Spring Break and The Players

The pressure didn’t get to Scottie Scheffler.

The world's number two-ranked player, Scottie Scheffler, is in a prime position to win his first Players Championship. Which golfers are the most likely to pressure Scheffler in Sunday's final round?

There are several storylines to follow after the cut at The Players Championship. Here are three of the most interesting.

The first round of The Players Championship tees off Thursday morning. Here are five tips to make your visit to TPC Sawgrass as smooth and enjoyable as possible.

The Players Championship 2023 will be here before we know it, and if you wanna buy tickets, they go on sale this week.

A local charity helping veterans transition back into society got a big boost from The Players Championship golf tournament. Five Star Veterans Center on Friday received a grant.

Episcopal Children’s Services held an event to celebrate the grand opening of a new playground at the Northside Early Head Start Center in Northwest Jacksonville.

Cameron Smith wasn’t intimidated. Not on his home course.

Fans who want to attend Monday's action at The Players Championship don’t need to look far for tickets.

The rain finally went away and then The Players Championship really got tough.

Bad weather pushed back The Players Championship, with a Monday finish now a certainty.

Two days of bad weather and a miserable forecast for the rest of Friday has forced the postponement of The Players Championship, with a Monday finish now a certainty.

The first round of The Players Championship hit some speed bumps Thursday, with storms causing a four-hour weather delay.

As the weather caused a delayed start and a suspension in play for the first round of The Players Championship on Thursday, the tournament’s executive director asked fans for patience.

The start of The Players Championship has been delayed an hour Thursday morning because of thunderstorms and heavy rain overnight. That might just be the beginning of additional breaks in the action on the way because of the weather.

If you are going out to watch The Players Championship this week, don't forget your rain jacket. But if you're willing to stick it out, here are the best places to watch.

The Players Championship tees off Thursday morning at TPC Sawgrass without the two biggest attractions in the sport, but there's no shortage of storylines as the Stadium Course awaits the best field in golf.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of The Players Championship moving into it’s permanent home at TPC Sawgrass. In 1982, Jerry Pate fired a final round 67 to beat Brad Bryant and Scott Simpson by two strokes, taking home $90,000 and a set of wet clothes after he dove into the water at 18 in celebration of his win.

Vic Micolucci highlights some of the local cuisines at The Players.

Tuesday was Military Appreciation Day at The Players Championship.

While golfers will try and avoid those bogeys at TPC Sawgrass when The Players Championship begins Thursday, babies who are born in local hospitals during the event will get special recognition from the tournament.

The Players Championship tees off Thursday at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach. Here’s a look at the tee times for the first and second rounds of the tournament.

The featured nonprofit for this year’s Military Appreciation Day at The Players Championship is Northeast Florida Women Veterans.

47 of the top 50 players in the World Golf Rankings will descend on TPC Sawgrass to compete for one of the biggest championships in golf. It's the week of The Players, and there are some changes this year.

After a start and stop and then limited crowds, The Players Championship is back to doing what it does best. The event at TPC Sawgrass is 30 days away and will feel normal for the first time since Rory McIlroy edged Jim Furyk by a stroke in 2019. That feels like an eternity ago.

The Players Championship continues to focus on making it possible for active duty and military veterans to be able to enjoy tournament golf.

With the area’s marquee sporting event just 50 days away, The Players was there to announce a donation of $100,000 to help revitalize the Clanzel Brown Community Center and Park in Northwest Jacksonville.

A local 6-year-old who has worked hard to help create a happy Halloween for homeless children got a sweet surprise on Monday.

The tournament that boasts the best field in golf is increasing the purse and winners' share for 2022 to the largest in the history of The Players Championship.

A $50,000 donation from The Players Championship will help Edward Waters College reinstate the school’s women’s golf program.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – One of the components that powers The Players is the massive volunteer force that turns out each year. And every year, there is a new Volunteer Chairman who oversees the other Red Coats on the volunteer committee and the thousands of volunteers underneath them. But as you mentioned, safety and health of everyone involved, whether it be the fans, the volunteers, or the players, is it’s going to remain our number one priority this year. “We’ve developed safety and health protocols so that we can present the tournament in a safe, responsible manner,” Smith said. “Normally we’d meet once a month with staff leading up to the tournament, as we get closer to the tournament we meet every weekend.

(Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Tyler McCumber has more memories at TPC Sawgrass than he can count. But McCumber wanted his next memory to be of him actually competing in The Players Championship. McCumber and Nease won the Class 2A state championship in 2007. Bartram Trail’s Julian Suri, also a current professional golfer, won back-to-back individual state championships during that time. And being in the gallery when Funk won, McCumber knows the pride that locals feel when a hometown golfer succeeds.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Some fans at The Players Championship said they’re enjoying their first major sporting event in the last year because of the pandemic, and they’re eager to get outside and enjoy the event safely. For many people in Northeast Florida, The Players Championship is a tradition. “Just came out to walk with my daughter and get her outside,” Kennon said. Kennon is one of many fans planning to check out the action this week and feel a sense of normalcy. Pierre Hildebrand said he is pleased with the safety measures in place.

This year, the PGA Tour is encouraging people to check out some of the different spots to watch the action in order to help spread people out more during the coronavirus pandemic. The 17th hole is one of the most popular spots for fans to watch The Players, but around the course, there are a variety of great vantage points you might not think of. But this year, there won’t be a hospitality tent, making it easier for fans to watch the action at both holes from the same spot. AdThe Players Championship returns: Fan’s guide to the 2021 tournamentJared Rice, executive director of The Players, also shared with News4Jax his favorite place to watch. TacoLu is back there, so who doesn’t like to grab a taco, a little something to drink out there and watch some great golf?

Bean met Dempsey at the 5 Star Veterans Center, a local charity that gets service members back on their feet. It’s now the model for The Fire Watch, the charity in Northeast Florida aimed at ending veteran suicide. The Fire Watch is building a network of so-called Watch Standers, volunteers who are trained to identify the warning signs and step in. Since it started in May, 450 people have signed up to be Watch Standers. If you want to be a Watch Stander, go to TheFireWatch.org, click the “Watch Standers” button at the top of the screen and then register.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – The first and second round tee times for The Players Championship are set. A glance at tee times for Thursday and Friday’s rounds at TPC Sawgrass’ Stadium Course in Ponte Vedra Beach. For information on the tournament, check out our fan’s guide to The Players. 1:11 p.m.: Daniel Berger, Adam Scott, Shane Lowry. 7:51 a.m.: Daniel Berger, Adam Scott, Shane Lowry.

The legion of volunteers at The Players Championship are one of the most integral parts of the event. This week, we’re looking at several longtime volunteers who are celebrating tournament milestones in 2021. Herbert had a perfect view of one of those, carded by Paul Azinger in the third round of the 2000 event. AdHerbert spent four years in various volunteer roles before becoming a walking scorer in 1991 and has been in that position since. The ball lands, I hit, ‘shot hit,’ … a laser operator lasers that ball, and you know exactly immediately how far he hit it, 247 yards, and he’s got 185 to go to the hole,” she said.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – The Players Championship officially tees off this week, with practice rounds open to the public starting Tuesday. The number of fans at the tournament this year will be limited each day. “I think for our volunteers, our staff and our players to have an opportunity to show we can do this safely and to finish it,” said Jared Rice, executive director of The Players. “And when we do that, it’s going to be really awesome for our community.”Rice explained one of the changes to this year’s tournament that fans will notice. The Players Championship returns: Fan’s guide to the 2021 tournamentThe Players was canceled after the first round last year, so Rice said it was important to make sure the tournament happened this year.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Every year, some of the world’s best golfers compete in The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass. “It takes a great team,” said Jeff Plotts, director of agronomy at TPC Sawgrass. Plotts and his team work year-round to get the course ready for the tournament. “This is the third year doing the overseed, and we’re just getting better and better each year,” Plotts said. “It’s been a really good year for us, difficult weather-wise, but we’ve been able to endure and have some really good conditions.”This year, Plotts said, they tried to improve some of the conditions based on player feedback.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – The Players Championship kicks off this week at TPC Sawgrass, and News4Jax is teaming up with The Players this year for a daylong fundraising campaign called Match4Military. Typically, people come out to the tournament’s Military Appreciation Day ceremony and concert on the 17th hole every year. But this year, both events are canceled, so Match4Military is providing a way for everyone to come together remotely and give back to those who have given so much to our country. “Tuesday, March 9, we’re going to market with a community campaign in order to drive, hopefully, more than $500,000 in charitable benefit to military charities,” said Jared Rice, executive director of The Players. The Players will match donations dollar for dollar up to $250,000, and the money raised will benefit several different military organizations in Northeast Florida, including Wounded Warrior Project and The Fire Watch.

