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The fourth and final men’s major of the year is under way at Royal Liverpool. However, one former pro believes the time is right to shake up golf’s marquee events with the addition of a fifth major.

Appearing on Golf Channel’s ‘Live From The Open’, Brandel Chamblee made the case for The Players Championship to be elevated to the same status as The Open, Masters, US Open and US PGA.

“LIV has managed to poach some compelling players away from the PGA Tour, and it’s made the majors more compelling,” Chamblee said. “But I think there should be more sting in defecting away from the PGA Tour.

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“I can’t think of a better way to do that than make the Players Championship a major. It should have been a major eons ago, and it my view it is. But it should have that designation.

“The PGA Tour has the power to do that. The players have the power to do that.”

The Players has long traded on its “unofficial fifth major” status.

In addition to having one of the strongest fields in golf, it is also the most lucrative event on the PGA Tour.

This year, a cool $25million was divided amongst the 144 who pegged it up at TPC Sawgrass – up from $9.1million a decade ago. There are rumours that next year’s event will carry a purse of $30million.

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However, whilst the women’s and senior realms of the game have both added majors in recent times – the Evian Championship on the LPGA, for example, was upgraded to full major status in 2013 – the men’s scene has operated with its traditional four since the introduction of the Masters in 1934.

That, according to Chamblee, could and should change.

“I don’t know why we act like it’s an immutable number,“ he said. “The Players gains its prestige not by what it’s called, but by the quality of its field, the quality of the golf course, the compelling action, and the great history there. It’s done its time.”