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The PLAYERS Championship Power Rankings: Top 10 at TPC Sawgrass

By Mike Randleman

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL - MAY 14: Sergio Garcia of Spain lines up a putt on the 17th green during the final round of THE PLAYERS Championship at the Stadium course at TPC Sawgrass on May 14, 2017 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL - MAY 14: Sergio Garcia of Spain lines up a putt on the 17th green during the final round of THE PLAYERS Championship at the Stadium course at TPC Sawgrass on May 14, 2017 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /
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PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL – MAY 12: Jordan Spieth of the United States reacts after chipping in from the rough on the third hole during the second round of THE PLAYERS Championship at the Stadium course at TPC Sawgrass on May 12, 2017 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL – MAY 12: Jordan Spieth of the United States reacts after chipping in from the rough on the third hole during the second round of THE PLAYERS Championship at the Stadium course at TPC Sawgrass on May 12, 2017 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

It’s put up or shut up time for Jordan Spieth at TPC Sawgrass as far as I see it. We’ve grown so accustomed to see him make cuts just about every start. Even his “B” or “C” game can be enough to win some weeks.

Spieth tantalized with a T4 in his PLAYERS debut as a 20-year-old in 2014. He hasn’t played the weekend at this tournament since.

“It’s just been on and around the greens I just haven’t quite figured it out,” Spieth said in 2017. “These greens get pretty crusty and, historically, whenever firm Bermuda or greens are crusty to where it’s tough to set the putter down, I just struggle with my alignment and it just kind of throws me off. It happened again here.”

He also added:

“I love Bermuda grass, I feel like it is my best chance to putt well, but when it gets crusty I’ve got to find a new way to do things that I haven’t quite figured out yet.”

Perhaps conditions will be more to his liking, though no rain is in sight for Sawgrass this week.

The way he’s hitting the ball could be enough to overcome his bizarre putting woes. Spieth’s still piling up top-10s in what is a down season.

That’s because he’s second in strokes gained-tee-to-green. He’s been a bit errant with the driver, but being able to hit more irons and woods should be advantageous. Spieth is second on Tour in fairway proximity.

His short game is solid again (12th in SG around-the-green) and he’s got the tactician’s mind to know how to play this course well. With confidence from a pair of third-place finishes in his last two individual starts, Spieth should buck the trend this year and finish high.

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