The Players Championship: Why No. 17 Has Lost Its Mystique

By
at Internationaled.org

Published: May 9, 2010

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The Players is one of the most entertaining tournaments of the golf season—not only because it brings together most of the best players in golf, but because of the stunningly beautiful and difficult Stadium Course.

The Stadium Course in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., is covered in trees, full of regular bunkers and pot bunkers that are as deep as black holes, and every hole on the course has water.

Golf Course architect Pete Dye wanted to design a course that didn’t favor one type of player over another and with all the difficult distractions, he certainly reached that goal.

The Stadium Course is special for a few more reasons as well, including the fact that it was given the moniker after Dye planned out the course to enhance the overall fan experience nearly 30 years before courses started putting in massive bleachers for spectators.

But what really makes the TPC uber interesting and arduous is the three extremely difficult finishing holes, Nos. 16, 17, and 18.

What exactly makes them all so demanding though?

Water.

Nos. 16, 17, and 18 are all placed along a razor thin line that defines the border between liquid and solid, grass and water, playable and penalty-ridden.

If the nerves of winning the “fifth major” (as many affectionately call the TPC) get to a player, monumental swings in score are inevitable.

On 16, tighten up and you’ll lose the ball to the right and into the drink.

On 18, anything left is sunk, as are likely your chances at winning the prestigious tournament.

But hit it short, or long, or left, or right on 17 and your ball will be swimming faster than Michael Phelps. That’s not all though, the second shot isn’t much easier and high scores are nearly inevitable.

As pro Jim Furyk put it, “It’s a volatile three holes.”

But a surprising swing in...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Golf

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