Spieth, Day grouped together with Grace for 1st 2 days at The Players
The Players Championship is here, marking one of the deepest fields — if not the deepest field — of the year.
The Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass again plays host to a full field looking to capture the nearly $1.9 million first-place check out of the $10.5 million purse.
Rickie Fowler is the defending champion, having won last year on the fourth playoff hole after playing the last six holes of regulation in a stunning 6 under, then surviving a three-hole aggregate playoff and capping it off with an unprecedented third birdie of the day at the infamous par-3 17th.
However, the most intriguing grouping for the first two days is certainly the one featuring Jordan Spieth, who is making his first PGA Tour start since his Masters meltdown
Here’s a look at four more of the best groups for the first two days of The Players Championship:
Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson (THURSDAY: 1:58 p.m. on No. 1/FRIDAY: 8:43 a.m. on No. 10) — This is a case study in if a player can manage to overpower Pete Dye’s masterpiece. It’s hard to do, but these long hitters just might go down trying — or give us the stripe show of the year.
Rickie Fowler, Adam Scott, Matt Kuchar (THURSDAY: 1:36 p.m. on No. 1/FRIDAY: 8:21 a.m. on No. 10) — Fowler gets to play for the first two days with a couple of past Players winners. He’s had a few letdowns of late in situations that seemed suited for him — namely falling short in the Phoenix playoff to Hideki Matsuyama and letting Charlotte get away from him last week.
Phil Mickelson, Henrik Stenson, Martin Kaymer (THURSDAY: 8:21 a.m. on No. 10/FRIDAY: 1:36 p.m. on No. 1) — A trio of former champions makes this group interesting. Had Mickelson not made a quad on the 18th at Quail Hollow on Saturday, he maybe wins the Wells Fargo. Stenson, the 2009 winner, is coming off a missed cut in Charlotte. Kaymer is spending the bulk of his 2016 in Europe in a Ryder Cup year.
Danny Willett, Brandt Snedeker, Justin Rose (THURSDAY: 8:10 a.m. on No. 10/FRIDAY: 1:25 p.m. on No. 1) — Willett makes his American return after winning the green jacket at Augusta National. Rose is trying to get back in the winner’s circle after a close call at Quail Hollow where he couldn’t make a putt that mattered. Snedeker won at Torrey Pines earlier this year, but his record at TPC Sawgrass isn’t good.
Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.
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