Sunday's Birdies and Bogeys
Birdie: Martin Kaymer
A major winner and the World No. 1 by 26, Kaymer, now 29 and ranked No. 61, was almost a forgotten man entering this tournament -- with just three top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour in stroke play events since his win at the 2010 PGA Championship. But the German seized control with a tournament-record-tying 63 on Thursday and kept at least the share of the lead except for one hole on Sunday. Following a final-round weather delay, Kaymer struggled, but a 30-footer for par on No. 17 after his tee shot came inches from finding the water, saved him from being the latest to suffer a late-round collapse at TPC Sawgrass. Kaymer has a long way to get back to the top of the golf world, but after this week, no one would be too surprised if he does.-- Alex MyersTwitter: @AlexMyers3
Bogey: Jordan Spieth
Johnny Miller said it best during the commentary: he may only be 20, but Jordan Spieth doesn't want too many near misses on his resume. After two early birdies took him into the lead, Spieth ended his 58-hole bogey-less streak on the fifth hole -- the first of five bogeys on his next 11 holes. Like in the Masters, his body language instantly changed, and it all ended in a T-4 finish -- impressive for a 20-year-old, but not something Spieth will take solace in.-- Luke Kerr-DineenTwitter: @LukeKerrDineen
Birdie: Jim Furyk
Perhaps, as he turns 44, Furyk has discovered a new formula: Play solidly for three rounds and then go really low on Sunday. A week after shooting 65 in the final round of the Wells Fargo to finish runner-up to J.B. Holmes, Furyk fired a 66 at TPC Sawgrass to nearly catch Martin Kaymer. Furyk's new formula hasn't translated to any wins, but rallying to a runner-up has to be a lot easier on the psyche than finishing second after blowing a 54-hole lead. -- A.M.
Bogey: The Weather
Mother Nature cooperated beautifully for nearly four days, but with the tournament about an hour from finishing, storms rolled into Ponte Vedra Beach. The timing was especially bad for Kaymer, who looked like he would cruise to the win, but after a 90-minute delay, he holed his final par putt in near darkness. On the bright side -- at least, for everyone except Jim Furyk -- we avoided a Monday finish. -- A.M.
Birdie: Jimmy Walker
It's rare you shoot a final-round 65, particularly at a course like TPC Sawgrass, and think it could have been even better. But that might have been the case for Walker, who burned the edge with a birdie try from 25 feet on the 17th and bogeyed the 18th hole. Even so, his closing charge was impressive as he jumped 20-plus spots up the leader board and gave himself a sixth top-10 finish for the 2013-14 season. With three wins and a T-8 performance at the Masters already on Walker's resume, his Sunday finish at Sawgrass only helped bolster his player-of-the-year credentials.-- Ryan HerringtonTwitter: @GWcampusinsider
Bogey: No. 1 wannabes
There were too many players -- four to be precise -- with a chance to ascend to the top of the Official World Golf Ranking this week to think Tiger Woods would still be No. 1 at the end of the Players. Yet Matt Kuchar (who needed a win but wound up T-17), Bubba Watson (solo second/T-48), Henrik Stenson (sixth or better/T-34) and Adam Scott (16th or better/T-38) all fell short of their individual attempts to become the world's top player. The way the complex formula used in the World Ranking works, Woods likely bought himself only one more week at No. 1. Scott is expected to mathematically climb to No. 1 after the HP Byron Nelson Championship despite not even being in the field. -- R.H.
Birdie: K.J. Choi
K.J. Choi hasn't won since the 2011 Players, but he showed on Sunday the kind of form that brought him eight PGA Tour victories. Choi recovered with a bogey on the first with an eagle on the second, then followed his next bogey on the eighth hole with six straight birdies. Those six birdies tied him for the most consecutive birdies made at the Players, and his eventual 65 shot him into the top 15. -- L.K.D.
Bogey: PGA Tour
Justin Rose thought he might have accidentally moved the ball on his 18th hole on Saturday, but decided along with playing partner Sergio Garcia that it had only oscillated. After studying the video footage, rules officials concluded the ball had moved and issued a two-stroke penalty, which they later revoked because the movement wasn't deemed visible to the naked eye. It was probably the right decision, but the delay in making the decision turned a minor incident into another tiresome rules saga that threatened to overshadow the day's action. -- L.K.D.