JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Tickets for next month’s Players Championship are going to be more in demand than ever before.
With just 20% of its normal capacity for the tournament at TPC Sawgrass this year, that makes one of the area’s top sporting tickets that much more desirable.
The message from The Players — get those tickets quickly.
The earliest that the general public can purchase tickets is Feb. 16, and the expectation is that they won’t last long. Fans can purchase tickets here.
There are quite a few changes for fans in 2021, the most notable being just how many fans will be allowed in for the March 9-14 event.
So, just how many fans will be allowed at the tournament?
The Tour hasn’t released attendance totals since 2013, so nailing down an exact number of available tickets is a bit estimation.
The last data available for Players attendance came in 2013 when the tournament was in May and a record of 173,946 fans attended over the six-day week (Tuesday through Sunday) to see Tiger Woods’ victory.
The single-day record attendance through that year was 45,281, and came in Saturday’s third round in 2013, according to the Florida Times-Union. That would put a 20% attendance at roughly 9,000 per day this year if the Tour based its numbers off that 2013 high.
Players tickets are always in demand, especially the Friday and Saturday rounds, so scooping those up early is strongly encouraged by the tournament this year. The coronavirus wiped out the final three rounds of The Players last year.
Costs are $25 daily for Tuesday and Wednesday rounds, $70 daily for Thursday and Sunday rounds, and $80 daily for Friday and Saturday rounds.
A limited number of pre-sale tickets were made available on Feb. 1 to those who subscribe to the Players newsletter, and those who attended the tournament in 2019 and ’20. Those were snapped up quickly.
What are some of the more notable changes that fans will encounter?
- Social distancing. Masks or face coverings required.
- No autographs, no fist bumps or handshakes with the golfers.
- Fans will be limited to purchasing two tickets per day, per account.
- There are no shuttles running in 2021 for health and safety reasons.
- Tickets remain in an all-digital format.
- There won’t be a replica of the 17th hole this year for fans to take shots on.
- There are no discounts or special offers for tickets during Thursday through Sunday tournament rounds.
- Parking must be purchased separately from tickets. Even those receiving complimentary or discounted tickets must purchase parking passes. That can be done here. Costs are $15 for pre-tournament days (Tuesday and Wednesday) and $40 for tournament rounds (Thursday through Sunday). There are no on-site parking pass sales.
- Golf cart parking remains and is free at Gate B.
- The popular military appreciation aspects of the tournament, the concert and the Patriots Outpost, are going away in 2021 due to coronavirus safety protocols. Complimentary tickets for active duty, retired, reserve and National Guard members will be offered on Tuesday and Wednesday of tournament week. Service personnel and one dependent will be permitted as long as tickets are available.