You first get a glimpse of the 17th when you come round the corner on the previous hole and the prospect of a pitching wedge late on should be a very welcome one but, as we all know, the reality is very different.
It certainly needs a bit of wind and the back pin is always the most dramatic as players routinely watch their balls land by the pin before bounding long and wet. The Sunday pin, tucked right and over the single bunker, is one of the most iconic hole locations – much like the right pin at Augusta’s 12th, and the whole scenario makes it very cool.
Caddies take it on early in the week, many of us have tried (and failed) here and it’s a hole that’s been copied all over the world but, say the word island green, and all our minds turn to Sawgrass.
When did the course open?
The Stadium Course opened in 1980 and was the first of various Tournament Players Clubs to be built. These are a chain of clubs operated by the PGA Tour to host tournaments. TPC Harding Park was the first to host a Major while Sawgrass is the flagship venue as well as being the headquarters of the Tour.
How did the 17th come about?
One of the world’s most famous holes actually came about by chance. Pete Dye laid out the course but it was his wife, Alice, whose idea it was to make 17 an island green.
The course cost between $7-10m and money was running short. There was a lot of sand where the 17th sits and originally there was going to be a small lake but the sand was needed elsewhere to build up the banking that makes it such a fan-friendly course and more and more water took its place.
It was always meant to be a short par 3 but it was never thought that it would become so well known. There are something like 10 versions of the island green in the merchandise shop.
What is the yardage?
It is listed as 141 yards so it has barely changed over the years. So it is the shortest hole on the course by over 40 yards. Last year it played as the 6th hardest hole at 3.111 and there were 69 birdies and 23 doubles or over in the four rounds.
What are the hole’s highlights?
As ever Tiger Woods is a familiar face on the showreel thanks to his 60-foot putt across the green as he won here in 2001. The ‘better than most’ commentary is almost as good as the putt itself.
Fred Couples was looking like missing the cut in 1999 at five over and he then plonked his tee shot in the drink at 17. But, rather than electing to head to the drop zone, he slam-dunked his next one for a ridiculous par. He would finish the week in fourth.
This will never be eclipsed; Rickie Fowler birdied 17 in three of his four attempts in 2015. He then birdied it again to match Kevin Kisner in the play-off before repeating the trick for his biggest career victory. Five birdies in one week, on one hole.
What are the disasters?
Twenty-nine balls found the water on a blustery day in 2022 and they’re all in good company.
Len Mattiace might not be too well known compared to others but he was on the verge of winning The Players in 1998 after eight birdies on Sunday. He then took an eight at 17.
Bob Tway ran up a 12 in 2005, Robert Gamez has had an 11 and the likes of Paul Goydos and JJ Spaun (12 months ago) have finished up wet in a play-off.
In 2013 Sergio Garcia had a great chance to eclipse Woods but he then twice ended up wet, wrote down a seven and followed it with a six on the final hole.
How many holes-in-one have there been?
In 2017 Garcia got his own back slightly when he aced the 17th and that is one of 15 holes-in-one here. Brad Fabel was the first in 1986 -– other players of note are Fred Couples, Paul Azinger, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Shane Lowry and Keegan Bradley last year.
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Article Link: TPC Sawgrass: Everything you need to know about the iconic 17th hole