The Players Championship, for all of its warts and imperfections, does have a way of delivering some pretty relatable moments to amateur golfers as the best players in the world struggle on the Pete Dye-designed TPC Sawgrass on an annual basis.
Nevermind that playing the Stadium Course in championship conditions under tournament pressure has nearly nothing in common with the golf courses amateur golfers typically play, it’s the struggles that make it comparable to the everyman.
So on Thursday after getting thoroughly beaten up by the course, a few of the best players in the world did exactly what you and your buddies do after a bad round of golf: they sat around and made fun of themselves for it.
Led by ringleader Ian Poulter, a cast of downtrodden Europeans appeared in an impromptu video that immediately went viral for how relatable their post-round lunch was.
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“We’ve got a hell of a lunch table here, players lounge,” Poulter begins. “(Tyrrell) just decided to sit down and join Rory and I. So, collectively, four people sitting at this table: myself, Rory, Tyrrell and Henrik, who’s just left: 29-over.
“What a bunch of muppets.”
Poulter’s math checks out as well. Stenson (+13), McIlroy (+7), Poulter (+5) and Hatton (+4) all have some serious work to do in order to secure a pair of weekend tee times at Sawgrass.
As it currently stands through one round, there are 84 players at 1-over par or better with Data Golf projecting that the cut line will likely stand at +1 with a 30% chance of it moving to 2-over par.
If you can’t laugh at yourself, how can you laugh at anyone else?