THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

Lee Smith was announced as The Players’ new executive director on Tuesday morning, stepping into a role previously held by Jared Rice.

The final Match Play could be the last chance for some players to get into the Masters.

With The Players Championship coming to a close on Sunday with a dominant performance by Scottie Scheffler, let’s take a look at some of the more memorable moments and superlatives of the event.

The pressure didn’t get to Scottie Scheffler.

A long day at The Players Championship has ended with Masters champion Scottie Scheffler in the lead.

Saturday at TPC Sawgrass is generally the best day of the tournament. It’s always packed with more casual fans than any other day of the event. What should you know before heading out?

Storms have interrupted The Players Championship.

Jon Rahm, the top-ranked golfer in the world, withdrew from The Players Championship shortly before his second-round tee time on Friday.

Jon Rahm is out of The Players Championship.

If you’re going to The Players, here’s a quick list of need-to-knows for Friday’s second round.

The TPC Sawgrass is one of the most unpredictable courses in golf.

In honor of The Players Championship, our anchors took part in the second annual Morning Show Golf Championship – this year taking on the greens at Top Golf.

The first round of The Players Championship tees off Thursday morning. Here are five tips to make your visit to TPC Sawgrass as smooth and enjoyable as possible.

The bad news for area golf fans — no Tiger Woods at The Players Championship.

It’s getting down to crunch time at TPC Sawgrass.

A local charity helping veterans transition back into society got a big boost from The Players Championship golf tournament. Five Star Veterans Center on Friday received a grant.

The gift will ensure funding for the complete redesign and expansion of Nemours Cancer and Blood disorder center.

Episcopal Children’s Services held an event to celebrate the grand opening of a new playground at the Northside Early Head Start Center in Northwest Jacksonville.

Xander Schauffele and Collin Morikawa are playing the Valspar Championship.

For the first time in 17 years – The Player Championship is stretching into Monday.

Normally, it's the final round of The Players Championship, but weather postponements made Sunday cut day at TPC Sawgrass. The tournament had nearly a dozen golfers in the field with local ties to the area. How did those local golfers fare?

Fans who want to attend Monday's action at The Players Championship don’t need to look far for tickets.

The longest week at The Players Championship is moving closer to a conclusion.

The longest week at The Players Championship is moving closer to a conclusion.

The rain finally went away and then The Players Championship really got tough.

Bad weather pushed back The Players Championship, with a Monday finish now a certainty.

Rain has made The Players Championship a mess, interrupting the first and second rounds. So, what does that mean for fans who bought tickets for those rounds?

The weekend looms at The Players Championship and the first round is still not completed.

Two days of bad weather and a miserable forecast for the rest of Friday has forced the postponement of The Players Championship, with a Monday finish now a certainty.

Tommy Fleetwood and Tom Hoge share the lead after a long and wet start to The Players Championship.

The first round of The Players Championship hit some speed bumps Thursday, with storms causing a four-hour weather delay.

As the weather caused a delayed start and a suspension in play for the first round of The Players Championship on Thursday, the tournament’s executive director asked fans for patience.

The start of The Players Championship has been delayed an hour Thursday morning because of thunderstorms and heavy rain overnight. That might just be the beginning of additional breaks in the action on the way because of the weather.

If you are going out to watch The Players Championship this week, don't forget your rain jacket. But if you're willing to stick it out, here are the best places to watch.

The Players Championship tees off Thursday morning at TPC Sawgrass without the two biggest attractions in the sport, but there's no shortage of storylines as the Stadium Course awaits the best field in golf.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of The Players Championship moving into it’s permanent home at TPC Sawgrass. In 1982, Jerry Pate fired a final round 67 to beat Brad Bryant and Scott Simpson by two strokes, taking home $90,000 and a set of wet clothes after he dove into the water at 18 in celebration of his win.

The Players Championship offers the richest prize in golf.

Vic Micolucci highlights some of the local cuisines at The Players.

Vic Micolucci gives News4JAX Insiders a look at the popular gear you can purchase at The Players.

Tuesday was Military Appreciation Day at The Players Championship.

While golfers will try and avoid those bogeys at TPC Sawgrass when The Players Championship begins Thursday, babies who are born in local hospitals during the event will get special recognition from the tournament.

The Players Championship tees off Thursday at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach. Here’s a look at the tee times for the first and second rounds of the tournament.

