Island Green Challenge: Test Your Knowledge of The Players Championship
Get ready to test your knowledge of the PGA Tour’s crown jewel, The Players Championship! This prestigious tournament, held annually at the iconic TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, brings together the world’s best golfers for a thrilling display of skill and competition.
From the challenging layout to the rich history, let’s dive into the details that make The Players Championship a must-watch event for golf enthusiasts.
1) PGA Tour commissioner Deane Beman famously purchased the land on which TPC Sawgrass currently sits for which modest sum?
a) $1
b) $5
c) $50
d) $500
Click to the next slide for the answer.
a) $1
PGA Tour Commissioner Deane Beman acquired the 415-acre heavily-wooded swamp land for TPC Sawgrass for just $1. The site’s challenging terrain, inhabited by deer, alligators, wild boar, and deadly snakes, made construction an adventure. Course designer Pete Dye and his team encountered numerous obstacles, including a 5-foot water moccasin and an estimated 70 large rattlesnakes during the building process.
2) Which famous golf course architect was tasked with designing and building TPC Sawgrass?
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a) Tom Fazio
b) Rees Jones
c) Pete Dye
d)Robert Trent Jones Sr.
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c) Pete Dye
The stadium concept at TPC Sawgrass was the brainchild of former PGA Tour commissioner Deane Beman. In 1980, renowned golf course architect Pete Dye designed the course with the intention of challenging the world’s top golfers by combining the need for distance with precise target golf. Most of the greens are surrounded by an array of mounds, depressions, and undulations, a style Dye refers to as his “grenade attack architecture.” The course’s most iconic hole is the nerve-wracking island green 17th, which offers no room for error and can be particularly unforgiving in windy coastal conditions. This hole has inspired over 100 imitations worldwide in the last four decades.
3) What kind of animals roamed the grounds of TPC Sawgrass during its construction acting as de facto groundskeepers?
a) Cows
b) Goats
c) Sheep
d) Alligators
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b) Goats
Pete Dye used an unconventional workforce while building TPC Sawgrass: goats. The grounds crew led the goats around the property, allowing them to clear 80% of the brush within eight months. However, the goats caused some complications, such as kicking over fences, sleeping under the clubhouse’s porte-cochere, climbing on the roof, and even wandering into the grill room.
4) Who is credited with coming up with the idea for the iconic island green 17th hole?
a) Pete Dye
b) Jack Nicklaus
c) Deane Beman
d) Alice Dye
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d) Alice Dye
The 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass, originally designed as a peninsula green, became an island due to sand excavation. Alice Dye suggested creating a bulkhead and adding sand and dirt to form the iconic island green. Despite its short length, the 17th is one of golf’s most intimidating holes, nestled between the par-5 16th and challenging 18th, encouraging dramatic finishes.
5) Which winner of the first Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass threw PGA Tour Commissioner Deane Beman and course architect Pete Dye into the water off the 18th green after winning?
a) Jack Nicklaus
b) Jerry Pate
c) Raymond Floyd
d) Hal Sutton
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b) Jerry Pate
In 1982, Jerry Pate celebrated his victory at the inaugural TPC Sawgrass by pushing Commissioner Deane Beman and course designer Pete Dye into the lake on the 18th hole, followed by his own dive. This splash heard around the golf world instantly made the tournament and course famous, elevating The Players to major status in the eyes of legendary writer Dan Jenkins.
6) How many players have won multiple Players Championship titles (at TPC Sawgrass and elsewhere)?
a) 4
b) 5
c) 6
d) 7
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c) 6
Jack Nicklaus is the only player to have won the Players three times (1974, 1976, 1978), and five others have won it twice: Fred Couples (1984, 1996), Steve Elkington (1991, 1997), Hal Sutton (1983, 2000), Davis Love III (1992, 2003) and Tiger Woods (2001, 2013).
7) Who holds the record for the lowest score to par in Players Championship history?
a) Tiger Woods
b) Davis Love III
d) Greg Norman
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d) Greg Norman
Norman shot a 24-under par 264 en route to his lone Players victory in 1994.
8) The Players Championship has elevated itself to the highest purse on the PGA Tour. How much is up for grabs?
a) $20 Million
b) $25 Million
c) $30 Million
d) $40 Million
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b) $25 Million
The Players Championship, often considered the unofficial fifth major, celebrates its 50th edition at TPC Sawgrass from March 14-17. The increased top prize is $4,500,000 from the tournament’s boosted $25 million purse.
9) What is the signature cocktail of The Players Championship?
a) The Sawgrass Splash
b) The TPC Tee-Off
c) The Island Green Iced Tea
d) The Beman’s Brew
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a) The Sawgrass Splash
The ‘Sawgrass Splash,’ TPC Sawgrass’s signature cocktail, combines Ketel One orange-flavored vodka, fresh Florida orange juice, lemonade, and lime juice. Shaken and topped with club soda and an orange slice, this refreshing drink allows fans to enjoy a taste of The Players Championship experience from home. The popular cocktail is available year-round at TPC Sawgrass.
10) Who is the defending champion at The Players Championship this week?
a)Rory McIlroy
b)Justin Thoams
c)Scottie Scheffler
d)Jon Rahm
Click to the next slide for the answer.
c) Scottie Scheffler
Scottie Scheffler won his first Players Championship in 2023, running away from the field to win by five strokes over Tyrrell Hatton with a 17-under par 271.
