Woods magic, seagull troubles, Fowler's fightback - Top 5 moments from THE PLAYERS Championship

THE PLAYERS Championship, the unofficial fifth major, has arrived. A star-studded field featuring the likes of World No.1 Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth and Viktor Hovland has assembled looking to enjoy success at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, Florida.

This famous track has enjoyed many memorable moments throughout its history, and we’ve selected our top five.

One of the most famous calls, on one of the most famous holes, with one of the most famous players to have ever graced the game. In 1998, Tiger Woods had reached the iconic par-3 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass where his tee shot left him with a testy triple breaking 60 footer for birdie. A lagged two-putt par would have been suffice for many players, but this was Tiger Woods.

As Woods hunched over his ball, the suspense was palpable as the crowd began to hush. The NBC Sports broadcasting team of Gary Koch and Johnny Miller were in the booth and had come back from a commercial break where they began to paint a picture for everyone.

“Johnny, I’ve seen a number of players putt from the back part of this green, and the results have not been good.” Koch said.

“It seems like when Tiger gets really engaged in something difficult, he usually does something extra good,” Miller quipped. “Well, he should be pretty engaged here.”

As the booth fell silent with Wood’s putter in motion, the ball began its journey. It bounded over the spine of the green and downwards towards the hole.

“Johnny, that’s better than most,” Koch famously broke the silence.

“How about in?” Miller responded.

“Better than most,” Koch chimed again as the ball fell in the hole. “Better than most!“

As Woods punched the air in trademark style with the encasing crowds in raptures, one of the greatest moments, from the booth and from the green, was born.

Brad Fabel was the first golfer in PLAYERS Championship history to record a hole-in-one on the signature par-3 in 1986, but despite this feat, his most memorable moment would occur 12 years later.

As Fabel and playing partner Steve Lowery reached the hole in 1998, both tee shots found the green but the entertainment had yet to start. With a seagull lurking in close proximity, it doddled over to Fabel’s ball with great interest and began to peck away, moving the ball around with its beak.

As the crowds began to laugh, Fabel and Lowery soon realized what was going on as they made their way over to the putting surface, with Lowery jokingly waving and trying to get the bird to move it closer to the hole.

The gull took a few attempts to secure it in its beak before finally getting a good grip on it and flying away, only to drop it a few moments later into the water. It has, and continues to be, incorrectly documented that it was Lowery’s ball but it was in fact Fabel’s. The Kentucky native was eventually able to place a ball where his shot originally landed and ended up three putting for bogey.

In 2002, a relative unknown came to the fore in the form of World No. 203 Craig Perks. It was his closing stretch that would make the headlines.

The 35-year-old journeyman was making his first start at TPC Sawgrass and had missed 37 of 65 cuts since joining the Tour in 2000. It would be fair to say just making the weekend would be a solid achievement for him.

Perks managed to put together impressive rounds of 71, 68 and 69, and all of a sudden found himself in the final pairing on Sunday battling it out for glory. A solid start got him to the top of the summit but bogeys at the 14th and 15th would see him come tumbling back down.

However, no one had Perk’s final three holes in the script: a chip in for eagle on the 16th, a monster birdie on the 17th and, with it all on the line, a chip-in for par on the 18th to secure a two-shot victory over Stephen Ames.

When defending champ Tiger Woods handed over the glassware, even he was left in awe at what he had just witnessed.

“You’re unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable.”

The 2015 PLAYERS Championship will live long in the memory, mostly thanks to the antics of Rickie Fowler.

Five shots back of Sergio Garcia at the time and with six holes remaining, the then 26-year-old had a nigh on impossible task ahead of him if he was to imprint himself with any chance.

He was one over for his round after 12 holes, but he birdied the 13th and 15th before swiping a majestic hybrid to two feet at the long 16th for a tap-in eagle. The young Californian would then convert from seven feet for birdie at the 17th and followed a perfect 331-yard drive at the last with a solid wedge before stroking home a 15-footer for another birdie - just his 17th shot over the final six holes - which gave him the clubhouse lead on 12 under.

Fowler broke the tournament record for the last four holes, and it would be good enough to see him into a playoff with Kevin Kisner and longtime leader, Garcia. After going back to play the 16th, 17th and 18th in a playoff, the Spaniard was the first player to be eliminated.

This now set up a sudden death scenario for Fowler and Kisner on the famous 17th with darkness setting in. After watching Kisner leave 12 feet for birdie, Fowler had to respond, and respond he did. With it all on the line, he took an aggressive angle into the pin, rewarding him with a four footer.

With Kisner missing and Fowler rolling home his effort, it brought a PLAYERS Championship title to Fowler and a conclusion to one of the most entertaining final days in the history of the tournament.

If you go long at the Stadium Course’s 17th and are lucky to avoid water, you may well find yourself on the tight landing strip that acts as the walkway between the land and the putting surface for the players.

Whilst Matt Kuchar did have this stroke of fortune in 2015, his ball ended up nestling right on the fringe between the grass and the bulkhead. It was impossible for any right hander to have a shot at it as there was no ground for a stance. However, Kuchar used some creative thinking to get around the problem.

Stand backwards, flip the club over and play it right-handed that way.

It certainly looked bizarre but kudos could certainly be afforded to Kuchar for his approach. The American made great contact, but the ball raced past the hole and would eventually result in a bogey.

Such was the reception that Kuchar’s attempt received, many now have their own crack at pulling off the shot. With the results being a mixed bag, Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre, who is a left-hander, managed to go one better during a practice day in 2021.