The Players Championship turns 50 this year, a time for celebration as well as reflection. The dream of then commissioner Deane Beman to create for the PGA Tour a signature event to call its own spawned one of pro golf’s most long-running debates—fifth men’s major or not?—as well as inspired one of its most controversial golf courses in the creation of TPC Sawgrass. Love it or hate it, Pete Dye’s Stadium Course has provided more than its fair share of drama over the years, helping give the event an identity like no other.
In an attempt to help define the Players Championship, we combed through the tournament’s media guide and found these 50 fun and fascinating stats that help, in part, tell the story of the event.
42
Number of different winners of the Players
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0
Number of repeat winners
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T-5
Best finish by a defending champion (Jack Nicklaus, 1977; Tom Kite, 1990; Hal Sutton, 2001)
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10
Defending champions who have missed the cut the next year (Last: Rory McIlroy, 2021)
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3
Most wins by any one golfer (Jack Nicklaus)
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6
Number of golfers who have won the Players multiple times (Jack Nicklaus, 3; Steve Elkington, 2; Hal Sutton, 2; Fred Couples, 2; Davis Love III, 2; Tiger Woods, 2)
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32.3
Average age of the winners of the Players
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$50,000
First-place prize money payout for winning the inaugural Players in 1974 (won by Jack Nicklaus)
PGA TOUR Archive
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$250,000
Purse for the inaugural Players
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$4,500,000
First-place prize money payout for winning 50th Players in 2024
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$25,000,000
Purse for 50th Players
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$5,948,528.43
Most career money earned by a single golfer in Players Championship (Sergio Garcia, 22 starts)
Andy Lyons
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29
Most starts in Players history (Jay Haas, Davis Love III)
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0
Number of winners who were rookies on the PGA Tour
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T-2
Best finish by a PGA Tour rookie (David Lingmerth, 2013)
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2
Number of winners who made the Players their first career PGA Tour win (Craig Perks, 2002; Tim Clark, 2010)
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41
Fewest number of PGA Tour starts before winning the Players (Adam Scott, 2004)
Al Messerschmidt
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5
Wire-to-wire winners (no ties) (Al Geiberger, 1975; Greg Norman, 1994; Steve Elkington, 1997; Hal Sutton, 2000; Jason Day, 2016)
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7
Largest margin of victory (Steve Elkington over Scott Hoch, 1997)
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26.7
Average ranking of the winner in fairways hit (since 1992)
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13.8
Average ranking of the winner in greens in regulation (since 1992)
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0
Number of golfers who have gone bogey-free at the Players
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1
Fewest bogeys at the Players (Greg Norman, 1994)
PGA TOUR Archive
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1
Number of Players won with a birdie on the 18th to clinch the title (Steve Elkington, 1991)
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15
First-round leaders who have gone on to win the Players (Last: Webb Simpson, 2018)
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15
Second-round leaders who have gone on to win the Players (Last: Rory McIlroy, 2019)
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22
Third-round leaders who have gone on to win the Players (Last: Scottie Scheffler, 2023)
Sam Greenwood
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6
Largest final-round come-from-behind victory (Ray Floyd, 1981)
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69.97
Lowest career stroke average (Bryson DeChambeau, 12 rounds)
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145.9 (1.9 over par)
Average cut score in the history of the Players
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9
Most top-10 finishes by a player in Players history (Nick Price, Tom Watson)
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11.78 under par
Average winning score in relation to par in Players Championship history
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12.56 under par
Average winning score in relation to par for the 41 Players held at TPC Sawgrass
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25
Most rounds in the 60s by any individual player at the Players Championship (Sergio Garcia)
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4.341
Average score on the 18th hole since TPC Sawgrass started hosting in 1982, the toughest hole on the course
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3.117
Average score of the 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass, ranking it the eighth toughest on the course
Icon Sportswire
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990
Balls hit into the water at the 17th hole since 2003
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50
Most balls hit in the water on the 17th hole in any given round (first round, 2007)
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93
Most balls hit in the water on the 17th hole for an entire tournament (2007)
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69 feet, 7 inches
Longest putt made on the 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass during the ShotLink era (Jhonattan Vegas, 2019, final round)
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11 under
Lowest cumulative score at the 17th hole by any player in Players history (Tom Lehman, 62 rounds)
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30 over
Highest cumulative score at the 17th hole by any player in Players history (Bob Tway, 64 rounds)
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2
Players who have birdied the 17th hole all four rounds in any one event (Paul Azinger, 1987; Kyle Stanley, 2017)
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26
Player with the most birdies at the 17th hole (Bernhard Langer)
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13
Most balls in the water at the 17th hole by an individual player (since 2003) (Aaron Baddeley)
Matt Sullivan
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100 feet, 1 inch
Longest putt holed in Players history (Ben Crane, first round, 2007, 14th hole)
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5
Playoffs in Players history (Last: 2015)
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26
Most birdies in one tournament (Fuzzy Zoeller, 1994)
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8
Number of Players that have had a Monday finish
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24
Number of Players that have had a weather delay