When Actual Golf Took Center Stage Again, It Delivered at TPC Sawgrass

Two weeks of talk about designated events and money took a respite for four days of the Players, and we were reminded that the game itself is still wild and great.

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PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — It was kind of nice to get back to the golf. For so long, it seems, all the discussion in the game has centered around the disruptive forces that have led to change, whether it be LIV Golf or the fallout it has caused the PGA Tour.

As the Players Championship week began, there was virtually no discussion of the so-called fifth major, the flagship event played annually at TPC Sawgrass.

It was designated events, no cuts, legacy, money. And lots of it.

The tournament, after all, does pay the highest purse in golf, a $25 million windfall with $4.5 million going to winner Scottie Scheffler. Kevin Kisner, who finished last, still made more than $48,000.

For as much as the Tour has attempted to change the focus from money to (FedEx) points, it has inevitably turned. Ever since the emergence of LIV Golf and its ability to lure players with seven-figure guaranteed deals coupled with $25 million purses and a team component, the Tour has been forced to swallow hard and address those very issues.

For two weeks it was the main focus, with commissioner Jay Monahan spending an hour in a news conference last Wednesday dissecting every last issue presented.

Finally, the golf came, and it delivered, even though Scheffler cruised to victory on Sunday and didn’t have to play the Stadium course gauntlet of the 16th, 17th and 18th holes with the same kind of pressure if he were clinging to a small lead. He pushed out in front, making that treacherous stretch a relative victory stroll.

Once the Players began, the craziness resumed including at the famous 17th hole :: Eric Gay/AP

The 17th, which is both cheered and derided, typically delivers, and for the first time in tournament history, it produced not just one ace but three. The celebrations are classic, but the golf gods have a way. Both Chad Ramey and Aaron Rai, playing the tournament for the first time, made a hole in one at 17, only to find water the next day.

Jordan Spieth hit a spectator, which helped him make the 36-hole cut. Rory McIlroy seemed to run out of energy, shot 75-73, and was left searching for a new driver.

It’s possible to surmise that McIlroy’s woes were, in some part, due to all the outside noise. As a member of the PGA Tour’s policy board, he’s spent more times in meetings and on Zoom calls than he seemingly has inside the ropes. One of those long meetings was Tuesday of the Arnold Palmer Invitational, where McIlroy put it aside and missed a playoff by a stroke.

At TPC Sawgrass, he didn’t have it—and now will attempt to regroup in time for the Masters, where he will once again attempt to complete the career Grand Slam at the only major he has failed to claim, more than eight years since his last such title.

Scheffler, meanwhile, seems to put it all aside. He’s now won six times in his last 27 starts, and has two of the biggest prizes in the game, the Masters and a Players, along with last year’s Match Play title. No doubt, he’s paid attention to all the chatter that envelopes the game, than manages to forget about it.

“I wouldn't say it's something that occupies too much of my thoughts,’’ Scheffler said. “I'm focused on being out here on the PGA Tour. I don't worry about what's going on elsewhere. I'm doing what I can to help improve our Tour, and I think the Tour's done a great job of continuing to improve, and they're improving at a rapid pace.

“The elevated events have been a lot of fun. We've had great, great leaderboards, good finishes. And, it seems like it's been a success so far and we're hoping for more of it in the future."

LIV Golf has its second event this week, as the Valspar Championship will feature Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth, Matt Fitzpatrick and defending champion Sam Burns. The last World Golf Championship event follows, with Scheffler as defending champion. Then LIV Golf plays again against the Valero Texas Open, the week before the Masters.

And don’t forget—17 LIV golfers are in the Masters field. That will be sure to be a subject of conversation, too.

Then Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player will hit the ceremonial first tee shots. And it’ll be nice to get back to the golf.