What a fabulous Players Championship we enjoyed last week at TPC Sawgrass.
It had drama, atmosphere and excitement with thrills and spills from beginning to end. Whereas many of the best players in the game made up the actors, the theatre was the star of the show.
This fine creation of architect Pete Dye is one of the best stages in world golf and the event will continue to grow in the years ahead, with the PGA Tour rightly proud of its flagship event.
What amazes me is the way the PGA Tour sets up courses for the majority of its tournaments. Each and every week it's a similar examination - thick rough around the greens, little rough off the fairways and bunkers that the ball rolls onto rather than into. This staple diet is all too familiar and my opinion is it makes for dull viewing.
TPC Sawgrass has several proper bunkers, while the aprons of the greens have run off areas which introduce a variety of pitches and chips. The rough last week was set at four inches - enough to be a penalty. The four par-fives were reachable, but only if the tee shots found the fairway.
The fast undulating greens accepted only quality approaches, so no surprise we enjoyed what was captivating viewing and a glorious spectacle. The PGA Tour should address this and introduce some variety to their venues. Similar set ups every week are too familiar and breed the same type of golfer.
The finish of The Players was all you could ask for. For most of the back nine on Sunday, the lead chopped and changed as the overnight leader, Ludvig Ã…berg, got wet at the 11th and 12th.
Matthew Fitzpatrick a year ago was in the depths of despair and had slipped to 80th in the world rankings, but a change of coach - coupled with strong finish to 2025 - restored his belief and confidence.
Xander Schauffele looked the player he was in 2024 while Robert McIntyre confirmed, if confirmation was needed, that he is a player who revels on the big stage and embraces pressure with enthusiasm.
A new name emerged in the shape of Sudarshan Yellamaraju (I'm still working on the pronunciation) and his weekend scores of 66 and 68 were magnificent.
With Fitzpatrick holding a slender lead with two to play it looked like England would have their first winner at The Players, but a few moments of brilliance from Cameron Young brought the finale to a pulsating close.
In commentary, I likened Young to Tom Watson. In the early seventies, Tom was known as 'the bridesmaid', so often in contention but never crossing the finishing line. That changed at the Western Open in 1974, his first major coming at Carnoustie a year later.
Winning became a habit for Watson and I hope I see the same happening to Young, who had seven runners-up finishes on the PGA Tour before the breakthrough at the Wyndham Championship last autumn.
The tee shot at the par-three 17 was superb from Young, as was the putt. I wasn't sure about the choice of his driver at the last, but that was soon put to bed after travelling an astonishing 375 yards!
The final offering at Sawgrass is one of the hardest on the PGA Tour with no safety line, as Fitzpatrick found out, but what happened on the green showed why our sport is held in such high esteem. It reminded me of 'the concession' at Royal Birkdale during the Ryder Cup, when Jack Nicklaus picked Tony Jacklin's marker up to leave the contest a draw.
Having just failed with his attempt to win, Young's ball trickled a handful of inches past the hole. About to tap it in, he held back and marked it. This was not for his benefit, but a show of respect and consideration for his fellow competitor.
For much of the afternoon, four Europeans were in the top five. Young's charge ignited the home fans - many of course hoping for an American victory - with Fitzpatrick having a bit to deal with from them all the way up the fairway.
Reaching for his marker gave Fitzpatrick the best opportunity to hole his par putt and take The Players to a play-off. Had he holed out, it would have taken some time for the gallery to settle down.
When the Englishman's putt slipped by, it was the first time in over 30 years I've announced the winner before the tap in which was a formality. When Young marked it, it was a show of exceptional sportsmanship and given what would be going on in his mind, total awareness.
Although it didn't work out for Fitzpatrick, he no doubt greatly appreciated the gesture. The heart-warming spectacle didn't finish there. Leaving the green and before he signed his card, Fitzpatrick walked over to Young's family to congratulate them and shared a hug with Cam's mum.
The Players this year was one of its best editions. Scottie Scheffler, with his golfing excellence, has ruled the roost for the last four years but the sport needs others challenging to make the game as competitive as we like it.
In Young, he has a genuine opponent, while Fitzpatrick is back where he belongs and Ã…berg will learn much from his final round. That all points to an intriguing major season, which is only three weeks away.
The sight of Augusta's elegance and beauty can't come soon enough.
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