1997 Players Championship
Tournament information
DatesMarch 27–30, 1997
LocationPonte Vedra Beach, Florida
30°11′53″N 81°23′38″W / 30.198°N 81.394°W / 30.198; -81.394
Course(s)TPC Sawgrass,
Stadium Course
Tour(s)PGA Tour
Statistics
Par72
Length6,896 yards (6,306 m)[1]
Field144 players, 76 after cut
Cut146 (+2)
Prize fund$3.5 million
Winner's share$630,000
Champion
Australia Steve Elkington
272 (−16)
Location Map
TPC Sawgrass is located in the United States
TPC Sawgrass
TPC Sawgrass
Location in the United States
TPC Sawgrass is located in Florida
TPC Sawgrass
TPC Sawgrass
Location in Florida

The 1997 Players Championship was a golf tournament in Florida on the PGA Tour, held March 27–30 at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, southeast of Jacksonville. It was the 24th Players Championship.

Tournament summary

Steve Elkington led wire-to-wire, with all four rounds in the sixties, to win his second Players at 272 (−16), a record seven strokes ahead of runner-up Scott Hoch.[2][3] Elkington's previous win was six years earlier in 1991.[4][5]

In his first Players, 21-year-old Tiger Woods tied for 31st at 289 (+1);[2] two weeks later, he won the Masters by a record margin.

Defending champion Fred Couples finished thirteen strokes back, in a tie for tenth place.

Venue

This was the sixteenth Players Championship held at the TPC at Sawgrass Stadium Course, and it remained at 6,896 yards (6,306 m).[1]

Eligibility requirements

All winners of PGA Tour events awarding official money and official victory status in the preceding 12 months, concluding with the Bay Hill Invitational and dating from the 1996 Players Championship.

Fred Couples, Paul Stankowski, Nick Faldo, Loren Roberts, Mark O'Meara, Mark Brooks, Phil Mickelson, Corey Pavin, Steve Stricker, Tom Watson, Ernie Els, Steve Jones, John Cook, D. A. Weibring, Scott Hoch, Tom Lehman, Willie Wood, Justin Leonard, Clarence Rose, Guy Boros, Dudley Hart, Ed Fiori???, Fred Funk, Michael Bradley, Tiger Woods, David Ogrin, Jeff Sluman, Steve Elkington, Stuart Appleby

The top 125 PGA Tour members from the final 1996 Official Money List.[6]

Davis Love III, Brad Faxon, David Duval, Kenny Perry, Greg Norman, Tommy Tolles, Vijay Singh, Jeff Maggert, Jim Furyk, Mark Calcavecchia, Duffy Waldorf, Lee Janzen, Woody Austin, Payne Stewart, Bob Tway, Jay Haas, John Huston, Mark McCumber, Tim Herron, Rocco Mediate, Craig Parry, Paul Goydos, Billy Andrade, Colin Montgomerie, Scott McCarron, Nick Price, Tom Purtzer, Jesper Parnevik, David Frost, Billy Mayfair, Fuzzy Zoeller, Jay Don Blake, Craig Stadler, Jerry Kelly, Andrew Magee, Greg Kraft, Russ Cochran, Lennie Clements, John Morse, Kirk Triplett, Tom Kite, Larry Mize, Scott Simpson, Kelly Gibson, Larry Nelson, Nolan Henke, Grant Waite, Glen Day, Emlyn Aubrey, Jim Gallagher Jr., Joey Sindelar, Rick Fehr, Patrick Burke, Steve Lowery, Frank Nobilo, Marco Dawson, Mike Brisky, Gil Morgan, John Adams, Brad Bryant, Robert Gamez, Joel Edwards, Ronnie Black, Len Mattiace, Mike Hulbert, Brandel Chamblee, Paul Azinger, Phil Blackmar, Brad Fabel, Chip Beck, Joe Ozaki, Olin Browne, Jim Carter, Taylor Smith, Doug Martin, Neal Lancaster, David Toms, David Edwards, Mark Wiebe, Wayne Levi, Hal Sutton, Pete Jordan, Lee Rinker, Chris Perry, John Maginnes, Hugh Royer III, John Wilson, Curtis Strange, Blaine McCallister, Scott Gump, Ben Crenshaw, Dave Stockton Jr., John Daly, Omar Uresti, Dan Forsman, Scott Dunlap, Dicky Pride

Winners in the last 10 calendar years of The Players Championship, Masters Tournament, U.S. Open, PGA Championship, and NEC World Series of Golf.

Sandy Lyle, Ian Woosnam, Bernhard Langer, Wayne Grady, Mike Reid, Fulton Allem

British Open winners since 1990.

Eight players, not otherwise eligible, designated by The Players Championship Committee as "special selections."

