Should THE PLAYERS Be a Major + Our Sunday Picks #theplayers #pgatour

Summary

Tranquilo Sports Talk: "Should THE PLAYERS Be a Major + Our Sunday Picks" (March 15, 2026)
Stay Tranquilo Network | #theplayers #pgatour

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Episode Overview

This week’s episode dives into the heated debate: should THE PLAYERS Championship be recognized as golf’s fifth major? Broadcasting out of Miami, the hosts bring trademark South Florida energy to their discussion on Sawgrass’s uniquely punishing layout, the loaded leaderboard, and the tournament’s place in golf history. They also break down new PGA Tour changes and wrap with insights on the popular Sunday betting pool.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Challenge and Allure of THE PLAYERS at TPC Sawgrass

• Course Analysis:

  • The analysts extol the beauty and difficulty of TPC Sawgrass, calling it “pristine” with “the best three holes of golf” to close a round (45:–03:07).
  • Notable is the infamous 17th “island green,” described as “that’s the beauty of this tournament, right? No lead is safe. One shot can derail your whole tournament.” (00:49–01:59)
  • Keegan Bradley and Jonathan Vegas discussed as examples of how disaster can strike even top players, with quadruple bogeys turning tournaments upside down.

• Florida Swing and Championship Finishes:

  • The unrelenting nature of the Florida swing highlighted, referencing the Bear Trap, API’s 18th, and Sawgrass’s finishers:

    “The courses here are extremely tough … at Cognizant you got to go through the bear trap … then you go to the players where might be the hardest final two holes of all of them.”
    —Golf Analyst 2 (02:20)

• Leaderboard Drama:

  • As of recording, three leaders at -8 (Xander Schauffele, Corey Conners, Sepp Straka); 30 players within 6 strokes of lead (“Speed is on a tear …” 03:25–04:38).
  • The volatility and tight margins are a huge part of the excitement.

2. Should THE PLAYERS Be a Major?

• Arguments For (Golf Analyst 3/Wingo):

  • Calls it “one of the best courses around the world,” a highlight for players and fans.
  • “I do think that this should be a major … these guys look forward to every year.” (05:32)

• Arguments Against (Golf Analyst 2):

  • Main objection: “I just don’t think you can honestly retrospectively consider this a major because then it kind of just … changes the entire discussion of all those guys that, you know, didn’t win majors, all of a sudden now have majors … I think it’s too late in the game to add another major.” (05:55)
  • Emphasizes prestige, history, and the difficulty in retroactively assigning “major” status.

• Compromise Thoughts (Golf Analyst 3):

  • Suggests course renovation: “change up something in order to make it a major … make it a lot more difficult … compare it to something like Augusta.” (07:06)
  • Renovation and increased difficulty could justify a new era for THE PLAYERS.

• Nuance from Golf Analyst 1:

  • Notes ongoing tweaks at Sawgrass may foreshadow future changes: “They’ve done changes … maybe is like, a sign for things to come, right, where it’s like, how can we make some of these holes a little bit more challenging?” (07:56)
  • Acknowledges that “even in fans’ eyes, we kind of make it feel like it’s a major.” (08:20)

3. The Uniqueness of Augusta and Major Sites Rotation

• Augusta remains special because it’s the only major at a permanent venue; others rotate (09:04–09:56).

  “What makes Augusta so special too, is that it is the only major that you are going back to … The other majors … it’s a new course.”
  —Golf Analyst 2

• Raising: What would it mean for THE PLAYERS to only ever be at Sawgrass, and is that a pro or con?

4. PGA Tour Changes and the Future

• PGA CEO’s announcement: Despite rumors, 120-player fields and traditional Friday cut lines will stay for big events (10:00–10:50).
  • More signature events to come, spreading focus across more players rather than just stars.
  • New event in Miami generating excitement—“reasons to grow the game.”

