The Players Championship 2019 preview: Predictions, picks and upsets

A quick look at TPC Sawgrass

The Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass has played host to The Players Championship since 1982. Designed by the great team of Alice and Pete Dye, the course was constructed specifically to host this event and has since become one of the most popular and recognizable golf courses in the world.

Best known for the 17th hole, wrongly named “Island Green” even though it’s actually a peninsula, the 137-yard par-3 has been the home of so many dramatic moments over the years. One of the most odd spectacles in golf history came at the 17th in 1998 when relative unknown Brad Fabel became the answer to a trivia question.

“Who hit the shot at the 17th at TPC Sawgrass that landed on the green but then ended up in the water after a seagull picked up his ball?” Hilarious. And he got to place his ball back in the spot where it was with no penalty so it turned out okay. There was Fred Couples hitting his ball in the water but still making par by holing out on his third from the tee. There was the “better than most” putt from Tiger. Moments are made at that hole and there’s likely to be fireworks there this week.

But while the 17th gets the most attention, the Stadium Course is so much more. With bunkers and water throughout the course, TPC Sawgrass demands accuracy off the tee and while the course will officially play somewhere in the 7,200-yard range throughout the week, the course is going to play much longer due to the March weather. In May, the temperature can creep into the 90s, making the course much more firm. There’s also the matter of the wind, which is much more prevalent this time of year, which could wreak havoc on these players. When a wedge becomes an 8-iron at 17, things could get dicey. Then there’s the matter of the closing hole, which could obviously make or break this tournament for someone on Sunday afternoon.

A year ago in the final round, Tiger Woods hit 3-iron off the tee and 9-iron into the green. In a practice round earlier this week, he had to go 3-wood, 3-iron on that same hole. Yeah, things could get fun.

Here’s a hole-by-hole look at the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass.

1. Par 4 — 423 yards
2. Par 5 — 532 yards
3. Par 3 — 177 yards
4. Par 4 — 384 yards
5. Par 4 — 471 yards
6. Par 4 — 393 yards
7. Par 4 — 442 yards
8. Par 3 — 237 yards
9. Par 5 — 583 yards
10. Par 4 — 424 yards
11. Par 5 — 558 yards
12. Par 4 — 358 yards
13. Par 3 — 181 yards
14. Par 4 — 481 yards
15. Par 4 — 449 yards
16. Par 5 — 523 yards
17. Par 3 — 137 yards
18. Par 4 — 462 yards

Let’s now jump into the players that could walk away as The Players Champion on Sunday afternoon, starting with the top five players in the world.