The unofficial fifth major is upon us. The best field of the season.
? COURSE: TPC Sawgrass (Stadium), 7,215 yards, par 72. Cut
from 415 acres of wooded wetlands purchased for $1 by then-commissioner
Deane Beman, architect Pete Dye created a layout that challenges all
parts of a player's game ? often to perplexity. No two consecutive holes
on the Stadium course play in the same direction, doglegs were created
in both directions and care was taken to offer both short and long holes
of every par. No hole, though, gets more attention than its shortest ?
the 137-yard 17th over water to a green connected to land only by narrow
pathway from the back left.
? FEDEXCUP: Winner receives 600 points.
? FIELD WATCH: FedExCup titleholder Henrik Stenson and world
No.2 Adam Scott, both former PLAYERS winners, headline what typically is
one of the year's deepest lineups. Though defending champ Tiger Woods
(back) and World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play winner Jason
Day (thumb) are hurt, the roster features 46 of the top 50 in this
week's Official World Golf Ranking. ... One more automatic berth is
available for the winner of this week's Wells Fargo Championship, if he
hasn't already qualified. ...The FedExCup points list will be used to
fill any available slots to bring the field up to 144 players.
? 72-HOLE RECORD: 264, Greg Norman (1994).
? 18-HOLE RECORD: 63, Fred Couples (3rd round, 1992), Greg Norman (1st round, 1994), Roberto Castro (1st round, 2013).
? LAST YEAR: Woods became just the fifth man to win twice at
TPC Sawgrass, holding steady on the final two holes while nemesis Sergio
Garcia crumbled. Tied for the lead standing on the 17th tee, Woods
produced a par/par finish while Garcia needed 13 strokes that included
three balls in the water. Woods finished with a 2-under-par 70,
clinching victory when rookie David Lingmerth missed a long birdie putt
at No. 18 that would have forced a playoff. Jeff Maggert also was tied
for the lead until splashing down at No. 17, sharing second with
Lingmerth and Kevin Streelman. Woods' second triumph at THE PLAYERS came
12 years after his first.
? STORYLINES: Masters champion Bubba Watson makes his first
start since marching to his second Green Jacket, joining FedExCup leader
Jimmy Walker and Patrick Reed as the season's only multiple winners.
Only Woods (2001) has captured the Masters and THE PLAYERS in the same
year. ... Matt Kuchar, the 2012 PLAYERS champion, comes to TPC Sawgrass
off his playoff-winning holeout from a bunker at the RBC Heritage. The
victory was his fourth consecutive top-5 finish. ... Watson, Kuchar and
the sidelined Day are the only men among the current Official World Golf
Ranking top 20 to notch a PGA TOUR win in 2014. ... THE PLAYERS will
embark on a three-hole playoff should extra holes be needed, replaying
the closing stretch of Nos. 16-18. If a tie remains, sudden death begins
at the spellbinding 17th.
? SHORT CHIPS: An average of 48.4 balls have splashed into the
water at No. 17 in the seven editions since THE PLAYERS moved to May.
That includes 93 in 2007, when a wind-whipped May debut round put 50
into the pond. Last year saw 43 splashdowns. ... Only three times has
THE PLAYERS been won with four rounds in the 60s. Lingmerth came close
last year, but closed with a 72. ... Paul Azinger (1987) is the only man
to birdie No. 17 in all four rounds. ... Since the date change, every
champion has come from behind on the final day. The last man to take a
54-hole lead all the way to the winner's circle was Stephen Ames (2006).
Last week's winner - Bill from Tampa. Congrats!
Updated Standings
1. dfs - 5792
2. Bill - 5637
3. 2952 - 4455
4. NMT - 4441
5. Sea - 4412
6. Ocala - 4396
7. Bobcat - 4235
8. NiA - 3254
9. Lizard - 3251
10. Ed - 3175
11. 67810 - 3062
12. DL - 2962
13. g2f - 2142
14. pdubb - 1432
Good Luck!
