Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and defending champion Webb Simpson highlight a star-studded field for this week’s Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass. Here is everything you need to know. Click here for full-field tee times.
How to watch:
Thursday, Rd. 1: Golf Channel, 1-7 p.m. ET; live stream: http://www.golfchannel.com/pgastream
Friday, Rd. 2: Golf Channel, 1-7 p.m. ET; live stream: http://www.golfchannel.com/pgastream
Saturday, Rd. 3: NBC, 2-7 p.m. ET; live stream: http://www.golfchannel.com/pganbcstream
Sunday, Rd. 4: NBC, 1-6 p.m. ET; live stream: http://www.golfchannel.com/pganbcstream
PGA Tour Live schedule (Click here to watch)
Thursday, featured groups: 7:30 a.m.-7 p.m. ET
- 8:32 a.m.: Justin Rose, Xander Schauffele, Justin Thomas
- 9:04 a.m.: Phil Mickelson, Matt Kuchar, Rory McIlroy
- 1:27 p.m.: Tiger Woods, Webb Simpson, Patrick Reed
- 1:59 p.m.: Rickie Fowler, Brooks Koepka, Jordan Spieth
Thursday, featured holes: 9 a.m.-7 p.m. ET
- Nos. 13 and 17
Friday, featured groups: 7:30 a.m.-7 p.m. ET
- 8:32 a.m.: Tiger Woods, Webb Simpson, Patrick Reed
- TBD
- 1:27 p.m.: Justin Rose, Xander Schauffele, Justin Thomas
- 1:59 p.m.: Phil Mickelson, Matt Kuchar, Rory McIlroy
Friday, featured holes: 9 a.m.-7 p.m. ET
- Nos. 13 and 17
Saturday, featured groups: 8:30 a.m.-7 p.m. ET
- TBD
Saturday, featured holes: Noon-7 p.m. ET
- Nos. 13 and 17
Sunday, featured groups: 8 a.m.-6 p.m. ET
- TBD
Sunday, featured holes: Noon-6 p.m. ET
- Nos. 13 and 17
Purse: $12.5 million ($2.25 million to winner)
Course: TPC Sawgrass (Stadium), Par 72, 7,189 yards
Defending champion: Webb Simpson
Miscellaneous notes:
- The Players moves back to March in 2019 after being played in May from 2007-2018. March has been proven to be a tougher scoring month at TPC Sawgrass, as four of the five highest tournament scoring averages since 1995 came in that month.
- Last nine winners were each at or within three strokes of lead after 54 holes, and no player has come from more than five strokes back after 54 holes to win at TPC Sawgrass.
No one has ever won The Players in consecutive years, and no other current event on Tour has been played more times without ever having a back-to-back winner. The best finish is a tie for fifth (Jack Nicklaus in 1977, Tom Kite in 1990, and Hal Sutton in 2001).
Since the Official World Golf Ranking began in 1986, just 12 Players champions have been outside the top 20 at the time of their win. The lowest-ranked winner, and only one to be ranked outside the top 100, is Craig Perks who was 203rd in the world when he won in 2002.
Charl Schwartzel, Xander Schauffele, and Jimmy Walker finished joint second place last year. Only two runners-up have come back to win the following year: Tiger Woods (2000-2001) and Sergio Garcia (2007-2008).
Source: Internet
