Fact or Fiction: The Players Championship Will Be Better With a Smaller Field

The SI Golf team debates the smaller field coming to the PGA Tour’s flagship event, Sergio Garcia’s Ryder Cup chances and the future of Tiger Woods’s Sun Day Red brand.

Xander Schauffele (pictured putting on the 17th hole in 2024) and the PGA Tour's stars will play in a smaller-field Players Championship starting in 2026. / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK

Welcome back to SI Golf’s Fact or Fiction, where we have landed balls successfully on land at TPC Sawgrass's 17th. And have had some others we won’t talk about

Once again, we’re here to debate a series of statements for writers and editors to declare as “Fact” or “Fiction” along with a brief explanation. Responses may also (occasionally) be “Neutral” since there's a lot of gray area in golf.

Do you agree or disagree? Let us know on the SI Golf X account.

This week’s Players Championship marks the end of an era: the 144-player event will be 120 next year as the Tour moves to smaller field sizes. The Players will be better with this nearly 17% reduction in contestants.

Bob Harig: FICTION. Why cut back so much? The field size reductions are part of an overall plan to make the Tour more competitive and allow for better pace of play. But isn’t 132 players a better number to settle on?

Jeff Ritter: FICTION. I lean with Bob … but if they don’t finish the first round before darkness this week I will run happily into the 120-man field era. 

John Schwarb: FICTION. I’m not against moving to smaller fields most weeks, but the Players stands alone on Tour in purse size, points size and prestige and shouldn’t be just another event to treat as a lab for change. Take a look at the tee sheet this week and marvel at how everyone is at TPC Sawgrass, including the grinders. Keep letting the 140th-best guy take his shot at a career-changing week against all the stars. 

Sergio Garcia won LIV Golf Hong Kong and hopes to play in an 11th Ryder Cup for Team Europe. Given the emerging depth of Luke Donald’s team, Garcia will have to win a major to get a spot. 

Bob Harig: FICTION. Winning one would be an incredible achievement for numerous reasons beyond the Ryder Cup. But it’s not necessary to be considered. Playing well in the majors, however, seems important. Garcia has done very little in the majors since his 2017 Masters win. His tie for 12th at the U.S. Open last year was admirable after going through qualifying. Getting into all four majors this year would give his candidacy a big boost.

Jeff Ritter: FICTION. He’s the most decorated European Ryder Cupper of all time. He just has to show he’s one of the 12 best Euros playing this fall, and he’ll be on the team.

John Schwarb: FACT. Captain Luke Donald’s boat is filling up fast. Just going down the OWGR: McIlroy, Åberg, Fleetwood, Hatton, Straka, Lowry, MacIntyre and Hovland are all in the top 20. Rahm will be on the team. Justin Rose is still world-class. Thomas Detry won in Phoenix and is an up-and-comer. LIV Golf’s Adrian Meronk could have a case. And what about a Højgaard? Much can change in the next six months but I think the 45-year-old Garcia is going to have to do something special to crack this team. 

Collin Morikawa won two of his first seven major starts but has only one Tour win since the 2021 British Open, with some scar tissue mounting including another layer from last Sunday at Bay Hill. But the world No. 4 will win sometime this year. 

Bob Harig: FACT. It just seems inevitable, although these close calls don’t make it any easier. Morikawa is fourth in the Official World Ranking despite just that single win since 2021, a testament to how often he puts himself in position to win.

Jeff Ritter: FACT. I think he’ll win this year … but I was also certain he’d win somewhere last year. 

John Schwarb: NEUTRAL. I’d feel better about his chances at a non-signature or major—which isn’t completely a knock on him. Maybe he gets back to winning at a place like Colonial, where he has a good history and doesn’t have to beat every top guy in the game.

Tour rookie Karl Vilips won the Puerto Rico Open, the first win for Tiger Woods’s Sun Day Red clothing line. That brand will eventually be as iconic as other household-name golf brands.

Bob Harig: NEUTRAL. I’d consider this a definite maybe. It won’t be soon but it could happen given the marketing power behind Woods and his popularity. It’s one of the reasons you can expect Woods to keep playing, if even on a limited basis. There’s no better way to promote the brand.

Jeff Ritter: FICTION. It’s possible the brand eventually clicks, but ultimately Tiger himself is so much bigger than his brand, he sort of blots it out while continuing to play into the twilight. I do think signing young guys like Vilips is really smart.

John Schwarb: NEUTRAL. My crystal ball isn’t that strong, but agree with Jeff—stockpiling young talent could pay off big later. And Tiger taking Sun Day Red out on the PGA Tour Champions and winning would help too.