Every year when I write this feature I’m continually amazed by how many players do not run well at TPC Sawgrass. There are some who really enjoy Pete Dye’s challenge and some, based on their results, do not. I’ve highlighted both ends of the spectrum this time around to help you navigate the waters.
The madness of March isn’t reserved for just the hardwood across America. The PGATOUR shifted its schedule in 2019 to make sure its flagship event was reintroduced to one of the most active periods on the sporting calendar. The iconic THE PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass serves as the canvas to identify the artist who can tame Pete Dye’s most challenging layout.
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On the scorecard Par-72 and 7,256 yards reads quite benign and nothing out of the ordinary on TOUR. A closer look reveals one of the most challenging mental and physical setups faced annually. Every major championship has its niche. The Masters is a scoring course where aggressive play is rewarded. The US Open tests all 14 clubs in the bag plus the space between the ears. The Open Championship adds weather and fescue to the proceedings while the PGA Championship adds brute force on some of the biggest ballparks around.
I believe THE PLAYERS features the best of all four with a dash of Dye on top to make it special. Similar to the Masters, Dye rewards great, not good, shots on scoring holes and we’re all familiar with the holes. The mind/eye design tricks, the 17 water penalty areas and NOT having consecutive holes run in the same direction forces players to have the concentration of a US Open. The Florida weather in March, and it’s going to be a major factor this week, will resemble a warmer Open Championship. There’s enough meat on the bones on the Par-4 holes where length is a factor like the PGA Championship. Sprinkle in the familiarity and volatility of the closing holes (Nos. 16, 17 and 18) and it’s game on!
The deepest field in golf features 46 of the top 50 players* in the OWGR and 121 from the top 125 in the 2021 FedExCup final standings will be rewarded with four rounds on TPC Sawgrass. The top 65 and ties will play the weekend. The richest prize in golf is also on the line as the prize pool of $20 million (up from $15 million last year) will pay first place $3.6 million and award a whopping 600 FedExCup points.
*Bryson DeChambeau, Harris English, Kevin Na and Phil Mickelson all qualified but are not playing this week.
Let’s find some horses for courses!
Horses for Courses
| Recent Winners entered this week (cuts made/events entered) | Top 10 | Top 25 | 2022 BET MGM ODDS Win, Top 10, Top 20 |
| 2021: Justin Thomas (6/6) | 2 | 4 | +1400; +150; -135 |
| 2019: Rory McIlroy (6/11) | 4 | 5 | +2000; +200; -110 |
| 2018: Webb Simpson (6/11) | 1 | 4 | +8000; +600; +300 |
| 2017: Si Woo Kim (5/5) | 2 | 3 | +6600; +600; +275 |
| 2016: Jason Day (7/10) | 4 | 5 | +6600; +600; +275 |
| Veteran Presence entered this week (cuts made/events entered) | Top 10s | Top 25 | 2022 BET MGM ODDS Win, Top 10, Top 20 |
| Lee Westwood (11/15) | 6 | 7 | +15000; +1000; +450 |
| Brian Harman (6/9) | 3 | 3 | +10000; +700; +333 |
| Paul Casey (5/13) | 2 | 5 | +6600; +600; +275 |
| Shane Lowry (3/6) | 1 | 2 | +4000; +400; +180 |
| Sergio Garcia (19/21) | 7 | 11 | +6600; +500; +240 |
| Daniel Berger (5/6) | 2 | 2 | +2500; +240; +120 |
| Jason Kokrak (3/8) | 1 | 1 | +8000; +600; +275 |
| Jhonattan Vegas (6/8) | 2 | 2 | +15000; +1000; +400 |
| Dustin Johnson (10/12) | 1 | 3 | +3300; +333; +150 |
| Brandt Snedeker (4/12) | 2 | 3 | +40000; +2800; +1100 |
| Justin Rose (10/16) | 2 | 5 | +10000; +700; +300 |
| Hideki Matsuyama (5/7) | 2 | 5 | +2800; +275; +130 |
| Jimmy Walker (7/11) | 2 | 3 | +50000; +4000; +1600 |
| Louis Oosthuizen (6/10) | 1 | 2 | +5000; +400; +180 |
| Ian Poulter (13/17) | 2 | 5 | +15000; +1100; +450 |
| Adam Scott (16/19) | 4 | 10 | +5000; +400; +175 |
| Francesco Molinari (5/10) | 4 | 4 | 15000; +1400; +600 |
| Gaining Traction entered this week (cuts made/events entered) | Top 10s | Top 25 | 2022 BET MGM ODDS Win, Top 10, Top 20 |
| Talor Gooch (1/2) | 1 | 1 | +5000; +500; +225 |
| Corey Conners (2/2) | 1 | 1 | +5000; +400; +180 |
| Jon Rahm (4/4) | 1 | 2 | +1100; +125; -160 |
| Matt Fitzpatrick (3/5) | 1 | 1 | +3300; +300; +140 |
| Tommy Fleetwood (3/4) | 2 | 2 | +8000; +600; +275 |
| Harold Varner III (4/5) | 1 | 1 | +15000; +1200; +500 |
| Alex Noren (2/4) | 1 | 2 | +10000; +700; +300 |
| Xander Schauffele (1/3) | 1 | 1 | +2800; +250; +125 |
Odds sourced on Tuesday, March 8 at 1 p.m. ET. For live odds visit betmgm.