5. Betting Talk and the Famous Tranquilo Pool

• The analysts discuss their ongoing golf pools (“Hondo pools”), where listeners pick six golfers from different tiers—makes tournaments much more interactive and “fun.” (12:07–13:13)

  “It just makes you that much more engaged in these golf tournaments.” —Golf Analyst 1 (13:14)

• The Masters pool coming up is teased as “massive” with “huge pots.”

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Sawgrass Drama:
  “No lead is safe. One shot can derail your whole tournament.”
  —Golf Analyst 1 (01:00)

• On THE PLAYERS as a Potential Major:
  “I do think that this should be a major … that course is one of the best courses around the world.”
  —Golf Analyst 3/Wingo (05:32)

• On Golf Tradition:
  “I just don’t think you can honestly retrospectively consider this a major … it changes the entire discussion of all those guys that didn’t win majors.”
  —Golf Analyst 2 (05:55)

• On Tournament Tweaks:
  “They’ve done changes … maybe is like, a sign for things to come, right, where it’s like, how can we make some of these holes a little bit more challenging?”
  —Golf Analyst 1 (07:56)

• On Interactivity:
  “It just makes you that much more engaged in these golf tournaments, too.”
  —Golf Analyst 1 (13:14)

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Important Timestamps

• 00:45–03:25: In-depth breakdown of TPC Sawgrass, course conditions, and the leaderboard.
• 05:32–07:56: Debate on whether THE PLAYERS should achieve major status; pro and con arguments.
• 09:04–09:56: Discussion on Augusta and uniqueness of major championship courses.
• 10:00–10:50: PGA Tour CEO updates and the future of event formats.
• 12:07–13:14: Inside look at the Tranquilo betting pool tradition.

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Takeaways

• THE PLAYERS Championship at Sawgrass is revered for its beauty and brutality, producing drama unmatched by any other non-major.
• The debate over “major” status centers on tradition versus evolution—history and records versus the tournament’s undeniable prestige and challenge.
• The accessibility of betting pools continues to be a key way the podcast community engages deeper with the sport.
• Listeners come away energized by both the distinct Miami perspective and the insights into broader PGA Tour trends.

If you care about golf’s tradition, but love barbershop-style hot takes, this episode is a must-listen—especially ahead of Sunday’s chaos at Sawgrass.

Transcript

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[Golf Analyst 1]

It is big week in golf, right?

[Golf Analyst 2]

Yeah.

[Golf Analyst 1]

Fifth major when we're going to talk about it. Is it a major? Is it, should it be a major? Should it not be a major? But obviously, TBC Sawgrass is one of the most beautiful courses across the country, maybe even the globe. It is just pristine. The bunkers are more white than anywhere else. The grass is greener, the trees are greener. It is just. The clubhouse is ridiculous. It's. It's obviously one of the best tournaments of the year. And it is off to a fire chart. I mean, yesterday we had some weather. Some guys were managing the course really well, other guys were falling apart. I don't know if you saw that group on 17 yesterday, that all three of them hit it in the water on 17, the full group. I forgot who it was. But a whole group of three all went in the water, so 17, that's. That's the beauty of this tournament, right? It no lead is safe. One shot can derail your whole tournament. I mean, you've seen guys already have quadruple bogeys out there this weekend. Keegan had a Kajua Brokey on 11 on a par five.

[Golf Analyst 2]

Yeah, right.

[Golf Analyst 1]

Then you got Jonathan Vegas, who was three under going into 17 yesterday, gets a Kadruba bogey on 17 because he hits it in the water twice.

[Golf Analyst 2]

The best.

[Golf Analyst 1]

Like, doesn't matter who you are, how many, how many strokes, you're can get dicey fast out there. And to me, that's what makes this tournament so special because you gotta just be on your AAME every single shot. You cannot afford to miss pretty much anywhere on this course. And that stretch of 16, 17, 18, is probably one of the best three holes of golf.

