The Players Championship weekend was a rollercoaster ride and there are six vital takeaways that can be taken from the tournament. The Players was the best tournament in the PGA Tour schedule so far, attracting a huge crowd, with instances like Rory McIlroy‘s dynamic start and dropgate drama, Scottie Scheffler defending his title and Wyndham Clark and Xander Schauffele getting charged, buzzing the tournament atmosphere even more. So, here’s a list of the takeaways from what is often regarded as the fifth unofficial PGA Tour major!
Scottie Scheffler Is The Best
Scottie Scheffler was unsurpassed by top golfers. Although the golfer recovered from a neck injury, he displayed an astounding performance and was one shot over Clark, Schauffele, and Brian Harman. This is Scheffler’s second consecutive win after his Arnold Palmer Invitational victory, and he’s become a fan favorite for consistency. His Player Of The Year title seems well deserved given his stellar performance so far.
Players Championship Was No Less Than A Major
A golf major tournament’s field includes the world’s best golfers, so the exclusion of LIV golfers didn’t qualify Players to be the same as a major. But there’s the level of competition that made it look nothing less than a major. The 8th, 18th, and 17th holes gave tough times to the golfers, and course designer Pete Dye would be happy if he were alive. Schauffele was sort of nervous and it felt like a do-or-die situation that pros go through during a major. The course was quite standard and the huge galleries and prize purse gave chills like in the majors.
An Important Week For The PGA Tour
As Joaquin Niemann captured everyone’s attention this month and Dustin Johnson was in form, the TV ratings were mixed until the Players Championship came on the scene. The weekend competition among top golfers especially boosted the PGA Tour’s popularity, which was well needed after big names failed to grab wins this year at PGA Tour tournaments.
Wyndham Clark is Clutch
Wyndham Clark gave his best performance throughout the Players week but missed the trophy by inches, losing to Scottie Scheffler, who was undeniably undefeatable. Wyndham has revealed that he’s working with a psychologist for his career. But, in this week he’s proved that he’s worth the 4th rank in the world by tackling 16th and 17th holes.
Xander Schauffele’s Zeal To Win
Xander Schauffele missed the titles at Players by inches and it took a great deal of mental strength to move on from that second-place finish after exerting so much effort. Schauffele doesn’t have a big PGA Tour triumph until now so the pressure to come back in the winner’s circle is there. Perhaps, the golfer is targeting Masters and will go the extra mile to win the major. The American has a record of 41 consecutive cuts and has five top-10 finishes. So, if he proceeds like this, the efforts may come to fruition at the Masters Tournament.
Big Events Require A Cut
Players Championship had a cut after the second round and that captivated the attention of the fans. Many MVP golfers couldn’t make it to the weekend, which got hyped. Also, the golfers who made it to the weekend earned the place, and that attracted the crowd mostly. Thus, incorporating cuts after 36 holes makes an event appealing and that’s what happened at the Players. Thus, the 70-member field for the signature events only affected the PGA Tour golfers who couldn’t make it. Rather, a larger field with a cut is a better approach, and Tiger Woods already knew it last year.
