Before the capture of the 29-year-old world No 2 on Tuesday, LIV Golf had been derided as a place for players past their prime to swell their pension funds.

No longer. Australia’s Smith is enjoying the best year of his career and is one of the biggest draws in golf after winning the 150th Open Championship at St Andrews in July for his first Major.

The colourful Smith, who sports a mullet and moustache, will make his LIV debut in Boston on Friday after reportedly banking more than $100-million to leap across the widening rift between the old and new forces in the sport.

The new circuit has been accused of ‘sportswashing’ Saudi Arabia’s human rights record, backed by the almost unlimited resources of the kingdom’s sovereign wealth Public Investment Fund.

Saudi Arabia has drawn major criticism over the murder and dismembering of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in its Istanbul consulate, and for cracking down on rights activists, many of whom have been jailed.

Smith, who will now be kicked off the International team for September’s Presidents Cup, admitted to Australian Golf Digest that money was a motivator.

“It was obviously a business decision for one and an offer I couldn’t ignore,” he said.

Four-time Major winner Rory McIlroy has been one of LIV’s fiercest critics and reportedly spoke to Smith to make sure that the Australian knew exactly what he was getting in to.

“Any decision you make in your life purely for money usually doesn’t end up going the right way,” McIlroy said earlier this year. “I just don’t see the value in tarnishing a reputation for extra millions.”

The brainchild of Australian former world No 1 Greg Norman, the LIV Golf Invitational Series is gathering momentum after a stuttering start that only drew more attention to where the money was coming from.

Norman drew scorn after dismissing the 2018 murder of Khashoggi as a “mistake”. Amnesty International called the remarks “seriously misguided”.

It is not only golf. Saudi Arabia has piled huge sums into hosting Formula One, world heavyweight championship boxing and buying Premier League Newcastle United, as it bids to use sport to improve the country’s image.

Norman knows that he has now pulled off a major coup in snaring Smith along with the likes of 19th-ranked upcoming talent Joaquin Niemann.

“The best and the brightest continue to embrace the excitement and energy of LIV Golf and what we’re building,” Norman declared.

Until now, multiple Major winners Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka had been the most notable LIV signings, but all are battling poor form or fitness, or advancing years.

Other well-known LIV recruits such as Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Sergio Garcia are past their best, but Smith is credible, with a game that can help LIV counter jibes that it is just an exhibition circuit.

The PGA Tour has been quick to ban players who jump ship. But it has been slow to counter LIV’s megabucks and innovative 54-hole shotgun start format, where a day’s play is condensed into a TV-friendly four-hour window.

After an elite players-only meeting last week hosted by Tiger Woods and McIlroy, the tour announced new events featuring all its top players for $20m purses, bigger than any of this year’s Majors.

It wasn’t enough to sway Smith or any of the five other new LIV recruits announced this week, also including India’s No 1 Anirban Lahiri and another Australian, Marc Leishman.

There could be more to come after the Presidents Cup, with the 2021 Masters winner Hideki Matsuyama and Japan’s massive golf market a prime target.

Matsuyama, a hero back home, was intriguingly not on a list of headline players for the PGA Tour’s Zozo Championship in Japan next month, where he is defending champion.

The LIV circuit makes its Asian debut in Bangkok earlier in October and it would be a bitter blow to the PGA Tour if their biggest Asian star instead turns up there.

The Asian Tour has already teamed up with LIV, receiving a $400m windfall in Saudi cash.

Lahiri believes attitudes to LIV will change and it can do for golf what the Indian Premier League did for cricket – and it won’t just be the players who are the winners, he says.

“I remember the almost vehement opposition the IPL received,” said Lahiri. “Look at it now. The Board of Control for Cricket in India is laughing all the way to the bank and so are the players.”

“The broadcasters are also delighted because they get off-the-chart ratings,” he added.

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The three-time Major runner-up made a seven-foot bogey putt on the third extra hole to end a season of near misses that included second-place efforts at the US Open and PGA Championship.