[Golf Analyst 2]

It's the best. It's, you know, what the the for me is, is why I specifically love the Florida swing is the fact that like, again, the courses here are extremely tough. And it's three straight tournaments with insane finishing holes in the sense of like at Cognizant. You got to go through the bear trap. And you saw Shane Lowry struggles in the bear trap. Boom. Belows the tournament API has got 17 and 18 and 18. Arnold Palmer might be one of the hardest holes on tour. Boom. You see Burger essentially blow ways lead on 17 and 18.

[Golf Analyst 1]

Yeah.

[Golf Analyst 2]

Then you go to the players where might be the hardest final two holes of all of them. You've got the, the famous island green. And then 18 is the scariest. You've got water all along the left

[Golf Analyst 1]

side, everything a bunch of trees, right? Your tee shot, water's in place, your second shot. You know, let's say you find the fairway on 18.

[Golf Analyst 2]

Yeah.

[Golf Analyst 1]

You're not safe by any stretch of the imagination. Like you could play it right, but you miss, right? That's a ton of trees. It's tough, it's tough. You got rough bunkers all, all along the right side. So you want to play it safe over there.

[Golf Analyst 2]

Yeah.

[Golf Analyst 1]

You're not guaranteed a par if you missed right over there. So it is tough. And I, I think there is the stat like the last, I don't know how many winners but basically have shot par or better on 18 through the course of the whole tournament. So like the tournament's won on 18. I, I just think about, imagine having a two stroke lead going into 17 on Sunday and hitting that tee shot onto the green like the nerves got to be ridiculous hitting that tee shot. But it is, it is epic. And you look at the leaderboard right now. I mean, just a ton of guys in contention, right. Two of the guys right now that are on fire are Xander Shafley and Corey Connors, both five under through the course of the tournament. And then you got seps shocker also in the, tied at the top in the lead at eight under. So you got three guys at eight under, bunch of guys sitting at six under and then it just kind of stacks. You got, you got, basically you got about 30 guys within six strokes of the lead and then you got, and have them over 20 guys that are within four strokes of the lead right now. And we know how this tournament is. Speed is on a tear right now. He's six under 500 for the tournament. Let's see, let's see.

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[Golf Analyst 1]

He must be having him.

[Golf Analyst 3]

He's been dialing up the One thing that I love about this tournament too, is, is it being in Florida, the weather conditions are always going to be an aspect.

[Golf Analyst 1]

Yes.

[Golf Analyst 3]

The same way you guys kind of spoke about it, like, the last few holes being so difficult. It's gonna. Let's say it goes out there, pours one day or pours toward the end of tournament. It's like there's so many guys that are so close in this leaderboard. Like you said, 20, 30 guys that are all between five strokes.

[Golf Analyst 1]

Yeah, right.

[Golf Analyst 3]

Five strokes is.

[Golf Analyst 1]

Is not easy for me.

[Golf Analyst 2]

Right.

[Golf Analyst 1]

If I'm out there.

[Golf Analyst 2]

But.

[Golf Analyst 3]

But five strokes is.

[Golf Analyst 2]

Is.

[Golf Analyst 3]

Is not that hard for. For some of these guys to kind of either make up, go on fire. You know, if a guy birdies one hole and, and double bogeys another, it's. It's very easy for guys to move up and down in this tournament, especially with the weather conditions being a difficult course on those few holes. Just being in Florida, man, I know they're enjoying it. This is an exciting one. I do think that this should be a major.

[Golf Analyst 1]

Yes.

[Golf Analyst 3]

I think it needs to be something that is bigger. You know, that course is one of the best courses around the world. Guys love coming down to Florida, love coming to Jacksonville. It's a beautiful clubhouse, beautiful whole area. They do a great job with everything over there. So I think it definitely should be a major and something because it's something definitely that these guys look forward to every single year.

