The 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass is one of the most iconic & renowned of its kind in the world. Dubbed, "The Island Green", this par 3 is typically only about a 140-yard wedge shot, however avoiding the water on nearly all sides makes it a do or die hole for many golfers at The Players Championship.
"At 17, the room for error or the margin for error...there is none", said Stephen Cox, the Lead Official for The Players Championship.
The weather often plays a massive role in golf, and no more so than it does at The Island Green. Getting the wind direction & velocity at hole 17 right, is absolutely crucial. To land the ball in such a small square area, the shot requires just the right amount of air, touch, and precision.
"You get a a gust of wind at the wrong time...and that could be the end of your tournament in a blink of an eye", said Cox.
With the grandstands surrounding the 17th hole, the wind can sometimes swirl around through the course. In contrast to that, the grandstands can also shelter you in a bowl-like area. Winds may be calm at the surface where the golfers are about to tee off from, however a hundred feet above the green and the grandstands, the winds can be blowing quite strongly. If not careful, a golfer's shot could easily be blown off course by the wind and land in the water.
"A lot of guys will do their work walking down 16 fairway", said Cox, who explained how prior to the 17th hole, golfers will pay close attention to the wind direction in more wide open areas on the green. Once reaching the 17th hole, flags atop the grandstands can provide key information to golfers on which direction & how strong the wind is blowing.
Weather conditions a day or two leading up to The Players Championship can also be crucially important.
"If we get moisture, guys can typically be a little bit more aggressive here, because they know the ball is going to stop. Now if we have dry conditions and a little bit of wind and we'll start to dry down and the grooves get a little firmer and little bit bouncier, that's when this hole really comes to life", explained Cox.
Dry conditions make the course firmer and a bit more difficult to control a golfer's shot. Meanwhile, heavier moisture will often slow down the ball and overall make the course play longer.
For the Final Round of The Players Championship on Sunday, we are expecting fairly breezy conditions out of the SW at 10-20 mph, however once that afternoon easterly sea breeze kicks on, all bets could be off on the 17th hole. Hopefully not too many shots will need to be fished out of the water this weekend!
First Coast News, On Your Side!
Related Story: Local Weather
Related Story: Storm of the Century