PLAYERS Championship: Power ranking the top 10 at TPC Sawgrass

The Players Championship is a tournament where course history doesn’t seem to be quite as important as other weeks. Webb Simpson fired 66-63-68-73 to cruise to a four-shot win in 2018 after failing to record a top-10 in eight previous starts. His 18-under score was the second lowest at TPC Sawgrass behind Greg Norman’s 24-under in 1994.

It goes to show how TPC Sawgrass is a track that doesn’t favor a particular player. Whoever is playing well that week and schemes his way around best will win.

Simpson hit 76.39 GIR and had his best post-anchored putter ban week on the greens averaging 2.342 strokes gained per round.

It doesn’t hurt that Simpson’s caddie, Paul Tesori, is a local.

“I’ve never really played well, as you said, but I enjoyed the golf course. I’m comfortable on the golf course,” Simpson said after his win. “And I think, you know, sometimes in golf it’s just a mystery. Some weeks, something happens, and a good solid round the first round, and then second round was pretty special. You know, hung in there this weekend to get it done.”

Simpson came to TPC Sawgrass fresh off of five straight top-25s and seven straight top-40s, although a T29 at the WGC-Match Play was more of a missed cut to be fair.

This time around he’s four starts deep into 2019 with a top-10, a top-20 and two more top-40s. He last teed it up a couple weeks ago at the Honda Classic where he finished T36.

Only Jack Nicklaus has won the Players three times and no one has defended his title. Simpson’s got the steady, if not spectacular ball striking (22nd tee to green) and short game (ninth SG around the green) to get back in the hunt this week, especially if the weather turns sour.