[Golf Analyst 2]

I. I will disagree with you, Wingo. I. I just. Because of this, this is the only reason I disagree, because I agree with everything you said. In the sense of it, it is a bigger tournament than anything else outside of maybe a major. It's probably. It's just as big as a major. I just don't think you can honestly retrospectively consider this a major because then it kind of just. First of, it changes the entire discussion of all those guys that, you know, didn't win majors, all of a sudden now have majors. And then it's like. I don't know. Like, I think it's too late, late in the game to make it a major. I think it's been four for as long as I can even maybe know. I just think it's too late in the game to add another major. And this is already special in the sense that it is the highest purse, it's the most money you'll make. It is considered winning a player's great. But then, like, do you retroactively and what. I don't know how many times Tiger won this thing, and you're gonna give it, and then who knows? Like. Like, I don't know. Like, I just don't think you can. It's too late. Like, that's my biggest thing. I think it's just too late.

[Golf Analyst 1]

That's a fair point.

[Golf Analyst 2]

It's not the quality of the tournament. I think the quality of the tournament. This is just as good as a major. I'm with you, 100. I just don't think you can. It's too late in the game.

[Golf Analyst 3]

I think they gotta go in and do a renovation of maybe changing the course up a little bit on some of the beginning holes and changing up. They got to change up something in order to make it a major, because then it's like, hey, it's not what it was like when you guys won the tournament. But now going forward, we've changed the course. We're going to keep those last few holes, maybe change up the whole terrain and the slopes and everything like that. Make it a lot more difficult. You know, compare it to something like Augusta. Augusta's greens, and. And do something that's, you know, extravagant. That kind of makes everyone like, wow, this is a lot harder now than it was before. You know, make a whole section in the clubhouse where it's all flashy and just make it a little bit more.

[Golf Analyst 2]

Right.

[Golf Analyst 3]

Take that next step, and then I think you can go back and maybe there won't be that argument of, okay, well, now I go and play that course. It wasn't the same that I played 10 years ago, and it's, like, completely new. So now I understand that.

[Golf Analyst 1]

Yeah. I mean, there's a tree that I think that's on. I Forget if it's 5 or 6 that they added. It's pretty much right in front of the tee box. And now you don't have the luxury now. Yeah, you got to hit it under the tree line. You got bunker water to your left, and then just full pines all along the right side. So not only do you have to be accurate, but you got to keep that ball track low, right? So they've done changes. I think that maybe is like, a sign for things to come, right, where it's like, how can we make some of these holes a little bit more challenging? How can we take. Change the dynamic of. Of this tournament? But it's like everyone has already kind of given it the reputation of it as, like, being the unofficial major, right? So it's like, even in the fan's eyes, like, we kind of make it feel like it's A major. Even when you're out there, the energy is different. Like, the amenities of that clubhouse are obviously ridiculous, that players love coming here because of everything that it has to offer. It's so pristine that it does feel like the major. But you bring up a good point. Right? Like, what does the history look like for everybody that's won there? Right. And how. How do you deal with that? But, you know, I don't know. I could see it happening. I could see it happening.

[Golf Analyst 2]

I've got one more thing too, too, because I also just love the fact that Augusta is the only major that is played at the same spot every year. Right. U.S. open, PGA. And, and the Open always move.

[Golf Analyst 1]

Yeah.

[Golf Analyst 2]

They're always rotating. Maybe it's a thing because then the players would. Obviously, you have to play the players at Sawgrass.

[Golf Analyst 1]

Yeah.

[Golf Analyst 2]

Is it a thing? And I. I don't know. I mean, I don't think it'd work because you already had to go to the players earlier that year, like maybe just putting Sawgrass in that discussion for a US Open or a PGA one year and they have to change it up. So it's different than the Sawgrass that they played in March.

[Golf Analyst 1]

Right.

[Golf Analyst 2]

I don't know. Maybe it's something like that. But yeah, I think it's just like the fact that. I think what makes Augusta so special too, is that it is the only major that you are going back to. Like, it's one that you play once a year and that's it. The other majors are. It's a new course.

[Golf Analyst 1]

Yeah.

[Golf Analyst 2]

Every four, five, six, whatever year.

[Golf Analyst 1]

That's a good point.

[Golf Analyst 2]

So. So, yeah, but there is so much.