“We’ve been close and to see it finally pay off has been awesome,” Zalatoris said. “Looking forward to having some celebrations tonight.”

World No 14 Zalatoris, runner-up last year in his Masters debut, took a $2.7-million top prize. His eight top 10s had been the PGA’s most by a non-winner as was his prior $6.7m in season prize money.

Zalatoris, who turns 26 on Tuesday, joined Colombian Camilo Villegas in 2008 as the only players whose first PGA victory came in a FedEx Cup playoff event.

Zalatoris fired a four-under-par 66 and Straka shot 67 to leave both on 15 under 265 after 72 holes at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee.

Straka, who missed six consecutive cuts entering this week, sank a six-foot par putt at 18 on the first extra hole to extend the playoff.

Teeing off at 18 again, Zalatoris went right and hit a cart path and tree while Straka’s ball clung to a sidehill above a water hazard.

Zalatoris pitched off pine straw into the fairway while Straka took off his left shoe, thought better of a wet stance and put it back on, then took a penalty drop.

Both pitched to the green to set up clutch putts, with Zalatoris curling in a par effort from just outside 13 feet and Straka topping him from half that distance.

On the third playoff hole, the 151-yard par-three 11th, Zalatoris bounced his ball atop a stone wall at a water hazard and had it wedge in a crack against grass while Straka’s ball found the water.

Straka hit his third into a greenside bunker and blasted out four feet beyond the cup.

After pondering a dangerous shot, Zalatoris took a penalty, chipped from the drop zone to seven feet and sank the bogey putt for the triumph.

“It was a grind,” Zalatoris said. “To see that decision pay off at the last was pretty cool.”

The tournament opened the FedEx Cup playoffs, three season-ending events with a winner’s prize of $18m.

Only the top 70 players in season points advance to next week’s BMW Championship, where 30 qualifiers for the Tour Championship in Atlanta are decided.

Zalatoris took the season points lead and clinched a trip to Atlanta.

“Just got to keep doing what we’re doing,” he said.

Straka, who won his first PGA title in February at the Honda Classic, barely missed his second season win.

“It was pretty crazy,” said the Austrian. “This is one of those courses where every shot you hit, you’re on the edge of your seat. Add the nerves of competing for a playoff event and it can get a little crazy.”

Lucas Glover, the 2009 US Open champion, shared third on 268 with fellow American Brian Harman.

Reigning US Open champion Matthew Fitzpatrick of England was on 269 with Spaniard Jon Rahm, Australian Adam Scott and American Collin Morikawa – all major winners – plus Americans Tony Finau, Andrew Putnam and Trey Mullinax.

Open champion Cameron Smith, an Australian who would have become world No 1 with a victory, was issued a two-stroke penalty before teeing off for an improper ball placement in Saturday’s third round, dropping him four back at the start.

Smith, silent about reported plans to jump to Saudi-backed LIV Golf after the PGA playoffs, fired 70 to share 13th on 271.

Glover and Scott played their way into next week’s playoff event along with Americans Andrew Putnam and Wyndham Clark.

American JJ Spaun, the 54-hole leader, fired a 78 to share 42nd on 275.

Denny McCarthy had a unique ‘ace’ when his second-hole tee shot landed in a fan’s portable chair cup holder. The American blasted off pine straw to just inside 33 feet then sank his birdie putt.

South African Dylan Frittelli finished on eight under for a share of 20th position, with Christiaan Bezuidenhout on one over (T64).

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McIlroy and fellow US PGA Tour pro Justin Thomas both welcomed a judge’s ruling that denied a request by three LIV Golf players for a temporary restraining order that would have allowed them to play in the St Jude Championship this week, the first event of the PGA Tour’s season-ending playoffs.

The three players qualified for the playoffs were among 11 golfers who filed an anti-trust lawsuit against the US tour challenging the indefinite suspensions imposed by PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan upon those who played in any of the Saudi-backed LIV tour’s first three events.