The first tee times are 8:30 a.m. on Saturday and 7:45 a.m. on Sunday. Full tee times are below. AdThe total purse of The Players has jumped again, with $12.5 million up for grabs this week. The two-time Players winner is at 3-under and in a tie for 43rd going into Sunday. A look at Sunday's final-round tee times for The Players Championship.

Brooks Koepka hits from the seventh fairway during the final round of the Workday Championship golf tournament Sunday, Feb. 28, 2021, in Bradenton, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)ORLANDO, Fla. – Four-time major champion Brooks Koepka has withdrawn from The Players Championship next week with what his manager described as a strained right knee. Koepka won the Phoenix Open last month and was a runner-up in the Workday Championship last week. He has been saddled the last few years with injuries to his left knee, including a partially torn patella. His manager at Hambric Sports, Blake Smith, said Koepka would meet with doctors this week for a better evaluation and no further details. Koepka was planning to play the Honda Classic the following week, and he had the Dell Match Play after that as the Masters on April 8-11 gets closer.

Brooks Koepka tees off on the second hole during the third round of the Workday Championship golf tournament, Feb. 27, 2021, in Bradenton, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Two-time major championship winner Brooks Koepka will not play in The Players Championship because of an injury. 12 in the World Golf rankings, competed in the World Golf Championship event last week but did not tee off in the Arnold Palmer Invitational this weekend at Bay Hill. “Brooks strained his right knee and he is scheduled to further consult with doctors this week to receive a more extensive evaluation and outlook,” said Blake Smith, Koepka’s manager. According to a release by the PGA Tour, “With Koepka’s withdrawal, the field now includes 48 of the top 50 in both the FedExCup standings and the Official World Golf Ranking. He will be replaced in the 154-player field by Anirban Lahiri of India, unless a player not otherwise exempt wins the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard.”AdKoepka was expected to be in one of the featured groups in the first two rounds of The Players along with John Rahm and Patrick Reed.

(AP Photo/Ryan Kang)The world’s number one player has committed to The Players Championship. Defending FedEx Cup champion Dustin Johnson committed to play in next week’s event. Johnson has only one career top 10 finish at The Players. Also committing Tuesday, the world’s number three ranked player, Justin Thomas. The Players tees off Thursday, March 11 at TPC Sawgrass.

Fans gather at the TPC Sawgrass course to watch The Players during the 2019 event. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Tickets came and went for The Players Championship on Tuesday, with the tournament selling out its limited allotment of passes within two hours. The only tickets that remain are for Tuesday’s practice round. The event is March 9-10 (practice rounds) and 11-14 (tournament rounds) at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach. 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.

File photo of the 17th green during The Players Championship on The Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass. PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Tickets to The Players Championship will be harder to get this year due to limits on the size of the crowd. So they may go fast when single-day tickets go on sale Tuesday. Jared Rice, the executive director of The Players, said last month that tickets would be limited to 20% of the maximum capacity — a number he declined to share. The Players was the first event on the PGA Tour to be impacted by the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Tickets for next month’s Players Championship are going to be more in demand than ever before. The message from The Players — get those tickets quickly. The Tour hasn’t released attendance totals since 2013, so nailing down an exact number of available tickets is a bit estimation. 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.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – In December, The Players announced that the tournament would be played in 2021, but with fewer fans on the course. Jared Rice, the executive director of The Players, said Monday that tickets would be limited to 20% of the maximum capacity — a number he declined to share. “As part of that, we’re going to ask a lot of this community and ask for the greater good,” Rice said. Contactless entry and commerce throughout the golf course. There is DNA of how we addressed that situation here last year, in terms of the tour’s return to golf.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Players Championship is quickly approaching and there are two big things to be aware of entering the 2020 tournament — tickets and parking. Tournament rounds at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach are March 12-15. There will be no on-site sale of parking passes. Parking passes are still available. Thursday-Sunday parking passes are $40.

