The Masters is done and many are now pointing their attention to the United States Open at Pinehurst. But before the best of the best make their way to North Carolina for the 2014 U.S. Open, they’ll be contesting the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass.
Some will say the TPC Sawgrass presents the best 3-hole finish in golf. The par 5, 16th which is reachable in the right conditions followed by the short but daunting island green at the par 3, 17th hole. Players finish off their round with a difficult par 4, 18th hole where getting a tee shot in the fairway during the final round on Sunday seems almost impossible.
PGA Tour Commissioner, Tim Finchem, announced Wednesday the Players Championship will modify it’s playoff format and adopt a 3-hole aggregate playoff. In the past players would begin a sudden death playoff on the par 3, 17th hole and if the outcome was still undecided they would play the 18th.
Finchem said the Tour had been considering the change for some time, but felt the enhanced relationship with NBC and Golf Channel made the potential to air the playoff after the allotted network TV window more palatable for sponsors and fans. Finchem also noted a 16-stroke swing in the lowest score ever recorded in that closing stretch — 4 under par — and the highest — 12 over par.
The last Players playoff came in 2011, when K.J. Choi topped David Toms on the first hole of sudden death on the par-3 17th hole. Before then, Sergio Garcia won the 2008 Players in similar fashion, toppling Paul Goydos on the 17th when Goydos dunked his tee shot in the water surrounding the green.
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