McIlroy, who has been a critic of the new series offering stunning $20-million purses for its 54-hole events as well as signing bonuses reportedly worth tens of millions for some stars, said he believed golfers had the right to choose the new tour – but the PGA Tour also had the right to exclude those who made that decision.

“Guys are going to make their own decisions that they feel is best for them and that’s totally fine,” McIlroy said after playing a pro-am round at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee. “I don’t begrudge anyone for going over to play LIV or taking guaranteed money.

“I think where the resentment comes from from the membership of this tour is the fact that they want to try to get their way back in here with no consequences, and anyone that’s read the PGA Tour handbook or abided by the rules and regulations, that would feel very unfair to them.”

As a PGA Tour board member, McIlroy has even-handedly fielded questions about LIV Golf – spearheaded by Australian Greg Norman – for months. But he acknowledged that the lawsuit hit close to the bone.

“I certainly have a little more respect for the guys that haven’t put their names to the suit,” McIlroy said. “It’s become a little more personal because of that.”

The fact that Australian Matt Jones and Americans Talor Gooch and Hudson Swafford weren’t given temporary relief from their suspensions to compete in the playoffs was, McIlroy said, “a good day for the Tour and for the majority of the membership”.

He noted, however, that it remained to be seen how the full lawsuit would play out.

“It’s like you birdied the first hole, but you’ve still got 17 holes to go,” he said.

Thomas said he’s not looking too closely at what promises to be a protracted legal battle.

“The only thing I really care about is this golf tournament and trying to play well and trying to win the FedExCup,” Thomas said. “And to be honest, I just don’t care about all that stuff that’s going on.

“However, what’s going to happen is going to happen. I may have an opinion here or there but, at the end of the day, once it gets to this point, it’s way out of my hands in terms of getting to lawyers and judges and things of that nature.

“So, I just want to play golf and stop worrying about it,” added Thomas, who described being asked about the controversy at a wedding he attended recently.

That said, Thomas agreed with McIlroy that the lawsuit, and the demand of LIV rebels that they be allowed to return to the PGA Tour, intensified feeling around the issue.

“You can have your cake, but you don’t need to eat it, too,” he said. “And they got their fair share of a large, large amount of cake and go eat it on your own means. You don’t need to bring it on to our tour.”

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The 28-year-old’s round included five birdies and one bogey.

However, the day belonged to John Huh, who fired a career-low nine-under par 61.

The 32-year-old American made seven birdies and an eagle in a bogey-free round to grab a two-stroke lead over South Korean Im Sung-jae at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina.

“I’m actually surprised I’m at the top of the leaderboard,” Huh said. “I didn’t really feel my game was there, but it’s one of those days where I took advantage of some good shots and good breaks.

“Shoot my career low, it’s kind of weird. Sort of mixed feeling, but I’ll take this any day.”

Huh’s best prior PGA rounds were 62s at the 2013 Wyndham and 2016 Shriners Children’s Open.

Huh, whose only PGA title came at the 2012 Mayakoba Classic after an eight-hole playoff, sank a nine-foot birdie putt on the 1st hole and reeled off five consecutive birdies starting at the 4th hole.

“I hit it close enough, gave myself a chance,” Huh said. “I put it pretty much inside 10 feet and made all that.”

At the par-five 15th, Huh drove the green in two and sank a 38-foot eagle putt with some help from the flagstick.

“I knew it was going to be a quick one,” Huh said. “I hit a good stroke, hit my line. I got lucky that it hit the flagstick and went in the hole. It was just one of those holes where you hit your spot and hopefully it goes in.”

Huh added a birdie putt from just inside four feet at the 17th and closed with a par from about the same distance.

Huh began the day 111th in FedEx Cup points with only the top 125 after Sunday’s final round qualifying for the PGA playoffs that begin next week in Memphis.