This post was edited on 5/11 9:07 PM by DFSNOLE
Field
? COURSE: TPC Sawgrass (Stadium), 7,215 yards, par 72. Cut
from 415 acres of wooded wetlands purchased for $1 by then-commissioner
Deane Beman, architect Pete Dye created a layout that challenges all
parts of a player's game ? often to perplexity. No two consecutive holes
on the Stadium course play in the same direction, doglegs were created
in both directions and care was taken to offer both short and long holes
of every par. No hole, though, gets more attention than its shortest ?
the 137-yard 17th over water to a green connected to land only by narrow
pathway from the back left.
? FEDEXCUP: Winner receives 600 points.
? FIELD WATCH: FedExCup titleholder Henrik Stenson and world
No.2 Adam Scott, both former PLAYERS winners, headline what typically is
one of the year's deepest lineups. Though defending champ Tiger Woods
(back) and World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play winner Jason
Day (thumb) are hurt, the roster features 46 of the top 50 in this
week's Official World Golf Ranking. ... One more automatic berth is
available for the winner of this week's Wells Fargo Championship, if he
hasn't already qualified. ...The FedExCup points list will be used to
fill any available slots to bring the field up to 144 players.
? 72-HOLE RECORD: 264, Greg Norman (1994).
? 18-HOLE RECORD: 63, Fred Couples (3rd round, 1992), Greg Norman (1st round, 1994), Roberto Castro (1st round, 2013).
? LAST YEAR: Woods became just the fifth man to win twice at
TPC Sawgrass, holding steady on the final two holes while nemesis Sergio
Garcia crumbled. Tied for the lead standing on the 17th tee, Woods
produced a par/par finish while Garcia needed 13 strokes that included
three balls in the water. Woods finished with a 2-under-par 70,
clinching victory when rookie David Lingmerth missed a long birdie putt
at No. 18 that would have forced a playoff. Jeff Maggert also was tied
for the lead until splashing down at No. 17, sharing second with
Lingmerth and Kevin Streelman. Woods' second triumph at THE PLAYERS came
12 years after his first.
? STORYLINES: Masters champion Bubba Watson makes his first
start since marching to his second Green Jacket, joining FedExCup leader
Jimmy Walker and Patrick Reed as the season's only multiple winners.
Only Woods (2001) has captured the Masters and THE PLAYERS in the same
year. ... Matt Kuchar, the 2012 PLAYERS champion, comes to TPC Sawgrass
off his playoff-winning holeout from a bunker at the RBC Heritage. The
victory was his fourth consecutive top-5 finish. ... Watson, Kuchar and
the sidelined Day are the only men among the current Official World Golf
Ranking top 20 to notch a PGA TOUR win in 2014. ... THE PLAYERS will
embark on a three-hole playoff should extra holes be needed, replaying
the closing stretch of Nos. 16-18. If a tie remains, sudden death begins
at the spellbinding 17th.
? SHORT CHIPS: An average of 48.4 balls have splashed into the
water at No. 17 in the seven editions since THE PLAYERS moved to May.
That includes 93 in 2007, when a wind-whipped May debut round put 50
into the pond. Last year saw 43 splashdowns. ... Only three times has
THE PLAYERS been won with four rounds in the 60s. Lingmerth came close
last year, but closed with a 72. ... Paul Azinger (1987) is the only man
to birdie No. 17 in all four rounds. ... Since the date change, every
champion has come from behind on the final day. The last man to take a
54-hole lead all the way to the winner's circle was Stephen Ames (2006).
Last week's winner - Bill from Tampa. Congrats!
Updated Standings
1. dfs - 5792
2. Bill - 5637
3. 2952 - 4455
4. NMT - 4441
5. Sea - 4412
6. Ocala - 4396
7. Bobcat - 4235
8. NiA - 3254
9. Lizard - 3251
10. Ed - 3175
11. 67810 - 3062
12. DL - 2962
13. g2f - 2142
14. pdubb - 1432
Good Luck!
This post was edited on 5/11 9:07 PM by DFSNOLE
Field