Recent Event Winner Stats
| Stats | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
| Winner | Justin Thomas | No Event – Covid | Rory McIlroy |
| Score | -14 | 16-under | |
| MOV | 1 | 1 | |
| Cut | Even | 1-under | |
| Age | 27 | 29 | |
| Pretournament Odds | +1800 | +1200 | |
| All Drives | 3 | T4 | |
| Accuracy | T32 | T49 | |
| GIR | T17 | T3 | |
| Ball-Striking | T7 | 3 | |
| Proximity | 8 | 11 | |
| Putting: Birdie or Better % | 4 | T17 | |
| SG: Off-the-Tee | 10 | 2 | |
| SG: Approach-the-Green | 5 | 6 | |
| SG: Around-the-Green | 12 | 25 | |
| SG: Putting | 42 | 45 | |
| SG: Tee-to-Green | 1 | 1 | |
| Scrambling | 14 | T40 | |
| Bogey Avoidance | T8 | T1 | |
| Par-3 Scoring | T47 | 1 | |
| Par-4 Scoring | T10 | T22 | |
| Par-5 Scoring | 1 | T7 | |
| Tournaments | Won on 6th attempt | Won on 10th attempt |
Extra Credit (players entered this week only)
2021
Winner Justin Thomas has circled the most birdies aggregate since 2015 and won in his sixth appearance. … Lee Westwood (2nd) led after 36 and 54 holes and has posted seven, bogey free rounds here, the most since 2005. … Brian Harman (T3) led the field in Putting: Birdie or Better Percentage, Putts/GIR and Strokes-Gained: Putting. … Paul Casey (T5) co led the field in Par Breakers (22 birdies, 1 eagle) with Thomas and led the field in Par-4 scoring. … Talor Gooch (T5) matched Casey with 22 birdies. … Corey Conners (7th) opened with 68 and closed with 66 in his second visit. … Shane Lowry (8th) made only two bogeys on the weekend and picked up his best payday in six trips. … Daniel Berger (T9) was second best on the Par-5 holes (-12) to Thomas’ tournament record tying -14. … Matt Fitzpatrick (T9) was top six in both Fairways and GIR as he cashes for his first top 10 and third consecutive payday. … Sergio Garcia (T9) opened with 65 to lead and extended his cuts made streak to 18 here. … 2017 winner Si Woo Kim (T9) picked up his second top 10 and loves Dye tracks (AMEX winner). … Jason Kokrak (T9) only made five bogeys but had a quad and a double! … Jon Rahm (T9) backed up his T12 in 2019 and led the field GIR (58/72). … Defending champion Rory McIlroy (MC) opened with 79. … Just six bogey free rounds on the week and Westwood had two of them. … Thomas set the closing 36 hole record with 64-68.
2020
Tournament was cancelled after one round because of COVID-19.
2019
Winner Rory McIlroy won his first PLAYERS in his 10th attempt for his 15th win on TOUR. … Jhonattan Vegas (T3) co-led Par-5 scoring (-12) and T3 birdies (22). … Tommy Fleetwood (T5) co led after 18 and 36 and played in the final group with Jon Rahm (T12). … Dustin Johnson (T5) posted all four rounds in the 60s for the first time since Steve Elkington in 1997 and led the field in Par-4 scoring. … Brandt Snedeker (T5) led the field in Par-Breakers (24) and co-led GIR (59) and birdies (23). … 2016 winner Jason Day (T8) has hit the top 10 in three of his last five visits and will be playing in the honor of his recently passed mother this week. … Hideki Matsuyama (T8) closed 66-67 and then opened 63 (tying the course record) in 2020 before it was cancelled. … Justin Rose (T8) went out in 38 and played the rest of the week 14-under. … Abraham Ancer (T12) co-led with 23 birdies on debut. … Keegan Bradley (T16) shared the first round lead on 65 with Fleetwood. … 2018 winner Webb Simpson (T16) joined the club of defending champions not to repeat or make the top 10. … 14 bogey-free rounds. … McIlroy and Thomas both join the Major/FedExCup Champion/WGC/PLAYERS club with Woods and Stenson.
