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From Atlanta to Ponte Vedra Beach: A list of the 49 previous Players Championship winners

Garry Smits, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union
·4 min read
Jack Nicklaus helped give The Players Championship some early cachet when he won three of the first five.
Jack Nicklaus helped give The Players Championship some early cachet when he won three of the first five.

Second March Era

2023: Scottie Scheffler, Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass, 271 (17-under)

2022: Cameron Smith, Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass, 275 (13-under)

2021: Justin Thomas, Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass, 274 (14-under)

2020: Tournament canceled

2019: Rory McIlroy, Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass, 272 (16-under)

May Era

2018: Webb Simpson, Stadium Course, TPC Sawgrass, 270 (18-under)

2017: Si Woo Kim, Stadium Course, TPC Sawgrass, 278 (10-under)

2016: Jason Day, Stadium Course, TPC Sawgrass, 273 (15-under)

2015: Rickie Fowler, Stadium Course, TPC Sawgrass, 276 (12-under)

2014: Martin Kaymer, Stadium Course, TPC Sawgrass, 275 (13-under)

2013: Tiger Woods, Stadium Course, TPC Sawgrass, 275 (13-under)

2012: Matt Kuchar, Stadium Course, TPC Sawgrass, 275 (13-under)

2011: K.J. Choi, Stadium Course, TPC Sawgrass, 275 (13-under)

2010: Tim Clark, Stadium Course, TPC Sawgrass, 272 (16-under)

2009: Henrik Stenson, Stadium Course, TPC Sawgrass, 276 (12-under)

2008: Sergio Garcia, Stadium Course, TPC Sawgrass, 283 (5-under)

2007: Phil Mickelson, Stadium Course, TPC Sawgrass, 277 (11-under)

First March Era

2006: Stephen Ames, Stadium Course, TPC Sawgrass, 274 (14-under)

2005: Fred Funk, Stadium Course, TPC Sawgrass, 279 (9-under)

2004: Adam Scott, Stadium Course, TPC Sawgrass, 276 (12-under)

2003: Davis Love III, Stadium Course, TPC Sawgrass, 271 (17-under)

2002: Craig Perks, Stadium Course, TPC Sawgrass, 280 (8-under)

2001: Tiger Woods, Stadium Course, TPC Sawgrass, 274 14-under)

2000: Hal Sutton, Stadium Course, TPC Sawgrass, 278 (10-under)

1999: David Duval, Stadium Course, TPC Sawgrass, 285 (3-under)

1998: Justin Leonard, Stadium Course, TPC Sawgrass, 278 (10-under)

1997: Steve Elkington, Stadium Course, TPC Sawgrass, 272 (16-under)

1996: Fred Couples, Stadium Course, TPC Sawgrass, 270 (18-under)

Fred Couples became the first to win two Players Championships at the TPC Sawgrass Players Stadium Course in 1996.
Fred Couples became the first to win two Players Championships at the TPC Sawgrass Players Stadium Course in 1996.

1995: Lee Janzen, Stadium Course, TPC Sawgrass, 283 (5-under)

1994: Greg Norman, Stadium Course, TPC Sawgrass, 264 (24-under)

1993: Nick Price, Stadium Course, TPC Sawgrass, 270 (18-under)

1992: Davis Love III, Stadium Course, TPC Sawgrass, 273 (15-under)

1991: Steve Elkington, Stadium Course, TPC Sawgrass, 276 (12-under)

1990: Jodie Mudd, Stadium Course, TPC Sawgrass, 278 (10-under)

1989: Tom Kite, Stadium Course, TPC Sawgrass, 279 (9-under)

1988: Mark McCumber, Stadium Course, TPC Sawgrass, 273 (15-under)

1987: Sandy Lyle, Stadium Course, TPC Sawgrass, 274 (14-under)

1986: John Mahaffey, Stadium Course, TPC Sawgrass, 275 (13-under)

1985: Calvin Peete, Stadium Course, TPC Sawgrass, 274 (14-under)

1984: Fred Couples, Stadium Course, TPC Sawgrass, 277 (11-under)

1983: Hal Sutton, Stadium Course, TPC Sawgrass, 283 (5-under)

1982: Jerry Pate, Stadium Course, TPC Sawgrass, 280 (8-under)

Sawgrass Country Club Era (March)

1981: Raymond Floyd, Sawgrass Country Club, 285 (3-under)

1980: Lee Trevino, Sawgrass Country Club, 278 (10-under)

1979: Lanny Wadkins, Sawgrass Country Club, 283 (5-under)

1978: Jack Nicklaus, Sawgrass Country Club, 289 (1-over)

1977: Mark Hayes, Sawgrass Country Club, 289 (1-over)

Rotating Course Era

1976: Jack Nicklaus, Inverrary Country Club, 269 (19-under)

1975: Al Geiberger, Colonial Country Club, 270 (10-under)

1974: Jack Nicklaus, Atlanta Country Club, 272 (16-under)

Profile of a Players Champion

  • He is an average of 33.2 years old at the time of his Players victory.

  • His average winning score for a Players champion is 275.91.

  • His average final-round score is 69.04.

  • Players Championship winners have combined to earn $49,960,000.

  • A Players winner usually wraps it up before the final hole or needs a par for a one-shot victory. Sandy Lyle (1987), Sergio Garcia (2008), K.J. Choi (2011) and Rickie Fowler (2015) have won in a playoffs and only Steve Elkington (1991) has birdied the last hole to win by one shot. Adam Scott (2004) and Cameron Smith (2022) bogeyed the final hole to win by one.

  • Players winners are almost always right-handed. Phil Mickelson is the only lefty to win The Players, in 2007.

  • The chances that a Players champion has already won a major championship is 57.1 percent — 28 of the previous winners were major champions before winning a Players.

  • The chances that a Players champion has reached the World Golf Hall of Fame is 24.5 percent — 12 winners have been inducted.

  • He has never won a Players twice in a row.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Players winners have spanned several eras, from Atlanta to the First Coast