Take TPC Sawgrass and the dastardly holes it proudly displays every year at about this time. Mix in acres of water and sand. Add trees and their long flowing branches. Then stir in wind and, and we’re talking real Florida, blows-your-hair-horizontal, wind. Then try to control a 1.68-inch ball flying though the air. It’s THE PLAYERS Final round!
You have to have a sadistic streak to want to play it. Or else you play professional golf.
Crazily enough, Corey Connors, now in 5th place, told Golf Channel’s Steve Burkowski, “It was a great day on the golf course.” Maybe that’s because he posted a 66, which was the best score in round three.
Just the day before, Justin Thomas shot 62, tying a course record. That was never going to happen in round three, not with the 25-30 MPH wind gusts that blew harder and harder as the day progressed.
Second round leaders could not hold on to their top spots. Min Woo Lee, who was 11-under par after two rounds, shot a 78. Akshay Bhatia had a 75. The field scoring average 74.03. It was a tough day. ( Par at the course is 72.)
Everybody wants to know who will win. The list is a little longer than usual because of the number of ties. Sunday’s champ will likely come from the top 13: J.J. Spaun, Bud Cauley, Lucas Glover (former U.S. Open champ at Bethpage Black), Alex Smalley, Connors, Rory McIlroy, Bhatia, Danny Walker, Stephan Jaeger, Max McGreevy, Sepp Straka, Jake Knapp and Patrick Cantlay. The names Glover, McIlroy and Cantlay should grab your attention right away, because they are the strength of the bunch.
Any one of the them could easily put together a solid round and take the championship from the rest.
As we have seen over the years, anything can happen at The Players on any hole. It’s bound to be something nobody expects because there’s more wind and potentially some rain before it finishes. We just hope it concludes without delay!
