It took a long time for the PGA Tour to move The Players to May even though there were compelling arguments. Kind of like a college football playoff, eh?
But now that it’s here, there have been more than a few jokes in the press room about moving it back to March.
For one thing, it’s brutally hot. But more than anything, Alex Cejka is 11-under. We don’t watch the big tournaments to see golfers light it up unless its Tiger or Phil charging from behind.We want train wrecks. There have been some of those, but the golfers are turning the TPC Sawgrass course into a country club course.
And yet, it’s not playing easy for everybody. Brian Gay shot 80 on Thursday and made a nine on No. 4. He withdrew Friday citing an illness. Apparently, he’s allergic to nines.
Phil Mickelson has so much talent that he hit his drive on No. 9 both days to the exact same perfect spot, a yard short of the end of the fairway. But he’s at even par for the tournament. Anthony Kim, considered one of the bright young stars on the Tour, shot an 82 Friday. Sean O;Hair, who won last week and contended here in 2007, missed the cut at 4-over.
That’s the game of golf. But as far as moving it back, forget about it. This is the right spot for the tournament. With no wind and greens softened by a Wednesday rain, the course has played easy but there are still plenty of ways to mess up. These guys are good, so they say, and when you have perfect conditions this is going to happen.