The featured nonprofit for this year’s Military Appreciation Day at The Players Championship is Northeast Florida Women Veterans.

47 of the top 50 players in the World Golf Rankings will descend on TPC Sawgrass to compete for one of the biggest championships in golf. It's the week of The Players, and there are some changes this year.

After a start and stop and then limited crowds, The Players Championship is back to doing what it does best. The event at TPC Sawgrass is 30 days away and will feel normal for the first time since Rory McIlroy edged Jim Furyk by a stroke in 2019. That feels like an eternity ago.

With the area’s marquee sporting event just 50 days away, The Players was there to announce a donation of $100,000 to help revitalize the Clanzel Brown Community Center and Park in Northwest Jacksonville.

Tickets for The Players Championship are finally on sale for the general public.

Tickets for The Players Championship will go on sale next week, with newsletter subscribers getting first dibs on those the tournament announced on Wednesday morning.

A local 6-year-old who has worked hard to help create a happy Halloween for homeless children got a sweet surprise on Monday.

A $50,000 donation from The Players Championship will help Edward Waters College reinstate the school’s women’s golf program.

Then, Brian Harman shot 69 to tie for third at The Players Championship and went from No. Most curious is the case of Gary Woodland, the former U.S. Open champion and a Match Play finalist in 2015. Under the PGA Tour guidelines, he has to self-isolate for 10 days. THE BOUNCEIt didn’t take Collin Morikawa long to learn how to win on the PGA Tour. A year later, he won a playoff over Justin Thomas at Muirfield Village and a major at the PGA Championship.

It matched the most players who have had to withdraw from one tournament because of a positive test since the PGA Tour returned from the COVID-19 pandemic in June. The tour said Scott Piercy and Doc Redman also tested positive. Three players also tested positive before tournaments at the RSM Classic at Sea Island in November, and the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit in early July. The positive tests follow two weeks of the Florida events on the PGA Tour allowing limited fans, with roughly 8,000 in attendance at Bay Hill and The Players Championship. Woodland, who won the 2019 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach and has been coping with a torn labrum in his hip, and Redman missed the cut at The Players Championship.

Nease High grad Tyler McCumber finished T-22 at The Players Championship on Sunday. Poston, St. Simons Island, Ga. T-35 Lanto Griffin, Ponte Vedra BeachGriffin couldn’t follow his 4-under third-round score on Sunday, grinding out a 1-over 73 day. T-41 Zach Johnson, St. Simons Island, Ga. T-58 Billy Horschel, Ponte Vedra BeachThe former University of Florida golfer was 2-over 74 on Sunday and finished 1-over 289 for the tournament.

Thomas took on every shot in The Players Championship, right down to the 5-wood that rode the edge of the lake down the left side of the 18th fairway, and closed with a 4-under 68 for a one-shot victory over Lee Westwood. He won for the seventh straight year, his 14th career title, and became only the fourth player to win a major, The Players Championship, the FedEx Cup and a World Golf Championship. “This week was huge to win a big championship like this in front of fans again, which is incredible. Thomas was four shots behind when he walked off the green on the par-3 eighth with a three-putt bogey. He was outside the cut line after nine holes Friday, made it with two shots to spare and then tied The Players Championship record with a 12-under 132 weekend.

Thomas navigated the closing nine at the Stadium Course in spectacular fashion, storming back to win The Players Championship on a postcard perfect Sunday. Thomas had a final-round 68 and finished 14-under 274 to win by a stroke over Lee Westwood. I’m so happy they’re back and I’m so happy to be The Players champion,” Thomas said. Thomas grinded his way through the front nine in the final round and made the turn at even. “That’s why he’s one of the best players in the world and will continue to be one of the best players in the world for a long time.”

That's how it was last week at Bay Hill, when DeChambeau came from one shot behind to beat Westwood with a par on the final hole at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Westwood, who turns 48 next month, no longer has to go up a few classes to face DeChambeau, golf's fearsome heavyweight. Also four shots behind was Brian Harman, who began his day by holing a wedge for eagle and shot 69. DeChambeau can't blast away at Sawgrass because of the bending tree-lined fairways and water hazards. He also knows from recent experience — seven days ago — that it might not be easy the way Westwood is playing.

