Tournament detailsDate:
Mar 10–13, 2022
Course:Players Stadium Course
Watch on:GOLF, NBC
Purse:$20,000,000
DAY 3: Congratulations to Aussie Cameron Smith
Congratulations to Aussie Cameron Smith, for winning the 48th Players Championship. Cameron who is from Australia, but resides in Ponte Vedra Beach became a local hero by winning The Players. Although his home court advantage gave him a slight edge I guess you can say, but closing the deal is never a foregone conclusion when it comes to gold.Â
This year’s Players Championship had everything. It was by far the rainiest, the windiest, the coldest, and the hardest, with all that Mother Nature threw at the golfers who braved the challenging conditions. Certainly a test of survival of the fittest.
Cameron Smith’s victory was definitely well earned, so hats off to him.
Personally, I thought that Sawgrass won and Pete Dye won. But let’s not forget that tough conditions don’t necessarily intend to humiliate the best players in the world, but to identify them. Cameron your identity has been well identified, with two wins already this year, he seems to be setting the bar pretty high. Celebrate and enjoy the moment, you deserve it.
Contestants shared a prize worth $20 million USD, which equates to approximately $27 million Australian dollars. As the winner, Smith claims the biggest chunk of the purse, cashing in a monstrous $3.6 million ($5 million AUD).
DAY 2: Golf Channel “Missed Opportunity”
Forgive me if I sound like the forsaken child, but I can’t help but comment on The Golf Channel’s 2nd round coverage of The Players on Sunday morning when Harold Varner was back on the leaderboard at -6. There was ZERO coverage, yet there was plenty of coverage of the threesome including Tommy Fleetwood, who at the time was -5.
The Golf Channel did show an after-the-round interview with Harold, but not his on-course play.
The Golf Channel gave a lot of television coverage to players who were +4, +5, & +6. Don’t quite get the logic here. Again, is it just me, or does the network need a refresher course in affirmative action? Especially in a time and place where the PGA Tour is supposedly putting a bit more priority on Diversity & Inclusion.
At least NBC got it right. For instance, could you imagine not showing “Live”, the great shot that Harold hit on number 9 yesterday for a tap-in birdie, to get him to -8. His final hole is on Sunday, which means he has to play 27 holes today. Including playing numbers 17 & 18 twice. But if he keeps grinding the way he’s been so far, he has as good a chance as anyone, of getting to the winner’s circle. I only hope the Golf Channel Camera crew gets it right today and practices a little INCLUSION and do the PGA proud.
Grant you, Harold is not Tiger Woods, but then again, who is? Nevertheless, he is a PGA professional and deserves EQUAL COVERAGE when he’s in contention, like everyone else, not only when he’s in the final pairing and there’s no other choice, but to showcase him. Golf Channel you’re better than that.
So far the players have been tested like never before—and to that I say good. Reminiscent to an Open Championship, or a U.S. Open, where players are holding on for dear life, trying merrily to survive. I don’t want to sound critical of the usual conditions for which they compete week in and week out; very pristine and comfortable to say the least. But for the exorbitant purses they play for, and particularly The Players, where the winner walks away with $3 million-plus, I say EARN IT. You’re Pros and The Players Championship is considered by most golf authorities, to be the 5th Major, so be it.
So to all this whining and feeling sorry for these guys, let’s not lose sight of what they get paid to do. You’re some of the greatest golfers on the planet, so put on your “Big Boy Britches” and play golf. Win, Lose or Draw.
DAY 2: More Weather Delay
DAY 1: Severe Storm Delay
Day 1 at The Players experienced a severe storm delay that had everyone seeking shelter. Talk about bad timing or bad luck, after last week’s close to perfect weather conditions at Palmer’s API down in Orlando, just a hop, skip, and a jump down I-95. You could’ve asked for a better week to host a golf tournament. Only high winds and high rough, but I’m sure the players here this week would swap for that in a heartbeat.
Unfortunately, this week’s forecast calls for rain, rain, and more rain throughout the week and through the weekend, as well. The way things look here at The Players, one may not be over-exaggerating if they assumed that this tournament could possibly see a Monday finish.
Harold Varner III, Will Zalatoris, and Tommy Fleetwood will have to keep their wits about themselves, as they sit on a 1 shot lead at -4. Fleetwood through 10 holes and Varner and Zalatoris through 11 holes. The latter two are paired together in the same group, along with Charley Hoffman. They went off in the second group after a 1-hour fog delay early this morning. They started their round on number 1, while Tommy Fleetwood started on 10.
I’m not sure if TPC Sawgrass will be able to drain well enough to resume today’s round and try to salvage whatever they can out of round 1. For the time being everyone here in the Media Center, clubhouse, and on the grounds in general, are anxiously anticipating an Executive Decision from the “Powers That Be”, as to the future status of The Players opening round.
