PGA Results: 2014 PLAYERS Championship

PGA Tour THE PLAYERS Championship TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida THE PLAYERS Championship is the PGA Tour’s championship tournament. It draws the best field of the year and has the highest paying purse. The winner’s share is a paltry $1.8 million. Many consider, and the point is argued on a yearly basis, THE PLAYERS to be professional golf’s “fifth major championship.” The tournament is played at the famous TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course, the crown jewel of famous golf architect Pete Dye. This “Dyeabolical” course features some tough holes, especially the final two, the island 17th and the very tough par-4 18th. The course was tough, at least until this season when German golfer and former world #1 Martin Kaymer tied the course record with a 63 in the first round. Kaymer was at or near the lead most of the tournament, fighting off tough players like Jordan Spieth and later on in the final round Jim Furyk. Kaymer’s double bogey on the 15th hole in the final round brought Furyk to within one stroke. Kaymer’s massive clutch putt for par on the island 17th from 28 feet was huge, allowing him to make a solid par on the final hole to secure the win and the $1.8 million. The win for Kaymer is the first for him in 17 months. He had dropped from world ranking #1 clear down to 61st. His stock is rising again. Speaking of world ranking #1, several players had the opportunity to knock Tiger Woods out of the world’s top spot, including Adam Scott, Henrik Stenson, Matt Kuchar and Bubba Watson. The four would-be #1’s limped to a cumulative six over par on Sunday. The injured and not-playing Woods remains world #1. An odd happening in the tournament happened with Justin Rose. Between his 3rd round and 4th round, Rose gained two strokes and jumped up the leaderboard. Rose was penalized for causing the ball to move, but the new rule regarding television evidence and what the naked I can see meant that the penalty was rescinded. “...after consulting with the governing bodies and PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem, it was determined that without the use of sophisticated technology, it was not reasonably discernable to the naked eye that the ball had left its original position and had come to rest in its original place.”