The focus of the golf world should be on one of the best venues in the sport, but it has shifted to a March tournament on the other side of the country.

As the PGA Tour’s first signature event tees off at the beautiful Pebble Beach Golf Links, there has been talk about another big-time tournament and venue in Florida.

The Players Championship has been the focus of the golf world and the tournament doesn’t start for another month.

It all started last week with a PGA Tour social media post about The Players Championship that proclaimed, “March is going to major.” The Players in the past has been referred to as the fifth major but does not have that official status.

Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee then added more fuel to the fire.

“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,” he said.

Chamblee has fired off hot takes in the past, but that one is another level. TPC Sawgrass and The Players are iconic in the minds of golf fans, but it is not The Masters, U.S. Open, Open Championship or even PGA Championship.

The main reason for it not being on that level in the current landscape is the field. The four majors have LIV players like John Rahm, Tyrell Hatton and Bryson DeChambeau. When the PGA Tour states The Players is the best field in the world, it’s just not accurate.

But even if those players are in the field in the coming years, The Players doesn’t need to be a major. Allow The Players to be what it is — a good field at one of the more famous courses in the United States. When a tournament has recent winners like Rory McIlroy (twice), Scottie Scheffler (twice), Cam Smith and Justin Thomas, it speaks for itself.

“I’m a traditionalist. I’m a historian of the game,” McIlroy said this week before defending his title at Pebble Beach. “We have four major championships. If you want to see what five major championships looks like (then) look at the women’s game. I don’t know how well that went for them. But it’s The Players. It doesn’t need to be anything else.”

McIlroy, who has won five majors and the career grand slam, likes where The Players lands on the calendar as well. For the last 12 years it has been played in March since the PGA Championship was moved to May.

“I would say (The Players) got more of an identity than the PGA Championship does at the minute,” he said. “So, like from an identity standpoint, I think The Players has got it nailed. The Players is an amazing tournament in its own right. and I don’t think it being classified a major or not a major makes it any more or any less. I’m still very proud to have won that tournament twice as I’m sure all the other champions are. It stands on its own without the label.”

There is no need to label The Players a major. The conversation has distracted people from what golf fans should be talking about — this week’s tournament at Pebble Beach.

Korte, Whitney have strong showings on Korn Ferry Tour

Two players with Colorado connections are headed for another week on the Korn Ferry Tour.

Former University of Denver golfer Chris Korte and Air Force Academy grad Tom Whitney took home top-25 finishes at the Astara Golf Championship in South America. With those finishes, both players will get another chance to play on the tour next week.

Neither player has exempt status on the Korn Ferry Tour so they are playing on a week-to-week basis.

Korte, who finished in a tie for 25th, made the cut for the first time in a Korn Ferry event. He has played on the PGA Tour as well and has a 16th-place finish there. He was born in Littleton and played at Regis Jesuit High School before going to DU.

Whitney tied for 18th. Former CU golfer Jeremy Paul also finished 18th. Paul, who played on the PGA Tour last season as a rookie, has exempt status on the Korn Ferry Tour.

The Korn Ferry Tour is off until Feb. 26 when they tee it up at the Visa Argentina Open.

What they’re saying

“I think having the second-lowest single round of the tournament and the second-best rounds (in rounds) two and three says a lot about what this group is capable of. All five individuals had bright spots to celebrate this week in their games.”

— CU women’s golf coach Madeleine Sheils on her team’s sixth-place performance this week in Arizona

Skins game

Odds to win AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am

Scottie Scheffler +300

Rory McIlory +1300

Si Woo Kim +2000

Xander Schauffele +2500

Tommy Fleetwood +2500

Cameron Young +2700

This week in golf

PGA Tour

AT&T PEBBLE BEACH PRO-AM

Site: Pebble Beach, Calif.

Courses: Pebble Beach GL (Yardage: 6,972; Par: 72) and Spyglass Links GC (Yardage: 7,071; Par: 72).

Prize money: $20 million. Winner’s share: $3.6 million.

Television: Thursday-Friday, 1-5 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. (Golf), 1-5 p.m. (CBS); Sunday, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. (Golf), 1-4:30 p.m. (CBS).

Defending champion: Rory McIlroy.

LIV Golf League

LIV GOLF ADELAIDE

Site: Grange, Australia.

Course: The Grange GC. Yardage: 7,062. Par: 72.

Prize money: $20 million. Winner’s share: $4 million.

Television: Thursday, 6-9 p.m. (FS2), 9-11 p.m. (FS1); Friday, 8-10 p.m. (FS2), 10 p.m.-1 a.m. (FS1); Saturday, 6-9 p.m. (FS1), 9-11 p.m. (Fox).

Defending champion: Joaquin Niemann.

PGA Tour Champions

CHUBB CLASSIC

Site: Naples, Fla.

Course: Tiburon GC (Black). Yardage: 6,897. Par: 72.

Prize money: $1.8 million. Winner’s share: $270,000.

Television: Friday, 9 a.m.-Noon (Golf); Saturday-Sunday, 12:30-1 p.m. (Golf Channel app), 1-3:30 p.m. (Golf).

Defending champion: Justin Leonard.

FedEx Cup standings

Points Money

1. Chris Gotterup 1,046 $3,498,000

2. Scottie Scheffler 625 $2,095,680
3. Ryan Gerard 542 $1,801,329
4. Justin Rose 500 $1,728,000
5. Si Woo Kim 495 $1,708,755
6. Hideki Matsuyama 413 $1,402,470
7. Pierceson Coody 377 $1,249,448
8. Ryo Hisatsune 287 $994,177
9. Jake Knapp 258 $891,475
10. Matthew McCarty 235 $769,330
11. Patrick Rodgers 234 $746,109
12. Sahith Theegala 225 $724,918
13. Jacob Bridgeman 222 $701,960
14. Jason Day 200 $658,160
15. Andrew Putnam 184 $616,400
16. Michael Thorbjornsen 171 $571,680
17. Maverick McNealy 165 $522,075
18. Nicolai Hojgaard 162 $532,320
19. Sam Stevens 158 $474,978
20. Daniel Berger 143 $468,789