BY GEORGE DICKIE
It's one of golf 's most scenic and iconic holes, one that
even non-golf fans recognize. But the No. 17 island green on
the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass, home of the Players
Championship, has claimed more than its share of victims
over the years.
On paper, it seems like a pretty non-threatening par-3 – a
133-yard shot onto a wide green that narrows to the right
side, where a bunker lies. To any PGA pro or weekend duffer,
that's an easy 9-iron or wedge, after which the putter comes
out. But throw in the water that surrounds about 90 percent
of the green and the head games begin.
Many golfers start thinking about it on the previous hole,
where they catch sight of No. 17 off to the right and the
thousands in the gallery. As they tee it up, "don't hit the
water" becomes their mental mantra, especially if the March
winds of Northern Florida are swirling. It can be worse if
they're already having a tough day.
And so the meltdown ensues.
Kevin Na knows. In the first round of last year's
tournament, his first three shots at No. 17 found water. In all,
four of Na's shots wound up swimming with the fishes as he
rang up a quintuple-bogey 8 on his way to an early exit.
The Players Championship tees off from Ponte Vedra
Beach, and airs Thursday through Sunday, March 10-13, on
Golf Channel and NBC and streams on ESPN+.
Golfers try to avoid splashdown
at the Players Championship
• FOR THE WEEK OF MARCH 7 - 13, 2022 •
Renee Zellweger stars
in "The Thing About
Pam," premiering
Tuesday on NBC.
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