Few of golf’s iconic par-3 holes are as widely known and discussed as the 17th at TPC Sawgrass.
It tests and scares the world’s best every year at The Players, where the green is completely surrounded by water except for one small path and the wind swirls around the grandstands.
The hole has witnessed many memorable moments, including Tiger Woods’ ‘better-than-most’ putt and some 14 holes-in-one, while Cameron Young’s birdie putt was crucial during his one-shot victory over partner Matt Fitzpatrick on Sunday.
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We take a look at every hole-in-one broadcast from the iconic 17th hole, one of the most famous holes on the PGA Tour.
This is a bucket list and course that amateurs can take on. But what is it like playing TPC Sawgrass as a 28 handicapper? Less than 14 hours after Young won par and the $4.5 million first prize, I was lucky enough to do so.
Dame Laura Davies and colleagues joined us. sky sports Teammates Tom Clark and Jordan Roberts were excited to play at such a special venue. There are plenty of tough tee shots, water on most holes, “the thickest rough here,” tricky bunkers, and lightning-fast greens. What could possibly go wrong?!
For the sake of transparency, the 17th hole was the only hole the players tackled from the same tee they used on Sunday. TPC Sawgrass is challenging enough without hitting it on the back end!
The Sky Sports team ahead of the 17th hole with caddy Ben Edwards
The Shambles format, in which each hole was played from the point where the team’s best tee shot ended, had a significant advantage even for those with a few tee shots left.
This may sound self-deprecating, but my ugly swing – it’s called a “swipe.” Sky Sports’ Rich Beem – And the lack of distance would have been no match for this course in total yards.
The white tees at least gave him a chance to hit the fairway with his tee shot, which is still easier said than done, but it showed just how far PGA Tour stars hit it.
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Highlights from the final day of The Players as Cameron Young shot a 4-under 68 to win at TPC Sawgrass
There is danger everywhere!
“Anywhere But 18” was our preferred shotgun style opening hole. With a wide expanse of water on the left side of the fairway and a canopy of trees on the right, the nerves got even worse when the final section of the tour became my first shot of the day.
Panic turned to praise after unexpectedly receiving the ball off the bat and advancing a solid drive down the fairway, even though it was 200 yards shorter than Young’s explosive tee shot the day before! Naturally, we didn’t use the tee shot, but it was still a relief to a) stay in the air and b) not donate the ball to the water.
My first encounter with the rough was a couple of shots later when I hit a fat iron down the right side and hit a downhill lie on a buried ball that left me unable to measure the ball over 30 yards.
A slightly friendlier lie allowed me to make clean contact on my next attempt and get into the green. A two-putt double bogey here was better than some people managed all weekend.
Things got even better on the next par 4. Here we played the hole off the tee after a big drive (by my low standards) went out of harm’s way and down the left side of the fairway.
The 5-iron, the distance most pros hit their wedges at, looked good in the air, but the ball stuck to the fringe collar and rough and came up short. The thought of duffing or thinning the chip came before a good enough pitch ended about 15 feet from the flag, and another two-putt resulted in a legal bogey with my ball. scene!
On a short game that quickly took me out of par 5s as my third shot missed the landing spot on the green and watched the ball roll backwards, I saw the first chip roll to my foot before my next shot raced across the putting surface.
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Follow The Players at TPC Sawgrass and see the course from a cameraman’s perspective.
A lost ball in the rough and another hacked from the thick turf into the water led to a forgettable fourth hole, but a two-putt par from the fringe in the short third brought things temporarily back to normal.
An aggressive downhill par putt on No. 5 and a three-putt for bogey on No. 6 were other bad decisions, and a fluffy wedge from the rough on No. 7 only ended up in the bunker.
Although it wasn’t my tee shot, chaos ensued on the par 5 9th hole following the clear 8th hole. This included a hybrid attempt from the fairway that went 10 yards into the water and a failed swing to dislodge a blocked ball in the rough.
As the wind picked up after the turn, including in the same spot as the hazard that Ludvig Åberg had spotted on the 11th the day before, it became increasingly common for balls to go into the water or get buried in the rough.
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Ludvig Åberg went into the water on consecutive holes for The Players, throwing away the lead.
Highlights of the day came on the par-4 12th, when he dropped a short iron from the right rough to within 10 feet and clipped the edge of the cup, and then on the par-3 13th, another putting mistake led to a bogey on a double-breaking birdie attempt off the leading edge on the downhill.
All eyes are focused on the 17th.
Hitting it over a small gap in the trees and into a greenside bunker in a spot similar to where Scottie Scheffler played over the weekend was another standout moment on the back nine, but as the stormy skies darkened, thoughts were already turning to the 17th hole.
Your first glimpse of the danger ahead comes as you walk along the par-5 16th. Distracted by the sight of Justin Rose watching the group from the next tee and concerned about how close the storm was, I found myself crunching through the sand and hunched over toward the bleachers.
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Wayne ‘Radar’ Riley takes a look at the iconic 16th and 17th holes at TPC Sawgrass on The Players.
Picking up the hole without finishing it past the in-form double bogey limit was not the ideal confidence booster as we made the short walk to the 17th tee box and considered how many balls we would lose.
There may not have been thousands of spectators filling the stands as I teed up for the front right pin, but self-doubt was creeping in. Realistically, which club has a chance of reaching the green? How can we keep it there? Is Bob Tway’s record of 12 strokes threatened on this hole?!
After watching all three of my playing partners take good swings, two staying on dry land and one running behind, I set out with one goal: It’s all about getting a clean connection.
I decided to use a 5-iron because I didn’t have a 6-iron and wasn’t confident I could hit that distance with a 7-iron. The ball flew straight to the center of the green and at first appeared to run backwards.
Water and wind add an additional challenge to the 17th hole.
Incredibly, the ball held up on the second cut and ended up just inches from the sleeper. It was dry on the first try! The next chip was more of a downhill stab, starting to look like it lacked speed before threatening the hole and going past the pin.
The video of my putt in the hole wasn’t particularly high overall, but I finally got one made when it mattered most. Because a 5-foot putt found the center of the cup for my life’s standards. It was a special way to end an amazing day.
TPC Sawgrass is often discussed as a course that tests every aspect of a golfer’s game. It certainly is. It’s a brutal test for amateurs. When you watch or work on future editions of The Players, stories from memorable Mondays will be shared for years to come.
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