Tour News

Woods wins The Players

Published

13 years ago

May 12, 2013

Professional golf never ceases to provide fascinating endings and this year’s edition of The Players did not disappoint.

The Players provided a startlingly stark contrast in fortunes for its principal players the first 54 — heck, 70 — holes. And as in many years past, the water-laden Nos. 17 and 18 holes at TPC Sawgrass’ Stadium Course proved massive difference-makers.

Tiger Woods stood on the tee of the island green penultimate hole having birdied the short par-five No. 16 to get to 13-under for the tournament. So did Sergio Garcia. And there the line between happy ending and tragedy crops up.

Woods played a solid, if unspectacular, shot to the lower level of the putting surface on No. 17. He judged his putt mightily well and tapped in for a par, which he replicated on No. 18. Garcia appeared to take dead aim at the pin on the 135-yard par three with a pitching wedge and dunked his ball, and his hopes of winning the tournament, in the surrounding lake. Then he did it again, en route to a quadruple-bogey that catapulted him down the leaderboard. The double-bogey on the final hole — with a tee shot that also found the water — added further insult to self-inflicted injury.

Click here to see a full list and photos of the clubs Tiger had in the bag.

But Garcia’s dramatic exit from the golf tournament was not enough to give Woods the victory alone. Enter the third 54-hole co-leader, David Lingmerth, a PGA Tour rookie hailing from Sweden. Lingmerth dallied with Tour victory earlier in 2013, faltering in a playoff at the Humana Challenge. He was more than game at Sawgrass on Sunday, hanging with Woods, Garcia and other challengers Henrik Stenson, Jeff Maggert and Ryan Palmer throughout the day. Like Woods and Garcia, the 25-year old birdied No. 16.

Amid Garcia’s travails on 17, Lingmerth pasted a pitching wedge of his own within 8 feet of the hole. It was a putt to tie the lead and Lingmerth missed it just wide right, giving it too much pace. He finished with a bogey on No. 18 after trying to hole a 50-plus foot birdie putt that would have gotten him in a playoff. His tie for second place was the best-ever finish in a Players by a Tour rookie.

The win — the 78th of Woods’ PGA Tour career — came in his 300th career start. He also marked his 100th and 200th starts with victories. His 400th should come sometime in 2018 or 2019, by ballpark estimates. It would likely surprise no one if that streak lived on in a few years’ time.

The win marks Tiger’s fourth of the 2013 season, and his first at The Players since 2001.

When asked after his victory was sealed how he would assess his play this week, Tiger, who has won more money in 2013 than the second- and third-best on Tour combined and knows his golf game better than any biographer or wise pundit ever could, replied with three words: “I’m getting better.”

Yikes.

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Tim Gavrich

Tim grew up outside of Hartford, Conn., playing most of his formative golf at Hop Meadow Country Club in the town of Simsbury. He played golf for four years at Washington & Lee University (Division-III) and now lives in Pawleys Island, S.C., and works in nearby Myrtle Beach in advertising. He's not too bad on Bermuda greens, for a Yankee. A lifelong golf addict, he cares about all facets of the game of golf, from equipment to course architecture to PGA Tour news to his own streaky short game.

10 Comments

Per

May 14, 2013 at 4:49 pm

How come no one is commenting Mr Woods horrible drop on 14?

Reply Report comment
Rixirox

May 13, 2013 at 11:09 pm

Well, Sergio is a good golfer, perhaps.

He must learn to face obstacles and adversaries with the poise and dignity of a Champion. When you need someone to blame, look inside first, check your back yard secondly and then look in the mirror.

The childish rant and rail against TW was childish and unwarranted. One is not elevated to “Champion” status by merely ripping Tiger Wood apart.

Reply Report comment
Servost

May 13, 2013 at 7:49 am

Did I see some stat saying that every time Tiger a Sergio pair up on the weekend not only does Tiger shoot a lower score than Sergio, but that Tiger actually wins the tournament?

I’m no Tiger fan, but if I were Sergio, I might try to hold off on complaining about Tiger if I were owned as much as Tiger owns Sergio.

Reply Report comment
Troy Vayanos

May 13, 2013 at 2:37 am

It must be really frustrating for Garcia as he comes close to winning big tournaments so often. He has won the Players before mind you!

Tiger is always calm under pressure and makes the right choices.

Reply Report comment
Toughest Mind

May 13, 2013 at 12:46 am

Inside the ropes,indeed. What a heavy weight performance by Mr.Woods. Sadly,Sergio was is not in the same weight class as Tiger. Garcia may have taken it on the chin but I am certain, he did not self inflicted but perhaps suffered from temporary dementia pugilistica. Staggered by the power of Tiger’s game, Sergio did well to survive the round. Perhaps the Royal and Ancient should require that the starter announce,”defend yourself at all times” at the start of the round….if you golf with Tiger.

Reply Report comment
Tom K

May 12, 2013 at 11:43 pm

Garcia has shown once again why he keeps falling short of the top tier in the game. Under pressure he makes mental mistakes that causes him to self destruct with victory within his grasp. His risky shots on 17 and 18, where 2 pars would have put him in a playoff, shows he doesn’t have the mental discipline to be great.

Reply Report comment
Jeff

May 12, 2013 at 10:53 pm

don’t forget about maggert

Reply Report comment
illformula

May 12, 2013 at 10:21 pm

I thought Lingmerth pulled a 9 iron on 17?

Reply Report comment
Blanco

May 12, 2013 at 8:03 pm

Great golf today. One of the most exciting tournaments I’ve seen all year. I was feeling bad for Sergio until he called himself a “victim…” insinuating that Tiger purposely pulled his club in order to cause a crowd reaction that would disrupt his shot. Such pure rubbish in theory and proven rubbish having watched the synced up video footage.

Reply Report comment
jack nicklaus

May 12, 2013 at 7:17 pm

Sergio Garcia blew it as usual. He will never win a major.

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