Top 5 Players Championship Moments

The Players Championship is one of my favourite weeks of the year. Along with the back 9 at Augusta and Sunday Singles at the Ryder Cup, the final 3 holes on Sunday at The Players is must see golf TV. In celebration of this year’s Players Championship, I give you the Golf Talk Canada Top 5 moments In Players Championship History.

5. “Better Than Most”

It was Gary Koch from the NBC Golf team with the famous call from the back fringe of the 17th island green. At the time Tiger trailed Jerry Kelly late on a Saturday in 2001 when he stood over the 59 feet 9 inches of roller coaster fun. The long distance deuce would highlight a Saturday 66, he would eventually win his first or two Players Championships with a Sunday 67 and a one shot win over rival Vijay Singh. 

4. DLIII in 03

Possibly one of the best rounds ever shot in PGA Tour History. Davis Love III started the final round of the 2003 Players two shots back of 54 hole leaders Jay Haas and Padraig Harrington. With temperatures in the low 50s, periods of rain, and gusting winds close to 30 mph, Love would shoot a final round 64 and win his second Players Championship by 6 shots.

3. “Be the right club today”

Tigers second appearance on our list, but this time he comes up on the losing end. The 2000 Players Championship would be snatched out of Tiger’s hands by a 41 year old Hal Sutton who stuffed a 6 iron on the difficult 18th from 179 yards to beat Tiger by one, and make the big cat wait 12 more months to win his first Players Championship.

2. Norman vs Zoeller 

Arguably the best 4 day performance by two players in PGA Tour History. Fuzzy Zoeller shot 66-67-68-67 to post 20 under par at golf’s greatest stadium to blow away the field at the 1994 Players Championship, with one exception. Greg Norman would shoot 63-67-67-67 to post 264, an incredible 24 under par. At one point he would play 66 consecutive holes without dropping a shot, in fact he would make only one bogey all week. Often considered one the greatest Drivers of the golf ball in history, the ’94 Players might be his Mona Lisa as he would hit 88% of his Fairways on route to the win.

1. Fowler shuts them up 

Just days removed form an anonymous players survey that pointed to Rickie Fowler (and Ian Poulter) as the Tour’s most Over Rated player, Fowler would have the last say. With 6 holes remaining on Sunday Rickie was 5 back of the lead, his mother and then girlfriend were on route to the airport thinking “maybe next year”. Instead Fowler would go birdie, eagle, birdie, birdie over his last 4 holes to shoot 67 to force a playoff with Sergio Garcia and Kevin Kisner. Fowler would eventually birdie the iconic 17th island green 3 times on Championship Sunday to win the 2015 Players Championship and silence his critics. (Oh, and his Mom and girlfriend both made it back in time to see him win.)

Enjoy The Players Championship.