1993 – “greatest shot of my life”
Already recognized as one of the best players in the world in 1993, South Africa’s Nick Price was on the verge of claiming the No. 1 spot in the Official World Golf Ranking. Even if a victory at THE PLAYERS wouldn’t technically accomplish that, a win at the prestigious tournament would cement his position as one of the greatest players of his generation. What stood between Price and a PLAYERS title came early in his final round, on the fourth hole, when his tee shot landed in the thick TPC Sawgrass rough. When Price surveyed the situation, he realized he had to play the shot using an awkward stance. Unable to make a traditional swing, Price’s slash at the ball looked more like a baseball swing. What resulted is what Price later said was “the greatest shot of my life.” The ball nearly went in, stopping a foot from the hole. That birdie led to something of a cakewalk after that, Price winning THE PLAYERS by five shots.
1999 – a select group of players
With close to 12,000 of them at the par-3 17th hole in history, par is a score TOUR players are typically glad to put down on their scorecards during each round of THE PLAYERS. Two-time champion Fred Couples is one of a select group of players who has made an eagle, a birdie and par at No. 17, with Couples making one of the 13 aces at No. 17 (in 1997). Yet it is one of his many pars at the 17th that is more unique than the rest. In the opening round in 1999, Couples hit his tee shot on the par-3 and watched as it came up short, landing in the water. Instead of going to the forward drop area and taking a penalty stroke there, Couples made his drop on the tee, and with the same club, hit a better shot, the ball going into the hole on the fly for a routine par.
1999 – a father and son triumph
David Duval, who grew up in nearby Jacksonville and had played TPC Sawgrass numerous times as a junior and high school golfer, hit his ball into the bunker playing the ninth hole of the 1999 PLAYERS. From the greenside sand, Duval holed his shot for an unlikely birdie. He seemed to coast from there, going on to defeat Scott Gump by two shots. The victory also allowed him to move into the No. 1 spot on the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time. Watching the drama unfold on television across Florida’s panhandle was Duval’s father, Bob, a PGA TOUR Champions player who earlier in the day had won the Emerald Coast Classic. “I’m glad I won an hour before he did because if I found out he won, and I had a twoshot lead with three to go, I probably might have choked my brains out,” Bob joked later. The Duvals remain the only father-son combo to win PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Champions tournaments on the same day.
2001 – Tiger, top of his game
In the third round of the 2001 PLAYERS, Tiger Woods, the No. 1 player in the world and at the top of his game, took the lead after recording an eagle and five birdies in his previous 16 holes. Standing on the 17th green over a 62-foot birdie putt, Woods faced what a lot of players hope to two-putt for par. Not Woods. Despite it being a triple-breaking putt on a sun-baked, extremely fast green, Woods’ putt tracked toward the hole as NBC announcer Gary Koch noted that Woods’ effort was “better than most.” As the ball rolled, Johnny Miller, also watching the putt, asked, “How about in?” with Koch following with “Better than most! Better than most!” as the ball fell into the cup amid Woods patented fist pump and roars from crowd watching what was arguably the finest shot of the entire tournament. Woods went on to win his first PLAYERS the following day by a stroke over Vijay Singh.
2002 – “You’re unbelievable”
Prior to 2002, few golf fans outside of New Zealand were aware of Craig Perks. During the entire week of that year’s PLAYERS, and especially over the tournament’s final hour, Perks ensured that all golf fans knew about him. Trying to chase down 54-hole leader Carl Paulson, all Perks did was chip in for eagle at the par-5 16th, sink a long birdie putt at No. 17 then chip in again at 18 to seal his first—and only—PGA TOUR title. At the trophy ceremony, where the previous year’s winner presents the trophy to the latest champion, Tiger Wos turned to Perks and said, “You’re unbelievable.”
2004 – a tactical mistake made good
At age 23, Australian Adam Scott brought charisma and star power to the 2004 PLAYERS, and he cemented his place in history by winning the tournament in dramatic fashion. In the middle of the fairway holding a two-shot lead, Scott made a tactical mistake, pulling his 3-iron approach shot into the pond to the left of the green. Now in a precarious spot, Scott walked to where his ball entered the water, took his penalty stroke, dropped his ball and then finessed his chip shot to within 10 feet of the cup. From there, Scott drained the bogey putt, securing his one-shot triumph that was also his second career title. In the process, he became the PLAYERS’ youngest champion.
2005 – a memorable celebration
A year after Adam Scott’s youngest-to-win heroics took place, local favorite Fred Funk emerged on the leaderboard and never left, giving the Maryland native and transplanted Floridian the distinction as THE PLAYERS’ oldest champion. At age 48 (he turned 49 three months later) and playing in 35mph wind on a Monday finish, Funk, a TPC Sawgrass member, used his knowledge of the course to get up and down for par from an 18th-hole greenside bunker that allowed him to protect his lead and win by a stroke. His celebration, that started with a fist pump and ended with him throwing his hat onto the green, is one of the more memorable celebrations in tournament history.
2015 – Fowler’s finish with a flourish
Prior to 2015, the only player to birdie TPC Sawgrass’ famed 17th hole four consecutive times was Paul Azinger, in 1987. On his way to victory at the 2015 PLAYERS, Rickie Fowler did Azinger one better. Because of a three-hole aggregate playoff, Fowler played one of golf’s most-famous par-3s six times, and on his six tours around the peninsula green, he made birdie five times. The aggregate format was new for the three playoff combatants—Fowler, Kevin Kisner and Sergio Garcia. When three holes—Nos. 16, 17 and 18—weren’t enough to decide things, officials returned to the 17th green. Fowler and Garcia were still tied, while Kisner dropped from the proceedings. After birdie putts of six feet during regulation and four feet on the second playoff hole, Fowler made his third Sunday birdie, draining a putt, also from four feet, to defeat Garcia and raise THE PLAYERS’ trophy for the first time.
This was first published in Essential Golf – you can read the complete magazine here.