The Players Championship

The Masters brought us April excitement, but May is all about the Players. Before we get into previewing the event, let's recap 2013 on the PGA Tour in three points:

1. Tiger Woods is out, has been out, and will be out. He's currently rehabbing after back surgery. He originally was targeting The Open Championship for his return, but he recently stated that rehab is slow. Maybe that won't happen.

2. Bubba Watson took home the green jacket at the Masters. It was his second victory there in three seasons.

3. Overall though, the big players are struggling. Rory recently fell out of the top ten. And there aren't many marquee players winning events. Lots of first time winners, which is actually refreshing.

So all of that helps sets the stage for one of the biggest non-major events of the year. The Players Championship is always one of my favorites, in large part because of the course it is played on: TPC Sawgrass. It was designed by Pete Dye, my favorite in the profession. He first drew this gem on the backs of napkins.

For those of you not familiar with the golf course, you better start getting familiar with it. This course is the ultimate stadium, and the best the world has to offer for golf in that regard. Here are some of the key holes:

#1 – In classic Pete Dye style, this hole features a weird angled tee shot. Because of that, this hole is the second hardest driving hole on the entire course. Not exactly a great way to start a round. But since it plays around 420 yards, those in the fairway will have a short iron in hand on their approach. Those folks can start with a birdie.

#7/#15 – These great par 4’s play right in the middle of each nine. Once again, challenging tee shots begin each hole, but equally tough second shots wait. The greens contain little bumps and nuances, which can make them play fierce depending on where players are. These holes make up the meat of the course.

#16 – This par 5 is the ultimate risk/reward hole. It’s not that long so it brings eagles into play. But there is sand, trees, turns, and water, which brings double bogeys into play also. In order to win the tournament, you better play this hole well, especially on Sunday.

#17 – This is the most famous hole in golf and this tournament. This island hole is the centerpiece of one of the best finishes on tour. It’s not a long hole, but with wind, pressure from the tourney, and thousands of screaming fans surrounding the lake, this hole can make or break you.

Now let's break down the field:

Pick 5 Challenge

We'll begin with our picks in our "Pick 5 Challenge". For those who are not familiar, for various PGA Tour events, we pick 5 players in different categories that we think will do well. Greg leads the competition so far this year 340 to 322. This week, each player is free to pick any five players they want (no categories). Should be interesting... Here are our picks:

Greg's Picks

Matt Kuchar

Jordan Spieth

Adam Scott

Justin Rose

Sergio Garcia

Andrew's Picks

Matt Kuchar

Jim Furyk

Dustin Johnson

Rory McIlroy

Lee Westwood

Intriguing Pairings

Dustin Johnson/Phil Mickelson/Sergio Garcia - Now this is fun. Great ball-strikers, which typically bodes well for a Pete Dye course.

Adam Scott/Rickie Fowler/Steve Stricker - The best player in the field with the young, flamboyant American, and the calm, collected veteran. Great contrast in styles here.

Matt Kuchar/Bubba Watson/Jimmy Walker - Kuchar has been one of the best players on tour this season. Bubba has won golf's only major thusfar. And Walker is coming off a terrific 2013 and looking to build on to his young resume.

Like always, let us know your thoughts. Feel free to pick five guys yourself and compete against us. Let us know what you are looking forward to always. And don't miss the action, particularly on Sunday afternoon. Enjoy!

By: The Sports Guys