I've always found the Players to be kind of a strange tournament. Supposedly it has the strongest field of any tournament. Over the years there have been calls to make it the 5th major championship, but it looks like that ain't happening, so it has to settle for being the biggest non-major. The winner gets a 10-year tour exemption, I believe, which is a huge prize.
What makes this tournament weird is the last two holes, especially the 17th-the island green par 3. This hole has been heavily criticized over the years for being unfair and worse-for being a complete gimmick, rinky-dink, Mickey Mouse. Yesterday the pin was on the back of the green. Ernie Els hit a tee shot that landed a few feet from the hole, but it bounced hard and trickled off the back into the water. Re-load, big guy.
The 18th hole is a beast too, a long par 4 with water all down the left side that the fairway curls around. In the first round I saw Tiger Woods and Adam Scott, playing in the same group, both hook their tee shots a bit, both into the drink.
If you like watching pros hit it in the drink, this tournament is for you. You'll see more balls in the water than at a nudist beach on a ninety-degree day.