by tom weppel
Welcome one and all to TPC, a.k.a. The Players Championship. Some people make the mistake of calling this ‘the’ TPC, with ‘T’ standing for ‘Tournament’. But they are wrong in their speech. It is simply, ‘TPC’, which stands for ‘The Players Championship’.
And it certainly is The Players Championship, with all the big guns from the Tour here, as they do each year, to go after a huge wad of cash, on a course that has become very well-known within the golfing community. The Stadium Course, designed by the golf course architect Pete Dye, is a track that is well-respected and appreciated by Tour players and fans alike. From the signature 17th green and 18th fairway on down, this course is remembered and enjoyed for its difficulty of play and for its pure beauty to view and experience.
As we all know, there are quite a few things that are different this year than from past tournaments. For one, the date has changed. In the past, TPC has been held in March, BEFORE The Masters, and DURING the NCAA Basketball Tournament, which of course cultivated the attention of all sports fans, leaving TPC high and dry.
This year, the PGA Tour decided to schedule the tournament AFTER The Masters, in May, to give it a little breathing room from the NCAA’s and just a little bit more notoriety. TPC is also being played now because it is normally a little warmer this time of year, as opposed to the inconsistent climate we usually encounter in March.
Another noticeable difference will be the brand new clubhouse that was built on the Stadium Course grounds. Of course not many of us will be able to get into see ALL of the digs, but from the outside, it looks fabulous. Many of the players are telling us that the inside, particularly the lockerroom itself, is a sight to behold. It certainly has added glamour to this crown jewel of the PGA Tour.
If you are going to the tournament, you will also get a chance to see the digital scoreboards that will dot the course, practically on every hole. These babies will give you anything and everything you could want, from bios on the players to statistics on the holes, and of course a ton of sponsoring advertisements to boot.
And so we shall see how these changes affect the tournament, from the players to the fans to the viewers.
These days in the world of Golf, there is one and only one name that stands out above all others, and that name is Eldrick Woods. Tiger is simply dominating the sport like no other player in no other era, and that includes Jack Nicklaus, in my opinion. This season alone, Eldrick has won three tournaments, having entered only six.
There are two ways to look at Tiger’s domination of the PGA Tour. In one sense, we can say his popularity continues to draw interest and attention to the sport in many different ways. Golf continues to grow, without question. He is viewed with reverence and idolized by many. For all intents, he is the #1 most popular athlete in the world.
On the other hand, his domination is making all the other players on Tour look like a bunch of also-rans. It seems there are no real personalities capable of challenging Tiger when we are all readily itching to see a good duel emerge. Even Phil Mickelson is a guy who can win a trophy every so often, including a ‘Major’ every other year. But by and large, there is only one guy people are interested in, and that is Mr. Woods.
It’s gotten to the point where fans don’t care about coming to see any golfer play except Tiger Woods. THAT is making things extremely difficult for the promoters of PGA Tour events, as well as the TV networks trying to sell their advertising during these events. And for those events that don’t have Tiger playing in their field, it’s almost a lost cause. Of course, it’s a welcome relief for the rest of the Tour, knowing they have a much better chance of winning when Eldrick is NOT playing!
When Tiger doesn’t play in a PGA Tour event, interest and ratings, plummet. In fact, the only other guy with any real spice to his demeanor is John Daly. If Daly had maybe won one or two more ‘Majors’ and not gone on an awful drinking binge, he would be right alongside Tiger as a main personality on the Tour. But for now, the Tour consists of Tiger….and ‘the other guys’.
Which leads us to this weekend, and who will compete for the Championship? Most fans want to see names such as Mickelson, Singh, Funk, and Love at the top of the leaderboard, along with Eldrick. Recently, though, we’ve seen guys like Craig Perks and Adam Scott come from nowhere to win the event. It should be interesting to see who will put together a couple of good rounds.
TPC was moved to May so that the event would have more favorable weather, both for players and for fans. However, what we’ve seen so far this week is a spiraling weather system off the coast that is churning up windy conditions for the players and possible showers for fans. So let’s see exactly how much different things will be this year, as opposed to previous seasons. You can run, but you can’t hide from weather, my friends.
You don’t have to spend all day every day in Ponte Vedra to enjoy this season of golf. The Jacksonville Landing is hosting an event called THE PLAYERS Downtown Experience starting Friday. Live entertainment starts at 4pm with Str8up. Stick around for Diggin’ Rhythm & Brass at 8pm and Freeze Frame rocking into the night starting at 11pm. Join some of your favorite radio and television personalities at this gala event without leaving the downtown area. There will be drink and food specials, as well as autograph sessions with PGA TOUR and Champions Tour members. Keep an eye on the big screen to see live sportscasts and championship highlights throughout the TPC events, and look up to the sky to enjoy a famous downtown Jacksonville fireworks display at 10pm.
Free Activities:
· 9-hole putting challenge
· Take on the giant, inflatable driving cage
· Interactive digital golfing entertainment
· Golden Tee
· Karaoke
· The First Tee of Jacksonville will be on-site providing five-minute golf lessons to help you improve your grip, swing, or putt.
The PGA TOUR Wives Association will be raffling off a rare, autographed golf bag. Buy a raffle ticket and your proceeds benefit the Ronald McDonald House. You could win a prize worth bragging about on the course. Raffle tickets are $5 each and they are available between 4 pm and 9 pm.
Going to the Tournament? Don't worry, the Downtown Experience is providing complimentary motor coaches to and from one of the downtown hotels and Sawgrass. For more information about this terrific event, go to jaxdowntownexperience.com.
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