“I know what’s on the line. I know how important this tournament would be,” Huh said. “At the same time you’ve just got to go and play and I think I did that really well.”

Im eagled both par-five holes on his way to a 63 to stand second. His only equal or better rounds came in winning last October’s Shriners Children’s Open.

Americans Brandon Wu and Peter Malnati shared third on 64 with a pack on 65 including Australian Cameron Percy, Canada’s Michael Gligic, Spain’s Rafa Cabrera Bello and Americans Brian Stuard, Alex Smalley, Ben Kohles, Ryan Moore, Austin Smotherman and Aaron Wise.

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“I guess we can agree I played like a captain,” said the 46-year-old Swede in a dig at Ryder Cup Europe after he carded a two-under-par 69 at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey.

His 11-under total gave him a two-shot victory over Matthew Wolff and Dustin Johnson in the 54-hole, shotgun start event.

Stenson was sacked as Europe’s Ryder Cup captain last week after signing with the Saudi-backed LIV circuit.

The circuit has provoked the wrath of the established DP World Tour and US PGA Tours as it lures players with massive purses and reportedly in some cases with signing bonuses worth tens of millions.

“It’s been a busy 10 days and I’m extremely proud that I managed to focus as well as I did,” said Stenson, who raked in the $4-million individual winner’s prize from the $20m purse as well as a share of the $1.5m awarded for his Majesticks team’s runner-up finish in the team event.

Former world No 1 Johnson, who birdied the last to claim his share of second with a three under 68 for nine under, captained the winning 4 Aces team. Wolff carded a seven-under 64.

Branden Grace was the highest-placed South African, finishing on two under after a third-round 68 for a share of 13th.

The circuit, which on Friday confirmed that it had signed up two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson, now takes a break until the fourth of seven events in its inaugural season, in Boston on 2-4 September.

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DP World Tour

Hero Open
28-31 July, Fairmont St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, Scotland

• Brandon Stone
• Justin Walters
• Jacques Kruyswijk
• Darren Fichardt
• Richard Sterne
• Oliver Bekker
• Haydn Porteous
• JC Ritchie
• Wilco Nienaber
• Louis de Jager
• Bryce Easton
• Jacques Blaauw

Challenge Tour

Irish Challenge
28-31 July, The K Club, Palmer South, Straffan, County Kildare, Ireland

• Rupert Kaminski
• Deon Germishuys
• Tristen Strydom
• Luke Jerling
• Pieter Moolman

PGA Tour

Rocket Mortgage Classic
28-31 July, Detroit Golf Club, Detroit, Michigan

• Dylan Frittelli
• Garrick Higgo
• Dawie van der Walt

Ladies European Tour/LPGA Tour

Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open
28-31 July, Dundonald Links, Troon, Irvine, Scotland

• Lee-Anne Pace
• Nicole Garcia
• Ashleigh Buhai
• Paula Reto

LIV Golf

LIV Golf Invitational Bedminster
29-31 July, Trump National Golf Club, Bedminster, New Jersey

• Hennie du Plessis
• Branden Grace
• Justin Harding
• Shaun Norris
• Louis Oosthuizen
• Charl Schwartzel

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The South African, whose round included six birdies and two bogeys, is two shots behind co-leaders Dustin Johnson and Carlos Ortiz.

Johnson, the former world No 1 whose two Major titles include the 2020 Masters, briefly threatened to make it a runaway before three late bogeys had him settle for a four-under-par 68 and an eight-under total at Pumpkin Ridge.

He’ll go into the final round of the 54-hole, shotgun start event neck and neck with overnight leader Ortiz, who birdied the final hole to cap a 69.

“I’m really happy with the way I’m swinging it,” said Johnson, who at 17th in the world is the highest-ranked player to risk the wrath of the US PGA Tour and make the jump to the lucrative new circuit. “Tomorrow I just need to go and do the same thing, just drive in the fairway.”

