Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde or, like the Batman character, Harvey Dent, the man with two faces. Kind, peaceful, and approachable versus evil, terrible, and painful. This could be the reality of the 17th hole that players will encounter in the 51st edition of the The Players starting this Thursday at TPC Sawgrass.
This iconic peninsula-shaped hole, which is part of golf’s imaginary history, does not in itself demand a very complicated shot from the tee. Not at all. 125 metres to a green is something professionals should not struggle with excessively.
However, the hole designed by Pete and Alice Dye can become the greatest of hells. More than a thousand balls have gone into the water since records of this statistic began at The Players (2003). An average of 47 balls per tournament. Not bad at all.
You may wonder why. The first reason why the mystique of this hole envelops golfers is the water. Although the shot is not complex, when the brain only sees water, everything becomes complicated, and the target becomes smaller and smaller. However, professional players are very good and capable of abstracting from that reality. The second reason, and the main headache in that iconic place, is undoubtedly the wind. When the air makes an appearance, everything turns into a nightmare, and a shot they can comfortably make with a wedge may require a 6-iron. Madness.
Well then. This week, golfers will encounter the two faces of the 17th. Thursday and Friday, the friendly face. Saturday and Sunday, they will face the Loch Ness Monster. Without a doubt, with the forecast we have at this time, the calmest moment of the week will be Thursday morning. No wind is expected. Those who start early on the 10th hole are the players who will have the best chance of making the famous hole-in-one that brings so much glory to this flag. In the afternoon, some wind is expected to blow between 13 and 17 kilometres per hour, which already starts to be uncomfortable. Friday is expected to continue with the momentum of Thursday afternoon.
However, ‘woe’ to those who make the cut in the tournament. What awaits them over the weekend will be terrifying. Winds averaging 27 kilometres per hour, but expected to reach up to 50 kilometres per hour at various times on Saturday. Absolute madness. Without a doubt, these winds will significantly impact the tournament standings. Playing TPC Sawgrass is already challenging, but with these winds, it can become an odyssey. Reaching the peninsula of the 17th hole with such a headwind can transform the most iconic site into your worst nightmare. Sunday is also expected to have high-intensity winds, although perhaps not reaching such high gusts, but with a forecast of winds close to 35-40 kilometres per hour. It’s no joke what awaits the players this weekend at The Players, and the 17th hole will be waiting to pass judgment.
