Participants in the 2023 Players Championship should be prepared for a long walk and at least three shots to the green at the par-5 9th hole at TPC Sawgrass.
How long?
If you feel particularly frisky, try 600 yards.
While there aren’t any major changes to The Players or Stadium Course this year, one significant modification involves the first hole to be drivable since the par-4 12th was made playable for the 2017 Players.
The ninth hole will feature a new tee that can increase the scorecard yardage from 583 yards to 600 yards. This is the first time in tournament history.
It doesn’t mean it won’t happen, but the tournament rules staff does have the option. Weather forecasts and wind conditions for the tournament rounds from March 9-12 will be important factors in this determination.
The longer tee will allow you to put more effort into the hole, which Pete Dye originally designed as the most difficult par-5 hole and a three-shot hole.
The ninth hole has occasionally fallen below Nos. The difficulty of the ninth hole is between 2 and 11. The players have also been known to be cautious when putting on the hole, even when officials are moving the tee higher to attract them. There have been only five double-bogeys at No. in the last ten years. 9 and 3 triple-bogeys in the last year were equal to the total for the four previous years.
Three 600-yard holes have been featured in major championships in recent years, with another one in development. The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts’ par-5 14th hole measured 625 yards for 2022 U.S. Open. Southern Hills, Oklahoma’s par-5 fifth hole, measured 656 yards for 2022 PGA. The par-5 13th hole measured 632 yards. Royal Liverpool plans to have a par-5 18th hole measuring 607 yards for 2023 Open Championship.
The No. 9 Place to Watch Shots 9
Players Championship officials have also created a new fan venue to the right of the new tee, giving spectators an up-close-and-personal view of players trying to muscle their tee shots down the right side to set up a rope-hook second shot into the small green, or take the safe play and lay up.
Two tents will be set up in the area. One will house Tito’s Stillhouse Lounge, the other ABBQ. A large oak tree was used to build the deck that fronts the area. Three of them appeared to be rising from the deck.
You can also see the players playing No. 18 have an easy path across the ninth fairway to reach the 18th green or the 16-17 amphitheater setting, if they wish to take shots on the closing holes.
In the distance, you will see the elegant TPC Sawgrass clubhouse as well as the large lake that separates the 9th and 18th fairways.
Jared Rice, Tournament Director, believes that the combination of being close to the new ninth Tee and the panoramic view of the closing holes from each side will make this a popular spot on the course.
Rice stated that it would be an amazing viewing experience at Players Championship Media Day Monday, when electronic and print media were first to see the construction of hospitality structures and changes like the ninth tee. “The new tee is behind No. The 8th green has been regrassed, and the new tee will allow the rules staff more flexibility in a competitive environment.
The course is as green and lush as ever. It appears that the cold weather of earlier winter had no adverse effects on the course. The Tour’s West Coast Swing will be ending this week after the WM Phoenix Open in Phoenix and the Genesis Invitational Los Angeles next week. The Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens on February 23-26 will kick off Florida Swing. The Players will be third on the tee.
Officials long for a normal Players Week
Rice stated that the tournament staff hoped for a week without weather problems that delayed the tournament last year to Monday. It was an exciting finish, with Cameron Smith making it to No. 18 to shoot 66, winning by one shot. But normalcy would be nice. Since the tournament was moved to March 2019, it has experienced the cancellation of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, there will be a significantly reduced capacity. Fans will need to wear masks outside and the torrential rains last year. The first Monday finish since 2005 saw more rain.
Rice stated that idyllic weather is what everyone would prefer. Rice said, “But we are ready for anything. We are always impressed by how resilient and patient our volunteers and fans are in these situations. It challenges us to think deeper about what we can do to improve.
Rice stated that minor improvements have been made to parking lots, roadways and fan gathering areas like The Grove, Trucks 10 and Tacos 12 in order to improve drainage. The tournament committee is also working with officials from the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office to improve traffic patterns.
Rice stated that the best advice he could give fans is to buy parking passes early, particularly for Friday and Saturday rounds. The weekends are historically the busiest.
Parking passes cannot be purchased in conjunction with tickets. Both can be purchased at www.theplayers.com.
The PGA Tour app has been improved
Additional enhancements and new features are planned for the tournament in 2023:
The PGA Tour app has been redesigned with three new features that will help fans during The Players. A simpler ticket interface will make it easier for fans to load digital tickets into their smartphone wallets. A wayfinding feature will provide fans step-by, turn-by, and detailed directions to fan zones, dining area, and the location of their favorite player. There is also an Augmented Reality feature available for Nos. 16-17 and 18 will be enhanced with shot trails and statistics.
A new shuttle will be available in Nocatee, as well as two shuttles that are free from downtown Jacksonville.
On the west side, Championship Way will have a new bike and golf cart parking lot.
The ongoing battle between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour will continue to hang over the proceedings. Smith, Anibarn Lehiri, and Paul Casey were the top finishers last year in Players. Two more top-10 finishers, Dustin Johnson III and Harold Varner III have also defected to LIV Golf, and are now under suspension by the Tour.
This leaves us with a field likely to include 24 players in the current world rankings (sans Smith), meaning No. 1 Rory McIlroy, Number. 2 Scottie Scheffler, No. Jon Rahm will be on the Stadium Course.
Rice stated that approximately 95 to 98 per cent of The Players field is fully-exempt. Rice stated that PGA Tour professionals are the ones who make up our field week after week. We are different than the majors, and our strength in field is what makes us stand out.”
