Justin Thomas entered the TPC Sawgrass locker room just as he has done in the past seven years. There was only one interruption to his routine.
He remembered that he should peel to the right. He then remembered the perks of winning The Players Championship last season and went left into the small locker room reserved for champions.
He said, “A nice adjustment I’ll be in a position to make going forward.”
This year’s perks include direct deposits to players’ accounts at week’s end. The top event on the strongest tour of golf offers $20 million in prize money, and $3.6 million goes to the winner.
The top three spots pay seven figures. One can still earn more than $500,000.
The fickle nature and temperament of The Players Championship has not changed. TPC Sawgrass is not known to favor one style of game. It doesn’t matter if it’s March or May.
Thomas stated, “You can see the winners and it’s insane.” “It’s a place that doesn’t favor one shape. It’s up to the individual who decides to get it the best they can that week.
Thomas must overcome one part of his history. There has never been a back-to-back winner in The Players Championship. It could have been at Atlanta Country Club, Colonial or across the street at the wind-whipped Sawgrass Country Club, or at the Stadium Course. This has been the venue for 40 years.
Sergio Garcia and Woods went from finishing runner-up to winning the next year. That’s as close as you can get.
Thomas listened to Nick Saban, Alabama coach, when he approached the week. He won’t defend anything simply because he won.
He said, “I’m going to try to win it again.”
This week, players may actually be carrying an umbrella. The PGA Tour’s unusual start to the year has seen no round in any of the five time zones and four states.
The forecast calls for storms later in the week and a cold front on the weekend.
There has been a lot of variety in the scoring. Some complained that West Coast Swing’s scoring was too low. Bay Hill was also difficult, with only 10 players finishing below par.
McIlroy was one of those who felt that the Arnold Palmer Invitational may have been a bit too extreme with its greens so yellowed and bare that putts were more gliding than rolling. McIlroy said that it made him feel worse than he was.
Perhaps his comments were made in the heat of the moment after the round.
Or not.
McIlroy stated that McIlroy was correct in saying that it wasn’t misinterpreted. McIlroy said, “I was certainly complaining. It was the same for everyone. I get that. There were a lot more players in the locker room than I was, so it wasn’t me having a hard time.
TPC Sawgrass has the ability to roughen up players in a variety of ways, including soft or firm, calm or windy. Over the last eight holes, there is water. This includes more water than land on 17th hole’s famous island green.
McIlroy missed it one year, but he won the next. His next attempt was to miss the cut yet again. Perhaps that is why no one has been crowned champion again. Thomas suggests that it could be as simple as Thomas stating that the field is stronger from top to bottom.
Bryson de Chambeau, who has hand and hip injuries that he claims are not fully healed, is missing this year. Harris English is still recovering from hip surgery. Kevin Na’s wife is pregnant with their third child. Phil Mickelson is still on hiatus.
This leaves 46 of the 50 top players in the world. It’s still not considered a major championship but it’s becoming more important for the players.
It was something Collin Morikawa heard a lot about growing up. But, at that time, golf was all about the four majors.
Morikawa stated, “But since turning pro, I’ve seen it very differently. And I appreciate every effort that’s been put into this tournament because they are amazing.” “The landscape, the scope of everything here when we arrive, it’s all ours — it’s all PGA Tour players. That’s why you want this tournament to win.
