Same tournament, new course with Players moving to March

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLA. >> Justin Thomas has played the 15th hole at The Players Championship some 20 times, but never this early in the year. That’s why he turned to his caddie for some last-minute advice during a practice round. “We don’t have to worry about going through the fairway, right?” he asked Jimmy Johnson.

The field is as strong as ever, with everyone from the top 50 in the world ranking in the 144-man field. The prize money is richer than ever at $12.5 million, with $2.25 million going to the winner. And it would seem to be the same Stadium Course at the TPC Sawgrass that has hosted the PGA Tour’s signature event since 1982. But it’s not. A move to March changes everything. The Players Championship has gone green, with rye overseed making it lush, green and longer than when it was held in May on Bermuda grass that could be fast and fiery. The prevailing wind can come out of an entirely different direction, which can make that island green on the par-3 17th look a little smaller.