Phil Mickelson just shut down one of golf's hottest debates with five words.

The six-time major champion responded to Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee's claim that The Players Championship stands above all four majors in golf. 

Mickelson, who won The Players title in 2007, didn't need a long explanation. His reply in X on February 7 cut straight through Chamblee's argument.

"I've won it, it's not." Mickelson wrote.

Chamblee made his case during a Golf Channel segment earlier this week. The longtime commentator didn't just call The Players a major. He has ranked it ahead of The Masters, U.S. Open, The Open Championship, and the PGA Championship combined.

"When you look at the Players Championship with all due respect to the other four major championships, it is the best field in golf," Chamblee said in the clip shared by Josh Carpenter on X. 

"It is the deepest field in golf," he added.

The analyst doubled down on his position. He pointed to a striking statistic about the tournament's difficulty over five decades.

"By virtue of the fact that only one person in its 50-year history has managed to successfully defend it, I would argue that it is the hardest major championship to win," Chamblee continued.

He saved his strongest statement for last.

"The Players, to me, stands alone and above the other four major championships as not just a major, it is, in my estimation, the best major."

Mickelson saw the take making rounds on social media. His response came hours later and carried the weight of someone who's actually won the tournament.

Phil Mickelson's Accolades Give His Views Credibility in This Debate

Mickelson knows both sides of this argument, as he captured the Players Championship title twice, in 2007 and 2011, at TPC Sawgrass.

However, Mickelson also owns three Masters green jackets, two PGA Championships, and one Open Championship claret jug. That's six actual majors compared to two Players titles. His resume gives him a perspective Chamblee doesn't have as a player.

The 54-year-old knows the pressure of Sunday at Augusta National. He's felt the weight of contending at St. Andrews and Congressional. So when he says that The Players Championship, despite its notoriety, doesn't carry that same history or global significance, many will certainly believe him.

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Written by

Sneha Abraham

Edited by

Souvik Roy