Johnson made his LIV debut in the inaugural event near London in June while Mexico’s Ortiz is playing for the first time.

Ortiz won his lone PGA Tour title at the Houston Open in 2020, joined the list of players suspended by the US circuit after teeing off in the upstart Saudi-backed series.

The DP World Tour has also sanctioned members lured by the massive paydays on offer that included signing bonus and a $20-million purse for this week’s 48-player field with an additional $5m prize money on offer in a team competition.

DP World Tour chief executive Keith Pelley launched a scathing attack on Friday on players who threatened the tour with legal action unless their sanctions – fines and suspensions – for competing in LIV Golf were rescinded.

Pelley called their demands, made in a letter that was published in the Telegraph, contained inaccuracies and that the players knew “there would be consequences if they chose money over competition”.

Hostility from the established tours and concerns over the human rights record of LIV’s Saudi backers apparently aren’t slowing the upstart circuit.

Golf Digest reported on Friday that the series has accelerated growth plans for 2023 with 14 events rather than 10 and plans a name change to the LIV Golf League.

The report, citing an unnamed LIV Golf official, said the quick expansion is a product of signing several top PGA Tour players ahead of this week’s event, including Americans Bryson DeChambeau, Patrick Reed, Brooks Koepka and Matthew Wolff.

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NeSmith was just right of the cup on an 18-foot birdie putt at the par-four 9th, his final hole, to settle for sharing the mark at Innisbrook’s Copperhead course with Irishman Padraig Harrington’s 2012 first round.

“Thought the putt was going to go in the hole,” NeSmith said. “But that’s OK.”

The 28-year-old American, who grew up just outside the Masters’ home in Augusta, Georgia, tapped in for the lowest round of his career by two shots and took a two-stroke lead on 14 under 128 after 36 holes in Palm Harbor, Florida.

“I just came out very calm and in the present. It didn’t really affect me too much,” NeSmith said of the pressure. “I was just trying to go out and hit some of the best shots I could do and see where we went from there.”

Canada’s Adam Hadwin was second on 130 with defending champion Sam Burns and US compatriot Scott Stallings on 131 and Justin Thomas fifth on 132.

South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen is T10 on seven under.

World No 279 NeSmith had eight birdies and an eagle to fire his first career back-to-back bogey-free rounds and set a 36-hole Copperhead record, two strokes better than last year’s mark shared by Burns and Keegan Bradley, and a personal 36-hole best.

“I’ve been working a lot on trying not to get too far ahead of myself, trying to stay in the moment, and I was just sticking with my mantra,” NeSmith said. “I did a great job of that.

“It was just a really fun day out there. I played some good golf and I did a lot of the right things I was working on.”

NeSmith, who missed only one fairway and two greens in regulation while making only 27 putts, birdied from just inside four feet at the par-five 11th and sank an eight-foot eagle putt at the par-five 14th and a 20-foot birdie putt at the par-three 15th.

NeSmith tapped in to birdie the par-five 1st, saved par from eight feet at the 2nd, then birdied the third and sank a 40-foot birdie putt at the par-three 4th. He birdied three in a row with 13-foot putts at 6 and the par-three 8th around a tap-in at the 7th.

Never better than a shared sixth at Puerto Rico in a PGA event, NeSmith shrugs off the notion of pressure, saying past failures have brought a new outlook.

“If I go out and have a struggling weekend, it’s OK,” he said. “I’m going to get into the car with my wife and drive home … if I play great, I’m still going to get in the car and drive home with my wife.”

Hadwin, making his 126th start since taking his only PGA win at the 2017 Valspar, matched his low career PGA 36-hole total.

Not since Robert Streb at the 2014 and 2020 RSM Classics has a PGA player won his first two tour titles at the same event.

“My mind has been pretty good this week, I’m staying patient, not getting too worried about any sort of missed shots,” Hadwin said. “Staying patient around this place I think is key.”