Dustin Johnson watches his tee shot on the ninth hole during the second round of the The Players Championship golf tournament Friday, March 12, 2021, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)One year later didn't make Dustin Johnson change his mind. Johnson said he didn't put forward his name to be among the maximum of four Americans who can play in the Olympics. I actually didn't really ever decide whether I was going to play or not, I just didn't sign up,” Johnson said Saturday. That's 11 days after the British Open at Royal St. George's in England, and a World Golf Championship, which Johnson has won, is the week after the Olympics. “As long as I can compete, I'll be there.”AdEven with Johnson playing, the Americans still have 10 other players among the top 15 with three months — and three majors — remaining before qualifying ends.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – The Players Championship tournament partner Grant Thornton selected the Ronald McDonald House Charities Jacksonville chapter to be the charity of the day on Saturday. Ronald McDonald House of Jacksonville offers a “home away from home” for children and their families who must travel to Jacksonville for pediatric medical care. Each family receives vital services such as meals and transportation, lodging and a community of careDiane Boyle, executive director of Ronald McDonald House, said she is grateful to have the community’s support. “The Players have helped us achieve our goals by helping raise awareness of the mission and how we help families,” said Boyle. Importantly, they will see the extraordinary impacts that The Players have on the nonprofit community in Jacksonville.”AdFor more information on Ronald McDonald House Jacksonville, click here.

A student from First Tee - North Florida enjoys a day at The Players Championship. PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Thanks to sponsor Optum, The Players Championship is providing 75 tickets for participants and families from First Tee – North Florida for each day of the tournament. First Tee – North Florida is an organization for youth development serving more than 150,000 young people, teaching them life skills through the game of golf. “They teach things about the nine core values, so responsibility, courtesy, confidence. “I’m really grateful for Optum to partner up so we can get tickets,” Mombo said.

Tyler McCumber plays a shot on the 14th hole during the second round of The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass on March 12, 2021 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Tyler McCumber had a stellar second round at The Players Championship on Friday and made the cut in his first appearance in the tournament. He’s the first Nease golfer since Jeff Klauk in 2009 to make the cut at The Players. Klauk, whose father, Fred, was the course superintendent at TPC Sawgrass, finished T-14 that year. Len Mattiace had top-five finishes in 1998 and 2000 at TPC Sawgrass, going T5 and T9, respectively in those years.

Westwood, who turns 48 next month, played well enough to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational last week at Bay Hill except that DeChambeau was one shot better in a fascinating duel of generations on a course that favors power. Ad“I think to compete in any of these tournaments against the best players in the world, you can’t have any weaknesses in your game,” Westwood said. "I wouldn’t be able to say I’m doing this better or that better. His 36-hole total of 154 was his highest ever in his 11 appearance at The Players Championship. AdFour players from the top 10 in the world missed the cut — Xander Schauffele, Patrick Cantlay, Tyrrell Hatton and Webb Simpson, whose hopes ended with one of 13 balls in the water at the island-green 17th.

Ad“I don’t think I’ve ever played it, just played it (not in a tournament),” Meyer said of the Stadium Course. So why would you not be here if you had the best facilities, best trainers, best coaches and best nutrition, all of the above. “I don’t know that [about playing overseas this year]. This year I don’t know because of COVID. I don’t know.”

If you are, just a reminder that, starting today, paid parking will be enforced in Jacksonville Beach. The paid parking program of the city of Jacksonville Beach begins March 12, 2021, and will end on Nov. 1, 2021. There are three kiosks are at the Pier lot at 503 1st Street North; three kiosks in the Latham Plaza Lot at 14 1st Street North, two kiosks in the lot at 422 1st Street North, and one kiosk is located in the lot at 450 2nd Street North. AdCity of Jacksonville Beach residents park for free if they have registered their license plates with the Jacksonville Beach Police Department. Paid parking program hours are Friday through Sunday and select holidays from 8 p.m. Friday until 2 a.m. Saturday; 10 a.m. Saturday until 2 a.m. Sunday; and 10 a.m. Sunday until midnight.

Steve Stricker plays a shot on the fifth hole during the first round of THE PLAYERS Championship on THE PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on March 11, 2021 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Steve Stricker was planning to spend the week at his winter home in Naples. John Huh took his name off the alternate list. Stricker said the flight to St. Augustine took about 30 minutes, and by that time, Rose had withdrawn. The PGA Tour had a car waiting for him to drive about 30 minutes to the course.

