PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Sights, sounds and notables of the 52nd Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass, which wrapped up Sunday by Cameron Young winning by a stroke.
Some commentary on The Players Championship.
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The first Players I covered was in 1999, and I can’t even begin to tick off just how many things have changed in that span. So, I’ll just focus on the fan experience.
That at TPC Sawgrass has evolved dramatically over the years, and I’d say the PGA Tour has made The Players the most fan-forward professional sporting event in the area. Far more than any Jaguars or Gators or Seminoles football game. Far more than any other baseball or hockey or soccer experience within driving distance.
A few reasons for that.
The Players became much more than just golf, and it was greatly needed. I think it stopped taking itself so seriously – the elitist country club mindset – and started embracing the element of fun.
The biggest change the PGA Tour made for spectators came in 2011 when it finally permitted fans to bring their mobile devices onto the grounds during tournament week. Before that, fans who tried to bring in their devices met a hard stop at the gate. The Masters still doesn’t allow fans to bring mobile devices to their tournament.
The viewing areas have gotten better. There’s not a bad place on the course to watch golf. There are digital scoreboards all over to keep track. To think, 25 years ago the tournament still had calligraphers stationed around the course physically writing scores of golfers down for fans to see.
The Players has invited dozens of local food establishments to set up during the tournament. It has extended invites to social media influencers (something the old guard would have never even thought about) and had brands like Jacksonville-based Lafavre take a leading role in fashion apparel for the tournament.
Ludacris – yes, Ludacris! – was the musical act at the annual military appreciation concert. When executive director Lee Smith was asked last month about deviating from the typical country music act for that day, he said the response for Ludacris had been epic. And everyone I heard from who went out to see Ludacris perform said it was electric.
Twenty-five years ago, it was difficult to say that The Players had everything for the casual fan (which most spectators are) to the follower who tracks distances for every shot. Now, they do.
Big names at Players
The Players has always been about people watching as much as anything. Some of the notables to be spotted this week were Jaguars players Trevor Lawrence, Cam Little, Ross Matiscik, Anton Harrison and Brian Thomas Jr.
Jacksonville general manager James Gladstone and head coach Liam Coen were also spotted. Two former Heisman Trophy winners made an appearance. Former Yulee High School and current Ravens running back Derrick Henry and former Nease High and University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow. Florida Gov. bmade an appearance on Saturday.
Advice for next year – buy parking early
This is the easiest sales pitch for The Players.
Parking sells out every year and verified resale parking passes on the secondary market can jump to more than three times the $50 face value. Parking was free in the early years of The Players, but it’s pricey now. Whether you’re planning to go in 2027 or just hang on to the parking and flip it for a profit, you’ve been advised – buy it early.
Bad time for a terrible hole
Michael Thorbjornsen entered Sunday three strokes back of Ludvig Aberg and playing in the last group with him. He cut Aberg’s lead to a stroke before a disastrous fourth hole derailed his day.
Thorbjornsen’s approach kicked off the green and rolled into the water. He took a drop and landed that approach within 10 feet but hit that ball too long. Thorbjornsen needed two more putts from there to salvage a quadruple-bogey
Thorbjornsen moved to Jacksonville after he graduated from Stanford University in 2024. He said on Saturday that he moved to the area because of “the course right here,” referring to the Stadium Course.
That course wasn’t kind to him Sunday.
Rain leads to cool story of the week
When heavy showers rolled in during Thursday’s opening round, fans went scrambling for cover. So did the golfers who were out on the course.
Brooks Koepka, Akshay Bhatia and Tony Finau were on hole No. 4 and wound up in a discreetly hidden van. Volunteer Richard Baccus, now in his 11th year helping out during the tournament, was in the driver’s seat of the van and helped the golfers and their caddies get situated inside.
Once they were inside the van, Baccus asked if he could snap a photo and the golfers obliged. Bhatia grabbed his phone and snapped a selfie of the whole group. Baccus sent the photo to his son, and then it made it onto social media. It went viral and became a lifetime memory for Baccus.