[Golf Analyst 1]

I mean, there's a lot of change. Obviously that's going to come with the Tour. CEO spoke this week as well, talked about the fact that they're actually going to keep mo. Like everyone's thinking, oh, we're going to go away from. From these bigger events with 120 guys and we're going to focus on signature events, smaller fields. CEO basically put that and said, no, that's not going to be the case. We're actually going to keep 120 man fields going to have the cut line on Friday or after Friday going into the weekend. And we are going to make people got like larger fields, more competitive and, and make these guys grind out. There will be some additional signature events. So there's going to be a lot of change, I think, on the Tour. I wonder if this is one of those things that they talk about and maybe is part of these changes but it'll be interesting and I think having that CEO talk. Right. More big cities where they want to host.

[Golf Analyst 2]

I like that one.

[Golf Analyst 1]

New York, L.A. miami.

[Golf Analyst 2]

They just added the Mobsy. The one this year. The Miami.

[Golf Analyst 1]

Yeah. Which will be coming, you know, coming back to Miami. So there's going to be a lot of reasons to grow the game and things that they could do to improve it. And from the words that the CEO kind of put out there, I'm excited about a lot of those changes because I do think it's actually for the betterment of golf and not just focusing on, like, your top 20 guys as being the drivers. Right. It's focusing on all the talent that exists on tour. So we'll see if players ends up being part of that discussion and. And if it becomes a major down the line.

[Golf Analyst 2]

Yeah. I do want to note one last thing about players. I'm assaulted. That's a Heath and jt, but I don't see any HOV here on this picture.

[Golf Analyst 1]

Oh, your boy wasn't in the lead yesterday.

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[Golf Analyst 2]

JT or Henley, they're a four under with Javi.

[Golf Analyst 1]

Yeah. Honestly, the only one that should be up there.

[Golf Analyst 2]

I like this. Poochie poochie. You're. I don't like this at all.

[Golf Analyst 1]

Sahee, this one over for today and is for four on there for the tournament. Yeah.

[Golf Analyst 2]

That's what he gets for being on the graphic.

[Golf Analyst 1]

Oh, no. What? He's two under now. Oh, my God. Did he double a hole? He did. He just doubled six. The hole I think we were just talking about.

[Golf Analyst 2]

I had him on. I have him in my pool, and I was in second place, so. Thanks, sahib.

[Golf Analyst 1]

Did we do a pool for this?

[Golf Analyst 2]

Yes, dude. I do a pool. I've done.

[Golf Analyst 1]

I know. In a row, but why didn't I. Where are these text messages? I haven't gotten any of them in the WhatsApp. What? I forgot about those. But I haven't seen any of them.

[Golf Analyst 2]

Yeah, look. What?

[Golf Analyst 1]

Oh, it is here.

[Golf Analyst 2]

Yeah, There you go.

[Golf Analyst 1]

Oh, my God.

[Golf Analyst 2]

The next one's the master. So I'll put it in the chat. We got.

[Golf Analyst 1]

We got to put it. The pool in. In these things and get some people

[Golf Analyst 2]

in the pool like that.

[Golf Analyst 1]

Tell them about the pool real quick.

[Golf Analyst 2]

Yeah. So essentially, I've been running these Hondo pools for, honestly, five years now, where usually it's around big tournaments. Done API. It's you. It's always the four majors, the players. And then I'll try Now, the last couple years have been sprinkling in some signature events. It's a pool where you're picking six golfers, you're picking from different tiers, and then at the end, it picks your four best golfers. And your cumulative score is essentially your. Your low score. And we've been doing it for a while. First and second place get money. The Masters one is specifically massive. So, yeah, the Masters.

[Golf Analyst 1]

It's awesome.

[Golf Analyst 2]

We'll. We'll share that big time.

[Golf Analyst 1]

I mean, yeah, the pots. The pots are huge in these things sometimes. And, and it's fun. It just makes you that much more engaged in these golf tournaments, too.

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