Working with renowned golf course architect Pete Dye, TPC Commissioner Deane Beman designed the Stadium Course at Sawgrass with a selection of short, medium and long holes; both right and left doglegs; and a course where no two consecutive holes ever play in the same direction. With its signature island green on 17, this captures the imagination of golf fans around the world and is consistently named among the world’s top golf courses.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Jimmy Fallon aced The Players Championship this week. The ‘Tonight Show” host gave select golfers odd lines to say during interviews and it went off about as perfect as you can imagine. Some of the zingers. “Even a catfish is right twice a day.”“Swing it and ding it.”“Sweet as toffee, hot as coffee.”“Smack it, attack it, swing it like a racket.”And Tiger Woods’ line is exceptional. Take a listen.

Coming off a 10-foot eagle and a 20-foot birdie that tied him for the lead Friday in The Players Championship, McIlroy risked wasting that great finish with a bold shot. He got his par for a 7-under 65 and was tied Tommy Fleetwood, who had a better start than McIlroy finished. Fleetwood opened birdie-eagle-birdie on his way to a 67, giving him a share of the 36-hole lead for the second straight week. Woods put two balls into the water on the notorious par-3 17th, leading to a quadruple bogey that wiped out a good start and forced him to settle for a 71. Fleetwood, who shared the 18-hole lead, was two behind when he teed off and back in the lead after just two holes.

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PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Tiger Woods was cruising along on Friday at The Players. In the midst of a stellar second round, Woods went to the tee box on his eighth hole of the day, the island hole on No. Woods' tee shot hit the back right of the green and rolled, and kept rolling before trickling over the wood frame at the edge of the island green and splashing into the water. 💦 pic.twitter.com/xEqCMx04Z0 — PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 15, 2019Woods finally landed his next attempt, getting it nearly 23 feet from the hole and two-putted for a quadruple-bogey 7 on the hole. "I'm very happy with the way I've been grinding around this golf course," Woods said.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Two former winners of The Players Championship, Rickie Fowler and Sergio Garcia, have committed to play in the tournament as the event returns to March. Fowler, the 2015 winner of The Players, is a five-time winner on the PGA Tour after his victory at the Waste Management Phoenix Open to weeks ago. Garcia, who won The Players in 2008, has started only one tournament on the PGA Tour this year, a T37 finish at the Genesis Open this past weekend. Garcia has shot 20 rounds in the 60s at The Players, just two off the record held by Nick Price and Davis Love III. The first round of The Players is scheduled for March 14 at TPC Sawgrass.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – A week after three past FedEx Cup champions committed to the field for The Players, three former winners of the event have joined what is expected to be the strongest field in golf. 2016 champion Jason Day, 2012 winner Matt Kuchar and 2004 champion Adam Scott will all try to become the seventh multi-time winner of The Players. Three Past Champs are looking to add their names to the short list as two-time champions of THE PLAYERS. Last week, Justin Rose, Justin Thomas, and Rory McIlroy all committed to the field. The tournament runs March 14-17 at the Player's Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass.

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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Mayor Lenny Curry helped kick off next week's Players's Championship Wednesday by welcoming the "Gold Man" to downtown JacksonvilleThe Players features the best golfers in the world playing for the richest purse on the PGA Tour. It takes place at Sawgrass from April 10 through the 15. The Championship is expected to bring more than $150 million to Northeast Florida. Curry took part in the spraying of the gold man -- the logo of The Players -- as part of the official countdown of the Players.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Tiger Woods, who birdied the final hole of his second round make the cut at The Players, felt he needed one good round to close the gap on the leaders at The Players Championship. Woods twice made double bogey on par 5s and wound up with a 3-over 75, his worst score at the TPC Sawgrass in eight years. He was at 3-over 219 and needed a good final round to avoid his worst finish at The Players. Woods took double bogey on the par-5 second hole with a tee shot that caromed off a tree and a fairway bunker shot that sailed over the green. He got in more trouble in the grass-filled mounds short of the par-5 ninth.