Canadians are in contention at the '5th majors' in tennis and golf

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Other than the four major championships in their respective sports, golf's Players Championship and tennis' Indian Wells event are about as big as it gets. Both offer massive amounts of prize money, carry a lot of prestige and are popular with athletes and fans alike.

Here's a look at this year's "fifth majors," including the Canadians vying for one of the top titles in their sport:

Indian Wells

Officially the BNP Paribas Open, this jewel of the pro tennis circuit is better known by the name of the picturesque southern-California town where it takes place. Like a major, the men's and women's tournaments are played simultaneously at the same venue, with equal prize money. Both singles champions will collect $1.262 million US — a paycheque that can only be surpassed at the four Grand Slams and the season-ending tour Finals.

Another feature Indian Wells shares with the majors is that the singles tournaments are seven rounds. However, the 32 seeded players get a first-round bye. So, while the main singles draws technically started yesterday, they really get going Friday when the top players drop in for the round of 64.

Four of the five Canadian singles players at Indian Wells received first-round byes. The highest-seeded Canadian is men's No. 8 Felix Auger-Aliassime. The 22-year-old captured his first four ATP Tour titles last year, including three in a row late in the season, but is off to a so-so start to 2023. Auger-Aliassime fell in the fourth round of the Australian Open in January and has not reached a final this year, going 8-5 overall.

Joining Felix in the men's