Notes
• Third week running on TifEagle Bermuda on the greens.
• No repeat champions.
• No multiple champions entered.
• Last first time winners on TOUR were Tim Clark (2010) and Craig Perks (2002).
• Last debut winner (event) was Perks and before that Hal Sutton (1983). There are 15 debutants in the field as of Tuesday morning.
• Webb Simpson (2018) is the last to go wire-to-wire (ties included).
• Simpson is the last champion of six to finish inside the top 50 in defense.
• Brooks Koepka (2018, Round 4) is the last player to post 63 OFFICIALLY and tie the course record.
• Last playoff: Fowler defeats Kisner, Garcia 2015; three playoffs this century.
• Youngest winner: Si Woo Kim, 21 (2017).
• Oldest winner: Fred Funk, 48 (2005).
• Average winner since 20007 has needed SEVEN appearances.
• Only three players have won the week before with Woods being the last in 2001.
• 2004 winner Adam Scott has hit the top 12 four of the last five seasons.
• Keegan Bradley has cashed five straight.
• Chris Kirk hasn’t missed in his last four visits and is on fire in Florida.
Recent Course Rankings (since 2019):
2021: 72.241; 16th most difficult of 51 payed.
2020: Event Cancelled.
2019: 71.513; 23rd most difficult of 49 played.
Key stat leaders
Top golfers in each statistic on the 2020-2021 PGA TOUR are listed only if they are scheduled to compete this week; Select players with top 10 finishes since 2017.
| Strokes-Gained: Tee-to-Green | |
| Rank | Player |
| 1 | Jon Rahm |
| 2 | Collin Morikawa |
| 3 | Patrick Cantlay |
| 3 | Justin Thomas |
| 6 | Keegan Bradley |
| 7 | Paul Casey |
| 8 | Viktor Hovland |
| 9 | Will Zalatoris |
| 10 | Rory McIlroy |
| 11 | Brooks Koepka |
| 12 | Corey Conners |
| 13 | Sergio Garcia |
| 14 | Daniel Berger |
| 15 | Hideki Matsuyama |
| Bogey Avoidance | |
| Rank | Player |
| 1 | Jon Rahm |
| 2 | Patrick Cantlay |
| 3 | Daniel Berger |
| 4 | Chris Kirk |
| 5 | Abraham Ancer |
| 6 | Russell Henley |
| 7 | Seamus Power |
| 8 | Webb Simpson |
| 8 | Cameron Tringale |
| 11 | Louis Oosthuizen |
| 12 | Hank Lebioda |
| 13 | Sungjae Im |
| 14 | Justin Thomas |
| Par-4 Scoring | |
| Rank | Player |
| 1 | Patrick Cantlay |
| 1 | Seamus Power |
| 3 | Abraham Ancer |
| 3 | Daniel Berger |
| 3 | Emiliano Grillo |
| 3 | Chris Kirk |
| 3 | Jon Rahm |
| 3 | Webb Simpson |
| 9 | Doug Ghim |
| 9 | Russell Henley |
| 9 | Justin Thomas |
| Player | ONE Top 10 Finish |
| Starts Made | |
| Pat Perez | 16 |
| Dustin Johnson | 12 |
| Nick Watney | 11 |
| Marc Leishman | 11 |
| Charl Schwartzel | 10 |
| Louis Oosthuizen | 10 |
| Brendan Steele | 10 |
| Jason Kokrak | 8 |
| Jordan Spieth | 7 |
| Player | Zero Top 10 Finish |
| Starts Made | |
| Brian Gay | 17 |
| Bubba Watson | 13 |
| Scott Piercy | 10 |
| Gary Woodland | 9 |
| Russell Henley | 8 |
| Billy Horschel | 8 |
| Patrick Reed | 7 |
| Cameron Tringale | 7 |
| Chez Reavie | 7 |
| Russell Knox | 7 |
| Brooks Koepka | 5 |
| Player | Consecutive Cuts Made – TOUR |
| Justin Thomas | 14 |
| Xander Schauffele | 13 |
| Hideki Matsuyama | 13 |
| Russell Henley | 13 |
| Billy Horschel | 12 |
| Marc Leishman | 12 |
| Rory McIlroy | 12 |
| KH Lee | 10 |
Glass Houses 