He flew under the radar all week and at the close of the day on Saturday, trailed Barry Jaeckel by six shots. But winner Raymond Floyd did more than just take home the $72,000 first-place check: He earned a $250,000 bonus put up by the sponsors of the Florida Swing events for anyone who won back-to-back tournaments. Raymond Floyd (Photo by USA Today Network.)Įven in 1981, the Players purse was the biggest in golf at $440,000. Nicklaus capped his rally with a 30-foot eagle putt at the 15th hole. It was the second time in less than three years that Snead finished second to Nicklaus in The Players. He fired a 65 to pull away from a tie with Snead to win by three shots. “Is Jack past his peak?” wrote AP golf writer Bob Green.īut on a blustery March 1, with almost the entire final round played on Monday due to Friday storms, Nicklaus showed it was far from the truth. He shot an 82 in the final round at Pebble Beach after leading through 54 holes, and then frittered away a chance to win the Bob Hope. Malcolm Emmons- USA TODAY Sportsīelieve it or not, entering the 1976 Players at Inverrary in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Nicklaus faced whispers about whether his better days were behind him. Jack Nicklaus in action during the 1976 PGA tour season. Nine days later, Nicklaus found out he would be among the charter Hall of Fame members.
Nicklaus played his first 13 holes at 5-under on Sunday to catch and pass Snead, then returned on Monday to play his last five holes at even par to stay ahead. But draining six birdie putts between 8 and 25 feet, Nicklaus fired a closing 67 to win by two. Snead by three shots entering the final round. Weather delays interrupted the tournament on Thursday and Sunday, and Nicklaus trailed J.C. It was also called the Tournament Players Championship, giving rise to the shorthanded version, “the TPC.” The inaugural Players Championship was held on Labor Day weekend at the Atlanta Country Club under PGA Tour commissioner Deane Beman’s initial concept of rotating the venue. Here’s the history of Players Monday finishes: Not a bad set of winners for any tournament, on any day. That’s three members of the Hall of Fame, a major champion in Sutton and one of the most respected, blue-collar winners on the PGA Tour during his time in Funk.
17 and holding off Vijay Singh – who executed perhaps the most stunning and inventive short-game shot in tournament history.įloyd won on a Monday, the last year The Players was contested at the Sawgrass Country Club.īoth of Hal Sutton’s Players titles and Funk’s biggest professional triumph – yep, on Mondays. Tiger Woods won the first of his two Players titles, closing it out two days after sinking his famous “Better than Most,” putt at No. Jack Nicklaus has won a record three Players Championships and two of them were on a Monday, at two venues, one in the summer and one in the spring. It’s made for longer weeks, cuts into preparations for the next event on the schedule, denies many fans who held Sunday tickets the chance to see the winner walk down the 18th fairway and results in lower ratings.īut in the case of The Players, the Monday finishes have resulted in some of the most memorable moments in tournament history and certainly among the most worthy winners.
No one – the Tour, players, fans and TV partners – is ever happy with a Monday finish. It will be the eighth Monday finish in the history of the tournament and the fourth at the Stadium Course. The Players Championship will have a Monday finish at the Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass because of storms on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Raymond Floyd schooled an up-and-coming PGA Tour star who would one day join him in the World Golf Hall of Fame.Īnd the two biggest stars in golf history over the last 60 years added Players Championships to their lengthy resumes. Hal Sutton had the right club, on that day.įred Funk hit into a bunker he’d never been in before, then got a huge break on the lie.