Tyler McCumber plays a shot on the fourth hole during the first round of The Players Championship on the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on March 11, 2021 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Tyler McCumber’s first round in The Players Championship was a success. McCumber, a Nease High and University of Florida graduate, shot an even-par 72 in his debut at TPC Sawgrass. “I didn’t really know what my first round at The Players would feel like, but it was pretty awesome,” McCumber said. “He came out of his office yesterday talking golf, and I said, ‘you know the rule, no golf when we’re away from the course,’” Tyler said.

Garcia thought he had plenty of time to get from the range to the 10th tee to start his round. Then he fired off a 7-under 65, capped off by a birdie-birdie-eagle finish for a two-shot lead over Brian Harman. AdWhen darkness brought the first round to a halt — 21 players didn't finish — there already were 13 scores of 80 or higher. “For some reason, it just kind of fits my eye,” said Garcia, who won The Players in 2008 and has twice been runner-up. British Open champion Shane Lowry took bogey on his final hole for a 68 and was tied with Corey Conners and Matt Fitzpatrick.

The legion of volunteers at The Players Championship are one of the most integral parts of the event. Things have changed for Nancy Nichols at The Players Championship. Now in her 45th year as a volunteer for the tournament and serving as the chairman on the gallery management committee, Nichols started out pretty basic. When the event was first played in Ponte Vedra Beach, it was called the Tournament Players Championship and held at Sawgrass Country Club. With the reduced crowds, Nichols said that there are only 451 volunteers on the course for gallery management in 2021.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Players Championship held its annual “Training U Education Forum” on Wednesday, where 50 Jacksonville-area high school student-athletes were introduced to career opportunities beyond the sports they play. Students in the forum got to hear from stars including pro golfer Harold Varner, Olympic medalist Shannon Miller and Wimbleton finalist MaliVai Washington. The Training U Forum was an open panel discussion where students learned about other job opportunities in the sports industry. The PGA also gave these student athletes the opportunity to go behind the scenes of their flagship event, The Players. Raines High School golfer Darionna May says this exposure to athletes, general managers and sports correspondents, really opened her eyes to other opportunities.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – One of the components that powers The Players is the massive volunteer force that turns out each year. And every year, there is a new Volunteer Chairman who oversees the other Red Coats on the volunteer committee and the thousands of volunteers underneath them. But as you mentioned, safety and health of everyone involved, whether it be the fans, the volunteers, or the players, is it’s going to remain our number one priority this year. “We’ve developed safety and health protocols so that we can present the tournament in a safe, responsible manner,” Smith said. “Normally we’d meet once a month with staff leading up to the tournament, as we get closer to the tournament we meet every weekend.

(Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Tyler McCumber has more memories at TPC Sawgrass than he can count. But McCumber wanted his next memory to be of him actually competing in The Players Championship. McCumber and Nease won the Class 2A state championship in 2007. Bartram Trail’s Julian Suri, also a current professional golfer, won back-to-back individual state championships during that time. And being in the gallery when Funk won, McCumber knows the pride that locals feel when a hometown golfer succeeds.

Baptist Health gave Bender Middlekauff tickets for him, his family and friends to attend The Players Championship. But little did he know that when they got there, he’d wind up meeting his favorite professional golfer, Justin Thomas. “He called me out by my name at the 16th tee: ‘You’re Bender, right?’ I was like, ‘Yeah, you’re Justin Thomas. 25-year-old @BaptistHealthJx cancer patient, Bender Middlekauff, met his favorite player pro golfer Justin Thomas at @THEPLAYERSChamp. @wjxt4 pic.twitter.com/fZ9vG0BFGr — Brittany Muller (@BrittMullerNews) March 10, 2021Another young cancer patient’s dream was fulfilled Wednesday with an invitation to The Players from his favorite golfer, Dustin Johnson.

The legion of volunteers at The Players Championship are one of the most integral parts of the event. Lee Nimnicht was part of a lost art at The Players Championship. … That’s where I started.”Lee Nimnicht helps put up a scoreboard at The Players Championship many years ago. Nimnicht is in his 45th year as a Players volunteer. She became the first woman to serve as the chair for The Players Championship, serving in that role in 1997.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Some fans at The Players Championship said they’re enjoying their first major sporting event in the last year because of the pandemic, and they’re eager to get outside and enjoy the event safely. For many people in Northeast Florida, The Players Championship is a tradition. “Just came out to walk with my daughter and get her outside,” Kennon said. Kennon is one of many fans planning to check out the action this week and feel a sense of normalcy. Pierre Hildebrand said he is pleased with the safety measures in place.

