2016 Players

[Don Wassall]

Rabbi Lerner, David Duval, Brandel Chamblee and Frank Nobilo last night on the Golf Channel were discussing whether The Players should officially become the fifth major. Duval said it already was, while Chamblee thought it would happen in time. Nobilo quite sensibly pointed out that three of the four majors are already in the U.S. even though golf has become a "global" game (meaning played well in the (formerly) White Western world and some Asian countries) and that there would be "pushback" if the U.S. was the location for yet another major.

At one time there was six majors, so four is not written in stone. But Nobilo is right: if there is a new major or two they should take place outside the U.S. And it wouldn't bother me if the PGA Championship was "demoted" and replaced by The Players, as The Players seems to be a better tournament with a better field and more fan interest than the PGA.

 

[Jack Lambert]

The Players is always a huge tournament; I noticed that the Golf Channel usually gives it similar coverage to a major; I see that they're showing six hours of coverage for the first two days of the tournament, double what they usually do for other tournaments.

In terms of the tournament, I'd say this is about as wide open as you can get. Anybody can win at TPC Sawgrass. Also, since 1982, the defending champ has never repeated. It's be interesting. A lot of story lines again; how will Jordan Spieth play in his first event after his Masters collapse? Will McIlroy and Mickelson carry momentum over from last week? Can Fowler become the first repeat champ? Will an unknown rise up and take it? It should be an exciting weekend of golf!

 

[Jack Lambert]

The scoring conditions in the morning were great, as players tore up the course, with Jason Day leading the pack at -9 after he shot a course record 63. Justin Rose is among those in 2nd at -7. Ernie Els turned back the clock today with a 66. A lot of the "big names" had average days, with Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy, and Ricke Fowler finishing at even. Bubba Watson is at -3, Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson are at -2.

 

[Don Wassall]

Jason Day has a four stroke lead going into the final round. If he wins, he'll really begin to separate himself from Spieth and McIlroy as the best golfer. He's won something like a third of the tournaments he's played in the past year, which is pretty phenomenal.

I haven't been able to watch much of the first three rounds but will try to catch some of it tomorrow. The course went from soft and easy the first two rounds to brutally tough on the greens today due to dry weather making them like glass combined with some dubious pin placements. Tons of three putts and unhappy players complaining of unfairness, hopefully the greens won't be quite so tough Sunday.