Costantino Rocca, Sam Torrance, Robert Allenby, Mark McNulty, Masashi Ozaki, Brian Watts

Any players, not otherwise eligible, who are among the top 10 money winners from the 1997 Official Money List through the Bay Hill Invitational

To complete a field of 144 players, those players in order, not otherwise eligible, from the 1997 Official Money List through the Bay Hill Invitational.

Source:[7]

Field

Robert Damron, Joe Durant, Donnie Hammond, Brian Henninger, Peter Jacobsen, Don Pooley, Ted Tryba

Round summaries

First round

Thursday, March 27, 1997

PlacePlayerScoreTo par
1Australia Steve Elkington66−6
T2United States Mark Calcavecchia67−5
United States Russ Cochran
United States David Edwards
United States Tom Lehman
United States Fuzzy Zoeller
T7United States Billy Andrade68−4
United States Michael Bradley
South Africa Ernie Els
United States Jay Haas
Scotland Sandy Lyle
United States Larry Mize
Japan Naomichi Ozaki
United States Tom Purtzer
United States Taylor Smith
United States Dave Stockton

Source:[8]

Second round

Friday, March 28, 1997

PlacePlayerScoreTo par
1Australia Steve Elkington66-69=135−9
2United States Larry Mize68-68=136−8
T3United States David Edwards67-70=137−7
United States Tommy Tolles70-67=137
T3United States Tom Lehman67-71=138−6
United States Davis Love III72-66=138
Australia Craig Parry71-67=138
United States Brian Watts70-68=138
T7South Africa Ernie Els68-71=139−5
United States Brad Faxon70-69=139
United States Tom Purtzer68-71=139
United States Dave Stockton68-71=139
United States Kirk Triplett71-68=139
United States Fuzzy Zoeller67-72=139

Source:[9]

Third round

Saturday, March 29, 1997

PlacePlayerScoreTo par
1Australia Steve Elkington66-69-68=203−13
2United States Scott Hoch69-71-65=205−11
T3United States Billy Andrade68-72-68=208−8
United States Tom Purtzer68-71-69=208
5United States Kirk Triplett71-68-70=209−7
T6United States Mark Brooks72-68-70=210−6
United States Larry Mize68-68-74=210
United States Tommy Tolles70-67-73=210
T9South Africa Ernie Els68-71-72=211−5
United States Brad Faxon70-69-72=211
United States Robert Gamez70-73-68=211
United States Tom Lehman67-71-73=211
United States Davis Love III72-66-73=211
Scotland Colin Montgomerie70-70-71=211
United States Loren Roberts70-74-67=211

Source:[10]

Final round

Sunday, March 30, 1997

Champion
(c) = past champion
PlacePlayerScoreTo parMoney ($)
1Australia Steve Elkington (c)66-69-68-69=272−16630,000
2United States Scott Hoch69-71-65-74=279−9378,000
3United States Loren Roberts70-74-67-69=280−8238,000
4United States Brad Faxon70-69-72-70=281−7168,000
5United States Billy Andrade68-72-68-74=282−6140,000
6United States Tom Lehman67-71-73-72=283−5126,000
T7United States Mark Brooks72-68-70-74=284−4109,083
Scotland Colin Montgomerie70-70-71-73=284
United States Tommy Tolles70-67-73-74=284
T10United States Russ Cochran67-74-72-72=285−384,000
United States Fred Couples (c)71-74-71-69=285
South Africa Ernie Els68-71-72-74=285
United States Kirk Triplett71-68-70-76=285

Source:[11]

References

  1. 1 2 "PGA Players Championship". Wilmington Morning Star. (North Carolina). March 31, 1997. p. 8B.
  2. 1 2 "Elkington rules tour's best field". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. March 31, 1997. p. 2B.
  3. ↑ Reilly, Rick (April 7, 1997). "Show of shows". Sports Illustrated. p. 70.
  4. ↑ "Last putt puts Aussie in money". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. April 1, 1991. p. 2B.
  5. ↑ Garrity, John (April 8, 1991). "From shadows to glory". Sports Illustrated. p. 28.
  6. ↑ "Official Money – 1996". PGA Tour. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
  7. ↑ "1997 PGA Tour Media Guide" (PDF). PGA Tour. p. 3-37. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 24, 2020.
  8. ↑ "Elkington emerges with lead in TPC". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. March 28, 1997. p. 2C.
  9. ↑ "Elkington escapes wind, still leads". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. March 29, 1997. p. 3D.
  10. ↑ "Elkington maintains lead with 68". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. March 30, 1997. p. 3G.
  11. ↑ "Past Results 1974 – present". PGA Tour. Archived from the original on September 1, 2020. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
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