This year, the PGA Tour is encouraging people to check out some of the different spots to watch the action in order to help spread people out more during the coronavirus pandemic. The 17th hole is one of the most popular spots for fans to watch The Players, but around the course, there are a variety of great vantage points you might not think of. But this year, there won’t be a hospitality tent, making it easier for fans to watch the action at both holes from the same spot. AdThe Players Championship returns: Fan’s guide to the 2021 tournamentJared Rice, executive director of The Players, also shared with News4Jax his favorite place to watch. TacoLu is back there, so who doesn’t like to grab a taco, a little something to drink out there and watch some great golf?

“I was standing on the wood at the back left of the green, right when you walk up there, just off the green,” Allenby said. A PGA Tour digital media specialist recently reviewed the entire broadcast and said it was never shown. One person who saw it was PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem, who had been returning from a meet-and-greet and paused to watch Allenby putt. MICKELSON 101Eight regular PGA Tour events did not have corporate sponsors in their title names. The British Open was not considered an official PGA Tour victory.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Jay Monahan remembers it all too well. The PGA Tour commissioner made the call to cancel the final three rounds of The Players Championship and that made things painfully real. The return to TPC Sawgrass for The Players this week is a step, a small one, in a staggered return to normalcy. For Monahan, the Tour staff, the 154 golfers and small army of Players volunteers, it’s a very welcome return to the area. Ad“I think this is an important week for us every single year but particularly so this year,” Monahan said on Tuesday.

Bean met Dempsey at the 5 Star Veterans Center, a local charity that gets service members back on their feet. It’s now the model for The Fire Watch, the charity in Northeast Florida aimed at ending veteran suicide. The Fire Watch is building a network of so-called Watch Standers, volunteers who are trained to identify the warning signs and step in. Since it started in May, 450 people have signed up to be Watch Standers. If you want to be a Watch Stander, go to TheFireWatch.org, click the “Watch Standers” button at the top of the screen and then register.

The PGA Tour went for most of nine months without fans and a year later is just now starting to get them back. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – The backdrop was a navy blue board filled with 33 logos of The Players Championship. The tour has played 36 out of the 39 weeks since it returned, stopping only because of holidays, not an outbreak. Players received a text late at night after the first round saying that The Players Championship was canceled and there would be no tournaments for at least a month (it turned into three months). AdMonahan remembers missing the opening tee shot for the first time since he joined the PGA Tour as executive director of The Players Championship.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – The first and second round tee times for The Players Championship are set. A glance at tee times for Thursday and Friday’s rounds at TPC Sawgrass’ Stadium Course in Ponte Vedra Beach. For information on the tournament, check out our fan’s guide to The Players. 1:11 p.m.: Daniel Berger, Adam Scott, Shane Lowry. 7:51 a.m.: Daniel Berger, Adam Scott, Shane Lowry.

The legion of volunteers at The Players Championship are one of the most integral parts of the event. This week, we’re looking at several longtime volunteers who are celebrating tournament milestones in 2021. Herbert had a perfect view of one of those, carded by Paul Azinger in the third round of the 2000 event. AdHerbert spent four years in various volunteer roles before becoming a walking scorer in 1991 and has been in that position since. The ball lands, I hit, ‘shot hit,’ … a laser operator lasers that ball, and you know exactly immediately how far he hit it, 247 yards, and he’s got 185 to go to the hole,” she said.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – The Players Championship officially tees off this week, with practice rounds open to the public starting Tuesday. The number of fans at the tournament this year will be limited each day. “I think for our volunteers, our staff and our players to have an opportunity to show we can do this safely and to finish it,” said Jared Rice, executive director of The Players. “And when we do that, it’s going to be really awesome for our community.”Rice explained one of the changes to this year’s tournament that fans will notice. The Players Championship returns: Fan’s guide to the 2021 tournamentThe Players was canceled after the first round last year, so Rice said it was important to make sure the tournament happened this year.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Every year, some of the world’s best golfers compete in The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass. “It takes a great team,” said Jeff Plotts, director of agronomy at TPC Sawgrass. Plotts and his team work year-round to get the course ready for the tournament. “This is the third year doing the overseed, and we’re just getting better and better each year,” Plotts said. “It’s been a really good year for us, difficult weather-wise, but we’ve been able to endure and have some really good conditions.”This year, Plotts said, they tried to improve some of the conditions based on player feedback.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – The Players Championship kicks off this week at TPC Sawgrass, and News4Jax is teaming up with The Players this year for a daylong fundraising campaign called Match4Military. Typically, people come out to the tournament’s Military Appreciation Day ceremony and concert on the 17th hole every year. But this year, both events are canceled, so Match4Military is providing a way for everyone to come together remotely and give back to those who have given so much to our country. “Tuesday, March 9, we’re going to market with a community campaign in order to drive, hopefully, more than $500,000 in charitable benefit to military charities,” said Jared Rice, executive director of The Players. The Players will match donations dollar for dollar up to $250,000, and the money raised will benefit several different military organizations in Northeast Florida, including Wounded Warrior Project and The Fire Watch.