World No 17 Burns (25) won his only other PGA title last October at the Sanderson Farms Championship.

Stallings seeks his fourth PGA title and his first since 2014 at Torrey Pines.

Second-ranked American Collin Morikawa and Norway’s third-ranked Viktor Hovland could overtake Spain’s Jon Rahm for world No 1 this week, but Morikawa was 10 back on 138 and Hovland made the lowest-ever Valspar cut on the number at three under 139.

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Burns, Venezuela’s Jhonattan Vegas, Canada’s Adam Hadwin and US compatriot David Lipsky each fired seven-under-par 64s at Innisbrook resort’s Copperhead course in Palm Harbor, Florida.

Only Lipsky, chasing his first PGA Tour title, had a bogey-free round, his longest birdie putt from just outside 10 feet.

“My iron play was excellent. I hit it close a lot,” Lipsky said. “I didn’t really leave myself too many stressful par saves. I drove it relatively straight and that’s a formula to go well.”

The only first-round Valspar leader or co-leader to win the title was South Korean KJ Choi in 2002.

New Zealand’s Danny Lee and Americans Scott Stallings, Davis Riley and Richy Werenski shared fifth on 65.

World No 17 Burns won his only other PGA title last October at the Sanderson Farms Championship but has fond memories of last year’s victory.

“I’ll look back forever on that event, it being my first win,” Burns said. “Wins don’t happen out here often, so I think it’s good to reflect and just be extremely grateful.”

The 25-year-old American birdied three of four par-five holes and all four par-three holes, the last a tap-in at the 17th after putting an 8-iron shot inches from the cup. Burns made a 14-foot birdie putt at the 18th.

“I honestly thought I missed it,” Burns said. “It hit something and kind of shot a little right halfway. But it caught the right side.”

Hadwin, a 34-year-old back-nine starter who won the 2017 Valpsar title, birdied four of his last five holes. He sank a birdie from beyond 36 feet at the 18th, holed another from beyond 26 feet at the sixth and finished with a birdie putt from just inside 24 feet at the ninth.

“A lot of things went right to shoot 64 around this place,” Hadwin said. “Just a lot of good consistent golf. I wouldn’t say that I felt great off the tee, but I was never in any trouble. I hit it really well.

“Just a lot of good quality iron shots, working off the centre of the greens to the pins, giving myself chances … This golf course rewards patience and I took advantage of that today.”

Lipsky (33) won the 2014 European Masters and 2018 Alfred Dunhill Championship on the European Tour and took the 2012 Cambodian Classic on the Asian Tour.

“I’ve played on pretty much every continent you can play on, so I’ve learned how to play in different conditions,” Lipsky said. “Even when I might not be having a great day, it still feels a lot easier than sometimes when I’m playing in Southeast Asia or South Africa or wherever I am.”

Vegas, ranked 93rd, missed the cut last week at the Players and hasn’t managed a top-10 showing all season after three runner-up efforts in 2021. But he switched irons this week and reached 16 of 18 greens in regulation.

“Absolutely great. Exactly what I needed after last week,” Vegas said. “Game was there. I took advantage of the great conditions this morning.”

Vegas (37) is chasing his fourth career PGA triumph after the 2011 Bob Hope Classic and the 2016 and 2017 Canadian Opens.

Two-time Major winner Dustin Johnson opened with a 67 in his 300th PGA Tour start.

“It could have been a couple better. I hit it really nicely, drove it pretty good, just struggled with the speed on the greens,” Johnson said. “They’re a little bit a lot slower than normal.”

South African Charl Schwartzel, the 2011 Masters champion and 2016 Valspar winner, holed out for eagle from 194 yards at the par-16th.

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They haven’t given up on the fight to have The Players Championship added to the men’s roster as a fifth Major, in alignment with the number on the LPGA Tour, but the noise isn’t quite so loud. It is what it is and it’s unlikely to change for now.

