The Stadium Course favors no particular player or style of play, but opinions on its caliber range from prestigious architectural design to unflattering rancor spiced with R-rated four-letter words.
Number 5
Best of the Best
It's rare for any event, even a major championship, to feature every single player from the top-50 in the OWGR, but that’s exactly what we' re getting this week. Tiger Woods makes his 19th career start at THE PLAYERS and can tie Jack Nicklaus for most victories in this event's history (3) with a win this week.
Nine-time Tour winner Justin Thomas has less than two months remaining to join Woods, Nicklaus, and Jordan Spieth as one of the four youngest players in Tour history to reach 10 career wins. Woods holds the record (23 years), while Nicklaus is the third-youngest (24 years). Thomas will be 25 years, 10 months, and 18 days on Sunday, and with a win could pass Rory McIlroy who was 25 years, 11 months, and 29 days when he crossed the 10-win threshold.
Number 4
Move to March
For the first time in 13 years, THE PLAYERS will be contested in March, and that's definitely going to change things up a bit. Because The Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass has been over-seeded (to make it more lush and green this early in the season), the grass will be more dense than normal. And as a result, balls are going to land and sit in the turf in a variety of ways.
Some balls will rest up high on top of thick swaths of rye grass. Others will sit down so deep as to make grooves on players' clubs almost useless. Either way the combination of flyer lies and sunken balls will introduce a significant risk that did not exist when this event was played in May. That means we're going to see even more miracle shots and horrible shots on approach. And as a golf fan that's going to make for even greater entertainment.
A Fair Test or Tricked-Up?
Pete Dye's 7,189 yard, par-72 Stadium Course is balanced with a variety of short, medium, and long holes within the par-3, par-4 and par-5 categories. There are both right and left doglegs, and no two consecutive holes ever play in the same direction (so the wind has a balanced influence on the field). The layout is often referred to as a second shot golf course, but if the first shot doesn't land in the correct place, the second shot will be a prelude to big numbers. There are risk-reward holes, intimidating shots, and a lot of water.
The Stadium Course is a complete test of golf, but unfortunately, it can also be disastrously unfair and an exercise in futility. Gusting winds, shameful pin positions, and lightning quick greens took the challenge to sadistic levels three years ago, and the criticism was justified. This is a Jekyll and Hyde track, but playing in March will now present new challenges. The course will play soft and the rough will be shorter. And without an incentive to maximize accuracy off the tee and on approach, that could lead to a monotonous birdie-fest. For THE PLAYERS to truly identify the best player this week course set-up will be crucial.
Number 2
Should THE PLAYERS be a Major Championship?
THE PLAYERS arguably boasts the strongest field in golf. The $12.5 million purse is the richest all season. And the course is recognized as one of the toughest on the planet. But should it be a major championship? The Masters wasn't intended to be a major championship, but it evolved into one. The PGA Championship started off as a match-play event in 1916, but then switched to stroke-play in 1958.
One of the things that sets the majors apart is that history makes the current year's championship and certainly future ones all the more special, and THE PLAYERS history checks off all the boxes. It has the cash, it has the kudos, and it has the character. It already feels like a major championship for fans and players alike, and it's only a matter of time before it's elevated to major status.
Number 1
That 17th Hole
Virtually every hole on The Stadium Course presents considerable pitfalls for players. Under the crucible of final round pressure however, none will test the nerves quite like the fabled island green at No. 17. The original plan for No. 17 called for the hole to be only partially surrounded by a lake. But during construction a crater was dug around the green, and Pete Dye's wife Alice suggested leaving the hole like that.
This 137 yard, par-3 demon isn’t long, and the green is larger than most putting surfaces at TPC Sawgrass. However, when the unpredictable winds start gusting, No. 17 can play as many as three clubs different. Last year a staggering number of balls wound up in the water - 54 to be exact (the sixth highest total since the Tour officially started keeping track in 2003). And that fact might send a few shivers down players' spines as they walk from the 16th green to the 17th tee box.
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