The Players Championship is days away. The tournament has been around for almost 50 years, there are many interesting facts to share.
Ahead are 10 nuggets on one of the biggest golf tournaments on the PGA Tour any golf fan should know.
Jack Nicklaus Has the Most Titles
Despite The Players Championship being around for 48 years, since 1974, the tournament’s first winner, Jack Nicklaus, still owns the most titles, with three. Nicklaus won the tournament in 1974, ‘76 and ‘78 and remains the only three-time winner.
The Land Was Purchased for $1
Then-PGA Commissioner Deane Beman had a dream of building a site for the Players Tournament, which he realized when the tournament was being played at Sawgrass Country Club from 1977-81. Beman tried to buy the Country Club, however the owners refused to sell to him. However, the two men who owned the land across from Sawgrass believed Beman could do it and sold the 415 acres of swampland to the Tour for $1.
A Plaque of Pride
Those same owners who said Beman wouldn’t achieve his dream thought it was so hard, a bet was made. The chairman of Arvida Corporation, which Beman was trying to buy from, Charles Cobb, bet him $100 he couldn’t do it. After the course opened, Beman received a plaque from Cobb to mark the occasion, with a $100 bill and inscription, “To Deane Beman, the man who did what we said couldn’t be done. From Chuck Cobb and his associates at Arvida, who bet on the difficulty of the task, not on the capability of the man doing the task.” The plaque is displayed in the clubhouse at TPC Sawgrass.
The 17th hole is Famous for Good Reason
When fans head to TPC Sawgrass to watch the tournament, many crowd around the 17th hole to watch the players take it on, and for good reason. Though just a par-3, 136-yard round, the 17th hole of The Players Championship is one of the toughest holes players have to face on any course, with the hole being on an island green. Not only that, but the addition of thousands of spectators watching while a player tries to lock down a win only adds to the suspense, making it one of the most popular holes among fans.
Area Around Island Green Collects a lot of Golf Balls
Since it is notorious for its difficulty, it comes as no surprise that the 17th hole sees plenty of golf balls find water. In fact, the PGA Tour figures there are about 100,000 balls that find their way into the surrounding water each year. Though the professionals who play in the Players Championship don’t add much to that tally, they do contribute some. The highest one-day total came in 2007, when golfers sent 50 golf balls into the water in the first round. Last year’s Players Championship looked like it was going to challenge that number, finishing the first round with 35 balls in the water, however things got back on track in the subsequent rounds, leaving 2007’s tournament record still intact.
Purse Is the Highest of all Standalone Golf Events
Even before the recent increase, the purse for the Players Championship is larger than each of the four majors. With the purse increased to $20 million, the winner of The Players Championship is set to make $3.6 million for winning the event. Prior to the increase, the purse was set at $15 million. The only event with a larger purse is the FedEx Cup Playoffs, with a $46 million purse and the winner of the Tour Championship earning $15 million.
Sometimes Referred to as the Fifth Major
Though it is not actually a major, the PGA Tour still promotes the Players Championship as such, partly due to its prestige. The Players Championship draws a strong field of contenders and is played at one of the most prominent courses with one of the most famous holes, things all contributing to the nickname.
The Best Round That Never Was
One of the best rounds played at TPC Sawgrass happened just before the whole world shut down as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hideki Matsuyama was just finishing up his day on the ninth hole, a par-five, where he knocked in a 25-footer to finish the day 9-under par, matching the course record of 63. Matsuyama played a strong round, with one bogey on the day, eight birdies and an eagle. Too bad it didn’t count, as not long after, the Players Championship was canceled and Matsuyama’s great round was erased.
Course Built with Spectators in Mind
When The Players Championship course was being designed, Beman wanted to improve the experience of the fans, therefore, he designed the course thinking of them. Not only is there no one particular style of play at the course, diversifying the length of each hole and direction, but Beman and course architect Pete Dye gave great thought to spectator viewership. Beman and Dye created stadium mounds around certain golf locations where fans could watch the tournament. The mounds slope up, allowing for a clear view for all spectators to see what’s happening, making the course a favorite for fans to flock to come tournament time.
There Has Been No Back-to-Back Winners
Though multiple golfers have won The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass multiple times, never has a player won it over consecutive years, with the average time between each win being 11.6 years, according to PGATour.com. Tiger Woods, Fred Couples, Davis Love III, Steve Elkington and Hal Sutton have all won the tournament twice, however due to the difficulty of the course, none of them won it twice in a row.
This year’s Players Championship will take place March 10-13 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.
