When it comes to iconic par-three holes in golf, there are few so widely known and discussed as the 17th at TPC Sawgrass.
It tests and terrifies the world’s best annually at The Players, with the green – other than one small path – completely surrounded by water and with wind swirling around the grandstands.
This hole has witnessed plenty of memorable moments, including Tiger Woods’ ‘better than most’ putt and some 14 holes-in-one, while Cameron Young’s birdie putt proved crucial there during his one-shot win over playing partner Matt Fitzpatrick on Sunday.
It’s a bucket-list shot and course for amateurs to take on, but what is it like to play TPC Sawgrass as a 28-handicapper? Less than 14 hours after Young tapped in for a winning par and a $4.5m first prize, I was fortunate enough to do just that.
Joined by Dame Laura Davies and fellow Sky Sports colleagues Tom Clark and Jordan Roberts, we were buzzing to play at such a special venue. With plenty of tough tee shots, water on most holes, rough referred to as “the thickest it has ever been here”, some tricky bunkers and lightning fast greens – what could possibly go wrong?!
For transparency, the 17th hole was the only one tackled from the same tee that the players used on Sunday – TPC Sawgrass is challenging enough without hitting it from the back tips!
The Sky Sports’ team, with caddie Ben Edwards, ahead of the 17th hole
A shambles format, where you play each hole from where the best of your team’s tee shots finishes, was also of considerable benefit to someone who offers no length off the tee.
This may sound self-deprecating, but my ugly swing – referred to as “a swipe” by Sky Sports’ Rich Beem – and lack of distance would have been no match for this course at its full yardage.
The white tees at least offered opportunities to reach fairways with tee shots, which is still easier said than done, plus gave an appreciation of just how far these PGA Tour stars hit it.
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Highlights from the final day of The Players, where Cameron Young shot a four-under par 68 to win at TPC Sawgrass
Danger everywhere!
“Anywhere but 18” was our preferred opening hole for the shotgun format, given the vast water to the left of the fairway and tree trouble to our right, so the nerves increased further when that closing par-tour ended up being our first shot of the day.
Panic turned to praise after unexpectedly getting bat on ball and advancing a solid enough drive onto the fairway, albeit 200 yards shorter than Young’s booming tee shot the previous day! We unsurprisingly didn’t use my tee shot, but it was still a relief to a) get airborne and b) not to have donated a ball to the water.
The first encounter with the gnarly rough came a couple of shots later, having hit a chunky iron down the right side, with a downhill lie at a buried ball leaving me unable to gauge the ball more than 30 yards.
A slightly friendlier lie enabled me to get a clean contact with the next effort and make the green, where a two-putt double bogey was a better return than some managed over the weekend.
Things went even better at the par-four next, where we played the hole from my tee shot after a big drive (by my low standards) was clear of danger and down the left side of the fairway.
A five-iron – from a yardage where most pros would hit wedge – looked good in the air but dropped short, with the ball stuck on the collar of fringe and rough. Thoughts of duffing a chip or thinning one came before a nice enough pitch finished around 15 feet from the flag, with another two-putt resulting a legitimate bogey with my own ball. Scenes!
The short game quickly deserted me at the par-five second, having missed the landing spot in the green with my third shot and watched the ball roll off the back, with my initial chip rolling back to my feet before the next raced across the putting surface.
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See the course from the cameraperson’s point of view as they following The Players at TPC Sawgrass
Things temporarily got back on track with a two-putt par from the fringe at the short third, although a lost ball in the rough and another hacked from thick grass into the water followed on a forgettable fourth.
Degreening an aggressive downhill par putt at the fifth and three-putting for bogey from off the sixth were other misjudgements, while a fluffed wedge from the rough at the seven only reached a bunker.
A solid par – albeit not from my tee shot – at the eighth followed by chaos at the par-five ninth, which included an attempted hybrid from the fairway being topped 10 yards into the water and an unsuccessful swing trying to get a plugged ball out of the rough.
Balls going into the water or being buried in the rough became increasingly common as winds strengthened after the turn, including the same spot in the hazard Ludvig Åberg had found at the 11th the previous day.
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Ludvig Åberg went into the water on back-to-back holes at The Players to throw away his lead
A highlight of the day came at the par-four 12th, where l shaved the edge of the cup after knocking a short iron from the right rough to within 10 feet, before another putting blunder at the par-three 13th saw a downhill, double-breaking birdie attempt from the front edge end in a bogey.
All eyes on the 17th
Hitting over a tiny gap in the trees to a greenside bunker – from a similar spot to where Scottie Scheffler played from over the weekend – was another standout moment during the back nine, but thoughts were already turning to the 17th as stormy skies darkened.
The first view of the danger ahead comes as you walk down par-five 16th, where the distraction of seeing Justin Rose watching the group on the next tee – and concern about how close the storm was – saw me slice into sand and then shank towards the grandstand.
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Wayne ‘Radar’ Riley takes a look at the iconic 16th and 17th holes at TPC Sawgrass at The Players
Picking up without finishing the hole, having passed the double bogey limit of the format, wasn’t the ideal confidence-booster as we made the short walk to the 17th tee box and considered how many balls we were about to lose.
There may not have been thousands of spectators filling the stands as I stepped up to the tee, with the front-right pin to aim for, but self-doubting crept in. Which club realistically has a chance of reaching the green? How will I even be able to keep it on there? Is Bob Tway’s record 12 shots on this hole under threat?!
Having watched all three of my playing partners make good swings, two of them staying on dry ground and one running off the back, I stepped up with just one goal: get a clean connection.
I elected to go with a five-iron, based on not owning a six and having no confidence to hit my seven that distance, where I watched on in disbelief as the ball sailed in a straight line to the heart of the green before initially seemingly running off the back.
Water and winds add extra challenges to the 17th hole
Unbelievably, the ball had held up in the second cut and just a few inches away from the sleepers – dry at the first attempt! The chip to follow was more a downhill stab, which started looking short of pace before threatening the hole and running past the pin.
My footage of putts holed wasn’t particularly high throughout but one was finally made when it mattered most, as the five-footer found the middle of the cup for the par of my life – a special way to end an incredible day.
TPC Sawgrass is often discussed as a course that tests every facet of a golfer’s game. It absolutely does and is a brutally brilliant test for amateurs. When I watch or work on future editions of The Players, stories of that memorable Monday will be shared for years to come.
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