Players Championship Winner Possibly Known Only in Golf Circles

There’s a fair chance that The Players Championship will produce a winner that only golf fans will recognize. The course favors no one. Rather it appears to handicap the big hitters so much that only a magnificent week with the short game will keep them in contention. Typically, the cream rises to the top on Saturday and Sunday. However this course lets very little cream get there.

Can you see the trend? Recent winners Stephen Ames and Fred Funk should be evidence enough. Historically there are other examples as well, like an old Hal Sutton, Jodie Mudd and the Mine That Bird of his day, Craig Perks. But it’s not only that. Last year when Sergio Garcia pulled out the win, it was by outlasting Paul Goydos. At precisely 12:25 today after Camilo Villegas double bogeyed the 16th, I happened to look at the leader board. I kid you not, the top 5 names were Alex Cejka, Kevin Na, Ben Crane, John Mallinger and Richard S. Johnson. Egads! Even a golf geek like myself would be hard pressed to pick them out of a line-up.

We don’t have to worry about this mickey mouse course ever being considered worthy of a major championship. I don’t care if they do play for a first prize of $1.7 million and a 5 year exemption. It maxes out a just “a big event”.