Previewing The Players 2019

The new trophy at The PLAYERS 2019
(photo: Linda Johnson)

(see UPDATE below, during The PLAYERS)

February 12, 2019: With a month to go before the "best field in golf" tees it up at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, The PLAYERS Championship hosted a Charity Challenge on the 17th Hole and a media day which included looks at the course, a new fan-experience layout, a new sandwich, and a new trophy. Welcome to The PLAYERS 2019!

Move to March

First of all, mark those calendars, because the 2019 Tournament takes place March 12-17. Yes, that's March. Long-time fans will remember that the tournament was previously held in March until its rescheduling to May in 2007 ("Moving to May"). In 2017, the PGA Tour announced the move back to March in 2019.

About a month ago, Tournament Executive Director Jared Rice outlined noticeable changes to the tournament grounds during a luncheon with the St. Johns County and Jax Chambers of Commerce. 

Jared Rice explaining the move to March and redesigns for The PLAYERS 2019
at Joint Chamber luncheon in January  (photo: Linda Johnson)

The move to March will allow The PLAYERS to "kick off" the Tour's major championship season and a chance to "own" the sports calendar during the summer months. The tournament occurs the week before NCAA March Madness, and while the community had rallied around a Championship Sunday on Mother's Day, many wanted to be home with families. The revised Tour schedule allows its majors to conclude before the fall football season starts. For those watching on TV, the telecast will also feature new modern, energetic theme music recorded in December. With a campaign heralding "Our Gold Standard," the Tour's flagship event will once again "give back to charity in our hometown." Having generated over $100 million for local charities since 1977, and over $50 million in Northeast Florida over the last eight years, "imagine what we can do over the next eight years," Rice exclaimed. 

A Look Around the Course

With the date change, TPC Sawgrass agronomy staff overseeded the course by planting cooler weather grass on top of warmer weather grass. The result? The course is in spectacular condition, with emerald green, lush grass throughout. 

The 18th Green (photo: Linda Johnson)

17th Hole from the Tee (photo: Linda Johnson)

A walk up 18: always an amazing view! And, I actually visited from Chicago and played the course
during construction of that fantastic clubhouse years ago! (photo: Linda Johnson)