1997 Players Championship

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.

1997 Players Championship
Tournament information
DatesMarch 27–30, 1997
LocationPonte Vedra Beach, Florida
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

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
Main article: TPC at Sawgrass

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
  1. 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
  2. The top 125 PGA Tour members from the final 1996 Official Money List
  3. Winners in the last 10 calendar years of The Players Championship, Masters Tournament, U.S. Open, PGA Championship, and NEC World Series of Golf
  4. British Open winners since 1990
  5. Eight players, not otherwise eligible, designated by The Players Championship Committee as "special selections"
  6. Any players, not otherwise eligible, who are among the top 10 money winners from the 1997 Official Money List through the Bay Hill Invitational
  7. 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:[6]

Field

John Adams, Fulton Allem, Robert Allenby, Billy Andrade, Stuart Appleby, Emlyn Aubrey, Woody Austin, Paul Azinger, Chip Beck, Ronnie Black, Phil Blackmar, Jay Don Blake, Guy Boros, Michael Bradley, Mike Brisky, Mark Brooks, Olin Browne, Brad Bryant, Patrick Burke, Mark Calcavecchia, Jim Carter, Brandel Chamblee, Lennie Clements, Russ Cochran, John Cook, Fred Couples, Ben Crenshaw, John Daly, Robert Damron, Marco Dawson, Glen Day, Scott Dunlap, Joe Durant, David Duval, David Edwards, Joel Edwards, Steve Elkington, Ernie Els, Brad Fabel, Nick Faldo, Brad Faxon, Rick Fehr, Dan Forsman, David Frost, Fred Funk, Jim Furyk, Jim Gallagher Jr., Robert Gamez, Kelly Gibson, Paul Goydos, Wayne Grady, Scott Gump, Jay Haas, Donnie Hammond, Dudley Hart, Nolan Henke, Brian Henninger, Tim Herron, Scott Hoch, Mike Hulbert, John Huston, Peter Jacobsen, Lee Janzen, Steve Jones, Pete Jordan, Jerry Kelly, Tom Kite, Greg Kraft, Neal Lancaster, Bernhard Langer, Tom Lehman, Justin Leonard, Wayne Levi, Davis Love III, Steve Lowery, Sandy Lyle, Andrew Magee, Jeff Maggert, John Maginnes, Doug Martin, Len Mattiace, Billy Mayfair, Blaine McCallister, Scott McCarron, Mark McCumber, Mark McNulty, Rocco Mediate, Phil Mickelson, Larry Mize, Colin Montgomerie, Gil Morgan, John Morse, Larry Nelson, Frank Nobilo, Greg Norman, Mark O'Meara, David Ogrin, Masashi Ozaki, Naomichi Ozaki, Jesper Parnevik, Craig Parry, Corey Pavin, Chris Perry, Kenny Perry, Don Pooley, Nick Price, Dicky Pride, Tom Purtzer, Mike Reid, Lee Rinker, Loren Roberts, Costantino Rocca, Clarence Rose, Hugh Royer III, Scott Simpson, Joey Sindelar, Vijay Singh, Jeff Sluman, Taylor Smith, Craig Stadler, Paul Stankowski, Payne Stewart, Dave Stockton Jr., Curtis Strange, Steve Stricker, Hal Sutton, Tommy Tolles, David Toms, Sam Torrance, Kirk Triplett, Ted Tryba, Bob Tway, Omar Uresti, Grant Waite, Duffy Waldorf, Tom Watson, Brian Watts, D. A. Weibring, Mark Wiebe, John Wilson, Willie Wood, Tiger Woods, Ian Woosnam, Fuzzy Zoeller

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:[7]

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:[8]

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:[9]

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:[10]

References
  1. "PGA Players Championship". Wilmington Morning Star. (North Carolina). March 31, 1997. p. 8B.
  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. "1997 PGA Tour Media Guide" (PDF). PGA Tour. pp. 3–37. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2020-09-24.
  7. "Elkington emerges with lead in TPC". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. March 28, 1997. p. 2C.
  8. "Elkington escapes wind, still leads". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. March 29, 1997. p. 3D.
  9. "Elkington maintains lead with 68". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. March 30, 1997. p. 3G.
  10. "Past Results 1974 – present". PGA Tour. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
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