The Players Championship

The Players Championship is one of the annual tournaments of the PGA Tour. It started in 1974 as the Tournament Players Championship and is noted for giving the highest prize fund of any golf tournament in the world. It has been offering $10 million since 2015. The championship field includes the world’s top 50 players. However, it is not considered to be an official event of the European Tour, unlike the three championships held in the US. 

The Players Championship is unofficially considered as the “fifth major” due to the prestige attached to the tournament. The Players Championship’s host course is the TPC at Sawgrass Stadium Course. This has been the tournament’s home course since 1982 and boasts the iconic par-3 No. 17 “Island Green.” 

TPC Sawgrass is well known among elite golfers. In fact, it is one of the most recognizable and prestigious courses in the world. The 2017 Players Championship will be played on May 9 – 14, 2017, at the famous TPC Sawgrass, the pride of Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Jason Day of Australia will be defending his title. 

The TPC course was recently improved as part of the continuing renovation process that started in 2006. The improvements included mound work to enhance viewing. The hospitality venue on hole 17 was converted into a two-storied venue to include a level for ticketed guests. 

The winner of the tournament will receive 18 percent of the largest prize in any golf championship in the world - $10.5 million. The winner gets $1.89 million and an 80-point boost to his world ranking. The 80 points received is higher than the 70 to 78 points that winners of the individual World Golf Championships receive. The winner will also receive a five-year exemption on the PGA Tour, an invitation for three years to the Masters Tournament, an exemption for three years for the U.S. Open and the Open Championship, and another exemption to this year’s PGA Championship to be held in August. He will also win 600 points for the FedEx Cup.