Wolfson Children's is the only hospital providing care for all kids in Northeast Florida & Southeast Georgia. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As The Players Championship approaches, local newborns are already getting into the spirit of golf. Every baby born at Baptist Health, as well as those in the NICUs, will receive a commemorative “Crawl. The newborn will also receive a birthday card containing the ABCs of safe sleep practices from The Players Center for Child Health at Wolfson Children’s Hospital. “This week is such a special one in our community,” Jared Rice, Executive Director of The Players, said.

The first tee times are 8:30 a.m. on Saturday and 7:45 a.m. on Sunday. Full tee times are below. AdThe total purse of The Players has jumped again, with $12.5 million up for grabs this week. The two-time Players winner is at 3-under and in a tie for 43rd going into Sunday. A look at Sunday's final-round tee times for The Players Championship.

Rory McIlroy hits his tee shot on the 17th hole during the first round of The Players Championship on The Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on March 12, 2020 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images)Players Championship week is here, and we’ve got the important information all right here for fans who plan on attending — or watching — the tournament at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach. AdParkingThe general parking lot is located at 5360 Palm Valley Road in Ponte Vedra Beach. Costs are $15 for pre-tournament days (Tuesday and Wednesday) and $40 for tournament rounds (Thursday through Sunday). The jets will leave NAS Mayport at 11:57 a.m. and fly over TPC Sawgrass at noon.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Players Championship hosts an annual Job Fair for veterans, active duty members, spouses and retirees to help them find a perfect fit in a new or continuing career. Last year, Shaylyn Wilhelm found that perfect fit at the Military Job Fair after she moved to the First Coast with her family when her husband was stationed at Mayport just before the pandemic really started to rage in Florida. “But when I got to The Players Championship job fair, the entire atmosphere was different. RELATED: News4Jax teams up with The Players to support local veterans with #Match4MilitaryAdWilhelm’s perfect fit came with the Clay County Board of County Commissioners, and now she’s returning to the job fair this year as a recruitment specialist. AdThe Military Job Fair is from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday inside the main entrance of The Players Championship at 5360 Palm Valley Road.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Every year The Players Championship pays tribute to veteran and the men and women serving our country through its Military Appreciation Day. The annual golf tournament had to cancel its traditional ceremony and concert due to public health concerns. News4Jax and The Players are teaming up for a fundraiser to help local groups that support our military, including the Wounded Warrior Project and The Fire Watch, a nonprofit that aims to identify and help veterans and service members in crisis. The mission is simple: raise money for nonprofit groups such as the Wounded Warrior Project and The Fire Watch, to end veteran suicide and give veterans the resources they need. Then let us know how you plan to make a difference in our community, whether it’s through Match4Military or another way.

Fans gather at the TPC Sawgrass course to watch The Players during the 2019 event. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Tickets came and went for The Players Championship on Tuesday, with the tournament selling out its limited allotment of passes within two hours. The only tickets that remain are for Tuesday’s practice round. The event is March 9-10 (practice rounds) and 11-14 (tournament rounds) at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach. A limited number of pre-sale tickets were made available on Feb. 1 to those who subscribe to the Players newsletter, and those who attended the tournament in 2019 and ’20.

