotal themes shaping the Tour’s future.
“This remains a work in progress, and it is by no means a baked cake,” said Rolapp, who was speaking ahead of the Players Championship. “These are simply areas where we are starting to see a meaningful consensus….this is a complex process with many constituencies impacted. We will continue to move with urgency, but we are focused on getting it right.
“We went into this project with a very clear objective: to build the best version of the PGA Tour, one that better serves our fans, players, and partners. Throughout the process we are keeping today’s fans and the fans of tomorrow at the center of our work, making sure that everything we do and every decision we consider is evaluated through that lens.”
Rolapp continues to work closely with Tiger Woods and the Future Competitions Committee with their collective focus placed on a competitive model built on meritocracy.
“This is not a closed shop,” Rolapp said. “We are aiming to create a more cohesive schedule with a simpler point system, one where the best players compete against one another more frequently.
“Fans know who the best players are. They are the players who perform best on the course. Our competitive model will be built around elevating those who prove themselves to be the top performers inside the ropes.”
Rolapp unveiled plans to double the number of signature events to 16, add in the four existing majors and the Players Championship and then designate a secondary wave of Tier II events.
“As we look at the calendar, there is an emphasis on playing our season from late January to early September … we are looking at roughly 21 to 26 tournaments on a first track of elevated events with the best players competing for higher purses,” he said. “We will then have a second track of PGA Tour tournaments which will ladder up to those elevated events.”
As a second theme, Rolapp said that more consistent fields would be established, with a move away from small fields and no-cut events.
“Ideally, we are targeting something closer to 120-player fields with a cut,” he added. “That consistently matters. It helps fans know who they will see and showcases who they want to see, the most competitive players. It helps partners know what they’re investing in, and it helps players better understand the competitive landscape in their schedules, all while embracing meritocracy.”
Opening the season with a marquee event at an iconic venue on the West Coast was another piece of the expanded vision for the PGA Tour, according to Rolapp.
“That will then allow us to finish on network television in primetime on the East Coast,” he said.
A fourth theme would focus on where the PGA Tour played its tournaments, and plans were afoot to include bigger markets such as New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Washington DC and Boston.
“Today the PGA Tour competes in only four of the top 10 largest U.S. media markets,” said Rolapp. “That is an opportunity. We are evaluating other markets … places where there is a strong fan demand for our sport, and a chance to reach new fans.”
Rolapp dispelled any idea that his definition of “scarcity” in scheduling meant a reduction in the number of events each year.
“Ultimately, scarcity is not about the number of events we have, but rather scarcity is about making every event we have matter,” he explained. “This is why we are evaluating the role of promotion and relegation between these two tracks within our competitive model… what we envision is a merit-based system that leans into what makes professional golf so compelling, players earning their way to the top, with every event having greater meaning.”
The sixth and final theme hinged on adding more drama to the PGA Tour schedule, including the possible addition of match play.
“We are exploring ways to enhance the post-season,” said Rolapp. “We have heard from our fans and our partners, they want more drama. We are considering the potential integration of match play, either at the Tour Championship or across the post-season as a whole, bringing win-or-go-home moments to the conclusion of our season.”
While everything outlined by Rolapp on Wednesday remains a work in progress with nothing yet decided, he planned to have further updates in late June.
“Nothing has been finalized,” he said. “We are still doing our work and gathering input from our players, our partners, and other key stakeholders. No recommendations have gone to our player-led boards. Looking ahead, we expect to make more meaningful progress by this
summer, and following our June 22nd board meeting, I plan to host another press conference at the Travelers Championship.”
-Mark Lamport-Stokes, Field Level Media
-Mark Lamport-Stokes, Field Level Media
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