The secret to Sawgrass for The Players Championship: Play well and stay out of trouble
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The secret to Sawgrass?
'Playing good,' said Scheffler, who last year had to make up a five-shot deficit with a sore neck by holing out for eagle on the fourth hole on his way to a 64.
'You can't fake it around this place,' Scheffler said. 'I think there's a lot of genius in the way the golf course is designed. There is some volatility in terms of the hazard. That provides a lot of volatility for how the golf course can play, especially in high wind.
'It doesn't suit one type of player,' he said. 'It's not a horses-for-courses-type place. It's just the guys that are playing the best are going to be on the leaderboard on Sunday.'
That sounds simple enough, though that requires a view of Perks in 2002. He played great that week — turns out it was his only PGA Tour victory — but had to chip in for eagle from the edge of the 16th green, holing a long birdie putt on the island-green 17th, and then chipping in for par on the 18th.
Simple.
If the island green at the par-3 17th, or water in play on all but a handful of holes isn't enough, the PGA Tour restored the tree that hung sideways over the tee box on No. 6 that frames the shot and gives players one more thing to think about.
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'I certainly have to hit it a little lower than my preferred launch window,' Rory McIlroy said.
McIlroy won in 2019 and he has three other top-10 finishes. He also has missed the cut seven times, keeping in form of other past champions.
'You just have to be so on your game here,' McIlroy said. 'I think that's the main key. It's such a course on execution, and if you're not executing like 100 percent, you leave yourself in spots where it's really tough to get up-and-down. You have to hit the ball where you're looking, and if you can do that, you can do well here.
'It's one of the best tests of the year, for sure.'
Among the newcomers this year is Laurie Canter of England, who got plenty of attention Wednesday during the first-timer interviews because he spent parts of three years cashing in at Saudi-backed LIV Golf.
Canter was an alternate who was never in trouble with the European tour because he had limited status. And then he played beautifully enough to work his way into the top 50 in the world, the final push a runner-up finish in the South African Open.
Six others have won for the first time in the last year, three of them in 2025 — Brian Campbell (Mexico), Joe Highsmith (PGA National), and Karl Vilips (Puerto Rico).
Scheffler has a chance to join Jack Nicklaus as the only three-time winners of The Players Championship. Nicklaus won his three before it moved to TPC Sawgrass in 1982.
The Masters champion is still waiting to hit his stride after sitting out all of January with a hand injury from trying to cut ravioli with a wine glass.
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But he has been on an amazing run, capped off by his nine-win season in 2025, winning back-to-back at The Players and building such a big lead at No. 1 in the world that he is assured of being atop the world ranking for two straight years. No one except Woods has done that.
'Scottie is the closest thing to Tiger I think any of us have seen,' Wyndham Clark said. 'He not only is the No. 1 player in the world, he embraces it, and he shows up every week and almost wins or is in contention or does win. It's very impressive.
'I think he's kind of the mark we're all trying to get to, and I have nothing but respect for everything that Scottie is doing, and I love that it doesn't affect him,' Clark said. 'It hasn't gone to his head. He just continues to be Scottie and goes about his way.'
American Wyndham Clark referred to World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler as "the closest thing to Tiger I think any of us have seen" during his chat with the press Wednesday at The Players Championship.
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Think of it as a chilly cleanup. The net effect is the removal of waste and inflammation from tired muscles, leaving the body feeling less sore, more limber and refreshed. Not just a Tour thing Some health clubs, day spas and country clubs now offer cold plunge tanks, and you can also buy one for your home. They range from simple tubs that you fill with water and ice to sophisticated setups with water-chilling condensers that allow you to set specific temperatures and skip buying bags of ice. As you might suspect, the prices vary widely, from a few hundred dollars to several thousand. Theoretically, you could buy a big plastic recycling bin, fill it with water and ice, and hop in. You could also splurge for the model like podcaster Joe Rogan's, which starts at $16,000. However, if you're thinking about trying a cold plunge, be sure to check with your doctor to make sure it's safe for you. Some people with heart conditions need to be careful about sudden exposure to icy water. 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My knees ache less when I walk the course, and when I wake up in the morning, I'm less creaky and sore. I feel more flexible all the time, probably from reduced inflammation and better circulation, and plunging at night cools my body in a way that's perfect for sleep (I hate trying to sleep when it's hot). However, doing a cold plunge at night, outside, is harder than daytime plunging. I'm sure it's psychological, but when you can see the sun, the same temperature water doesn't feel as cold. You do adapt to the cold over time, but it's never exactly easy to step into that tub. It just stops feeling like punishment — and starts feeling like a reset button you're oddly willing to press again and again.
