10 Years On: Tiger Woods wins at The Players Championship 2013 at TPC Sawgrass
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Published 06/03/2023 at 13:52 GMT
It has been 10 years since Tiger Woods won his second Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass, and in the build up to this week's event, we spoke to the man himself, as well as Kevin Streelman and David Lingmerth, who were looking to get the better of him in 2013.
'He played awesome' - Streelman and Lingmerth reflect on Woods winning 2013 Players Championship
Back in 2013, Tiger Woods arrived in Ponte Vedra in a rich vein of form, hoping to slay the beast that was Pete Dye’s TPC Sawgrass design and bag a second, coveted Players title.
It had been 12 years since he last hoisted the trophy at the PGA Tour's flagship event but having already won three times before April, Woods was in dominant form. The outright favourite and would need to continue his hot streak if he was to get the job done.
Historically, however, this was not a layout that appeared to suit Woods. He had struggled to contend in recent years. Despite this, Woods’ experienced caddie, Joe LaCava, who had previously worked with Fred Couples, Davis Love III and Dustin Johnson, loved the place.
“Joey had this idea that this was our year, we’re going to do it,” recalled Woods in an exclusive sit down with Eurosport. “He was in my ear from the start of Torrey, just in my ear that, ‘We’re going to win THE PLAYERS Championship’, and I’m like Joe, it’s so far away.”
He added: “That was one of Fred’s favourite places, and they won a couple of Players there together, it was just one of those things where he loved the golf course and I did not, but he kept harping on that this was going to be our year.”
Whether LaCava had a side hustle as a psychic is unknown but 2013 was indeed their year, as the pair navigated their way through a turbulent week. From severe rainfall and disruptive storms to Woods and Sergio Garcia upping the temperature on their rivalry with post-round comments, it certainly was a tournament that had a little bit of everything.
Another surprising element to the story that week was the form of the then 24-year-old rookie from Sweden, David Lingmerth, who emerged from the storm clouds on Saturday to surprise everyone.
It was Lingmerth's first appearance in the event but it was very much a home game as he had recently moved into the Jacksonville area and he appeared unfazed despite his lack of experience.
This feeling transferred to his game, as he admittedly flew under the radar to get himself top of the leaderboard.
“I didn’t think I was doing anything special, I was just going out there on the course and playing solid golf,” Lingmerth recalled with Eurosport. “It was nothing flashy. I kept myself away from making too many mistakes, I think I shot four-under each of the first three rounds, so I'm sitting there at 12-under going into the final round.
“It was just a lot of solid golf up until that point. The game felt somewhat easy to me that week.”
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Tiger Woods plays from the 18th tee during the final round of THE PLAYERS Championship on THE PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on May 12, 2013 in Ponte Vedra Beach
Image credit: Getty Images
Someone else who was looking to leave his mark on the tournament that week and try to get the better of Woods was Kevin Streelman. Coming into the event off the back of a breakthrough win at the Tampa Bay Championship just a couple of months earlier, he was in great form.
The American was plotting his way around TPC Sawgrass well, and a strong opening two rounds had him right in the mix over the weekend.
“I played great on Saturday, I think I shot a 67 to make a move,” said Streelman. “Then it just kept going Sunday, I played super solid, was driving it straight and putting it nicely, getting up and down when I needed [to].
“All of sudden I get to 16, if I make a few more birdies this could get interesting and I did, I think I birdied 16 and then made an awesome putt on 17 down the hill. [Steve] Stricker came by and gave me this huge high five, I was pretty amped. I was able to control it, make a nice par save on 18 and post a good score.
Sunday had more than its fair share of drama.
After Woods and Garcia finished off their weather-disrupted third rounds together that morning, the pair were split for the afternoon. However, the two still wrestled for position at the top of the leaderboard, where the resilient Lingmerth and Streelman continued to linger.
With Woods able to open up a two-shot lead at the turn, Garcia would watch Woods make par on the 13th before responding with a crucial birdie that took the Spaniard to 12-under which would soon be good enough for a share of the lead.
Woods’ uncharacteristic error at the next hole would give the chasing pack the opening they needed as his tee shot would find a watery grave eventually resulting in a double-bogey.
However, hopes of any further closing stretch drama would be abruptly ended with Garcia experiencing water problems of his own, dunking it twice from the tee at the famous par-3 17th and then once more from the 18th tee. It was a capitulation that saw him slip to an eighth-place finish having been tied for the lead just an hour before.
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Matt Kuchar presents Tiger Woods with the winner's trophy after the final round of THE PLAYERS Championship on THE PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on May 12, 2013 in Ponte Vedra Beach
Image credit: Getty Images
Lingmerth was the only player left who could halt the breaks on a Woods celebration. The Swede needed to hole a monster birdie putt on the 18th to force a playoff. As LaCava and Woods watched on in the scorer's hut, Lingemerth’s attempt raced by and cemented the fourth win of the season for the Californian.
With Streelman being joined by Lingmerth for a tied second-place finish, the Illinois native knew there was always a sense of inevitability about Woods and getting the job done.
“Clearly, the guy with the lead behind me [Woods] wasn’t going to mess that up too frequently,” reflected the 44-year-old.
“He played awesome coming in and held on and I was able to hold onto a second-place finish. It was fun to be in the heat and in a battle like that, especially with Tiger.”
As Woods reflects on what he achieved and the battle from that week, LaCava’s words still ring loud and clear all these years later and Woods remains grateful for his caddie’s unstinting belief.
“I owe that win to Joe because not only was he convinced I could do it, but I ended up pulling it off with him,” said the 15-time major champion, “It made it that more special.”
On his 300th Tour start, Woods was once again a Players champion.
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