This weekend the PGA Tour gets a little more exciting. The PLAYERS is widely regarded as a quasi-Major. It certainly does not have the same mystique or prestige as the actual Majors, but it features a full complement of superstars, a fun and well-known course, and plenty of great moments in its rich history. Not to mention, as its namesake suggests, the players themselves hold this tournament in high regard.
First off, a look at the field. Rory McIlroy has already come out and said he will be a game-time decision for this weekend as he works through a back injury, but that is just one superstar who might miss out on the action this year. The field includes everybody who has won on tour this year and everybody who the fans at home want to see play.
One player who has received an exceptional amount of attention from the media is Brooks Koepka. I can honestly say, I am not entirely sure why. This is his first time in the players since 2022, and in that effort, he missed the cut. He has not yet shown this season any reason to believe he is back to elite form, but maybe the recent switch from a Scotty Cameron blade putter to a TaylorMade Spider is going to have a bigger impact that I am anticipating.
Weekly favorite Scottie Scheffler is sticking to his tried-and-true bag of clubs, however. This is despite his recent stretch of poor iron play. That being said, at TPC Sawgrass, with all its overhanging tree branches, maybe chunking a few could work in his favor.
Speaking of the course’s unique features, aside from the overhanging branches, the narrow fairways and abundance of water can prove to be a challenge. This year, with the rough being let to grow taller than in years past, missing fairways can truly change a round. One hole nobody has to worry about the rough on is the iconic 17th: the world-famous island green.
As mentioned earlier, this tournament has had its fair share of highlight moments. No moment sticks out more than Tiger Woods sinking a double breaker from distance as the color commentator sheepishly proclaimed “This putt is better than most…” That putt happens to be celebrating its 25th anniversary this year (feel old yet?).
Overall, The PLAYERS is fun. Sure, it is genuinely competitive, but it is one of the few events on tour that the golfers in the field smile through the entire time. Hopefully we can see some more memorable moments this week and enjoy a care-free (yet still contentious) weekend of golf.
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