The Players, held annually at TPC Sawgrass in Florida – a venue ranked No 68 in golf.com’s annual list of top golf courses – is the PGA Tour’s flagship event. It boasts the strongest field in golf, the most money for a single tournament, a stunning, fan-friendly layout on the purpose-built Stadium Course, and unsurpassed hospitality for the players.

Still, while it has major appeal, it is no ‘Major’. However, the players still feel it deserves its spot alongside The Masters,  the US Open, The Open Championship and The PGA Championship as one of the ‘Big Five’.

‘It’s a huge championship, very special,’ last year’s winner, Justin Thomas, said. ‘It’s a tournament I’ve wanted to win, one I truly did feel like I was going to win at some point, and hopefully multiple times. I love the golf course. The greens are so good. The fairways are perfect. The rough is long. Just a great test of golf. I mean, that’s why it’s a Players Championship.’

This year Thomas will be returning for a dip at the $20-million purse, with $2.7m of it going to the winner. How does the money compare with the existing four Majors? The US Open leads the race for second with a winner’s purse of $2.25m, followed by The PGA ($2.1m) and then The Masters and The Open with $2m.

The field of 144 always attracts the top golfers in the world. Included are the top 50 golfers on the World Ranking, winners of PGA Tour events since the previous Players, the top 125 from the previous season’s FedExCup points list, as well as Players champions and Major championship winners from the past five years. Those arguing that you want the best against the best at a Major have ammunition when you consider that the first Major of the year, The Masters, invites a field of 88 golfers, which is reduced to 54 after the Friday cut.

Outspoken golf analyst Brandel Chamblee remains in the camp of those who believe The Players should be added to the men’s list and make it a full house of five.

‘I’ve argued for a long, long time that The Players should be a Major. It’s just a logical conclusion.’

However, the die-hards point to history as being the biggest argument against The Players receiving Major recognition. The tournament has been held only since 1974, 40 years after The Masters came into existence. The other three Majors are more than a century old.

Another factor is the difficulty, or for golfers at this level, the lack of difficulty, of TPC Sawgrass, the course Pete Dye constructed in a Florida swamp. The famous par-three 17th aside, the rest of the course isn’t an arduous experience for those who are in contention come Sunday afternoon.

It’s been 14 years since the winning score at The Players was within single digits of par – Sergio Garcia’s five under in 2008 – not exactly up there with the mental and physical tests often presented at courses hosting the US Open. When South Africa’s Tim Clark triumphed in 2010, he finished on 16 under to hold off Australia’s Robert Allenby by one stroke.

One interesting fact is that no golfer has won back-to-back at The Players. ‘This golf course can play so differently day to day based on wind direction, conditions. It’s such a cliche here, but it doesn’t really suit any one style of play or one type of player,’ 2019 champion Rory McIlroy said before his defence which was held over to 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. ‘The tournament has definitely grown on me over the years. It separates itself from a regular Tour stop for sure.’

However, it is undeniable that the 17th hole helps make The Players such car-crash TV. Webb Simpson led by seven shots in 2018 when he came to the Island Green on the Sunday and later said he still wasn’t taking anything for granted playing it.

‘It’s one of those courses where you feel so uncomfortable and unconfident with a one- or two-shot lead even with a few holes to go, compared to other places where you can kind of put it on cruise control. Even in 2018 when I had a big lead, I really didn’t feel comfortable until I hit it on the green on 17.’

He went on to win by four shots, with Charl Schwartzel, Xander Schauffele and Jimmy Walker doing the chasing in second.

Jerry Rice, the chief executive of The Players Championship, feels there’s still time to have the ‘fifth Major’ debate.

‘From a move-to-March perspective, being the first in a series of Major events over the course of five months kicking off the “Season of Championships” is well positioned for how we’re growing nationally and internationally,’ he says. 

– This article first appeared in the March 2022 issue of Compleat Golfer magazine. Subscribe here!

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