File photo of the 17th green during The Players Championship on The Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass. PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Tickets to The Players Championship will be harder to get this year due to limits on the size of the crowd. So they may go fast when single-day tickets go on sale Tuesday. Jared Rice, the executive director of The Players, said last month that tickets would be limited to 20% of the maximum capacity — a number he declined to share. The Players was the first event on the PGA Tour to be impacted by the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – In December, The Players announced that the tournament would be played in 2021, but with fewer fans on the course. Jared Rice, the executive director of The Players, said Monday that tickets would be limited to 20% of the maximum capacity — a number he declined to share. “As part of that, we’re going to ask a lot of this community and ask for the greater good,” Rice said. Contactless entry and commerce throughout the golf course. There is DNA of how we addressed that situation here last year, in terms of the tour’s return to golf.

The Players Championship and First Tee of North Florida held an open house Monday for a new leadership program for local students called Rising Leaders of Jax. The goal is to teach students leadership skills that will help them succeed. “Not only do they teach us golf skills here, but they also teach us life skills,” McNair said. Ultimately, 30 middle schools students will be selected from schools near Brentwood Golf Course off Golfair Boulevard. First Tee of North Florida aims to change students’ lives through initiatives that help them build character, leadership skills and other tools that will help them get the most out of life.

(AP Photo/Chris O'Meara, File)Mike Whan has been commissioner longer than anyone in the 70-year history of the LPGA Tour. Along the way, the LPGA Tour formed alliances with traditional men’s organizations. But that’s going to happen.”Hall of Famer Juli Inkster was on the search committee when the LPGA selected Whan as its eighth commissioner. He’s going to tell you if he can do it or not. He’s going to be tough to replace.”

FILE - PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan reacts to a question during a news conference at The Players Championship golf tournament in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., in this Friday, March 13, 2020, file photo. Monahan says tournaments next year are prepared to break even without the return of fans. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara, File)Amid hopes for the return of fans on the PGA Tour next year, Commissioner Jay Monahan says tournaments are prepared financially to do without and still break even on operating costs. Monahan said it was too early to determine how or when the vaccine would help with the full return of fans. “We still have a lot of interest in bringing a PGA Tour event to San Francisco,” Monahan said.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – After the decision to cancel the final three rounds of The Players Championship last March, the tournament announced Tuesday that it plans to return to Northeast Florida in 2021. And that’s great news for the area, businesses and golf fans alike, said Players executive director Jared Rice. “We work our butts off to make sure the community has a great time and we have a huge impact. The Players is planning to host a limited number of ticketed spectators and guests in 2021. Overall, the tournament won’t have as big a footprint, so that will mean less of an economic boost to businesses in Ponte Vedra and nearby beaches.

SAN DIEGO – The PGA Tour is raising the prize money at The Players Championship to $15 million, making it the largest purse in golf unless any of the majors decide to up the ante this year. PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan announced the increase at the annual players meeting this week at Torrey Pines during the Farmers Insurance Open, according to several players. The tour typically does not release information on the prize money, wanting the focus to be more on prestige than cash. The Masters had a purse of $11.5 million, while the PGA Championship offered $11 million and the British Open purse was $10.75 million. But the purses for PGA Tour events are likely to keep increasing, especially after the tour wraps up its latest round of television negotiations.

The tournament announced a handful of changes on Friday for the March event, including the shift to mobile-only ticketing. Paper tickets will be replaced by mobile-only digital tickets. Day-specific tickets can now also be purchased. Another change is that parking passes are now required from Tuesday through Sunday. A limited number of free parking passes are available, provided fans carpool with four or more people.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - New in 2020, this is your chance to purchase tickets early for The Players Championship before they're made available to the general public and sell out! The Players, the PGA Tour's Gold Standard event played at the iconic Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass, March 10-15, is expecting daily sellouts, especially for Friday and Saturday tickets. To secure your tickets early, click here to head over to Ticketmaster's website. LINK: The Players Championship ticketsThe Players kicks off six months of significant championships, culminating with the FedExCup Playoffs in August. Visit The Players website to learn more.

Joining us to talk about this new program for students is Jared Rice the executive Director of The Players Championship and Adam Campbell, the 2019 Tournament Chair and Paige Stanton, the Youth...

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Jimmy Fallon aced The Players Championship this week. The ‘Tonight Show” host gave select golfers odd lines to say during interviews and it went off about as perfect as you can imagine. Some of the zingers. “Even a catfish is right twice a day.”“Swing it and ding it.”“Sweet as toffee, hot as coffee.”“Smack it, attack it, swing it like a racket.”And Tiger Woods’ line is exceptional. Take a listen.