Players Championship 2015: Start Time, Live Stream, Coverage Info and More
The Players Championship is arguably the most exciting annual tournament on the PGA Tour outside of the four majors. In fact, due to the event's popularity with the world's top golfers and enthusiasts of the sport, it's widely heralded as the unofficial fifth major.
This year, every player within the top 50 in the world golf rankings will be competing for the tournament's massive $10 million purse. Although, they won't just be competing against each other; navigating the treacherous 7,215 yards at TPC Sawgrass is a daunting task in itself.
The course is chock-full of danger around every sharp dogleg. Ball-striking must be at a premium to score well, as it features narrow fairways, thick rough and slick greens. Of course, there's always the infamous island green of the 137-yard 17th hole, a short par three surrounded by water waiting to engulf any slightly errant shot.
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As we anxiously await the 2015 edition of The Players Championship to commence, let's take a look at its complete viewing information to ensure you don't miss a moment of the compelling action.
2015 The Players Championship
When: Thursday, May 7 - Sunday, May 10
Where: TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
Purse: $10 million (winning share: $1.8 million)
FedEx Cup Points: 600 to winner
Viewing Info:
- Thursday and Friday: 1-7 p.m. ET, Golf Channel
- Saturday and Sunday: 2-7 p.m. ET, NBC
Live Stream: PGATour.com
Storylines to Watch
Battle of the Best
The trio of Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth and Henrik Stenson sit atop the world golf rankings and will be aiming to notch an elusive win in The Players Championship. Of the three, only Stenson has won at TPC Sawgrass before, emerging victorious in 2009 with a final score of 12-under.
While McIlroy and Spieth have yet to win the tournament, both have been in the mix in recent years. McIlroy notched top-10 finishes in his last two appearances, and Spieth finished tied for fourth in 2014. Both players have added impressive victories to their resumes of late, combining to win the last three majors, and they'll be looking to keep that streak alive here.
Stenson's had a nice run of form in recent outings, earning a tie for fourth in the WGC-Cadillac Championship, a fourth-place finish in the Valspar Championship and a runner-up finish in the Arnold Palmer Invitational. While he did have a disappointing Masters, finishing tied for 19th, expect his consistent ball-striking to keep him in contention at TPC Sawgrass.
Tiger the Sleeper
Tiger Woods is back in the field this week, looking to find his form and compete for titles once again. After a rash of injuries, plenty of tinkering with his swing and even some chipping yips, the former world No. 1 produced an admirable showing at the Masters, finishing tied for 17th. This will be his first start since.
While we did see glimpses of the Tiger of old at Augusta National, it was obvious Woods still had plenty of work to do to contend once more. He did fare better off of the tee, and his short game was improved, but inconsistent ball-striking led to some high numbers on his scorecards.
His ball-striking must be improved if he's to enter the fray at the demanding TPC Sawgrass, but he has plenty of familiarity and confidence at the course, winning there twice (most recently in 2013). Perhaps that will be enough to propel him up the leaderboard and challenge on Sunday.
Fallout of Match Play
Since The Players Championship is being held directly after the WGC-Cadillac Match Play, fatigue may come into play for many of the world's top players. As we know, McIlroy won the event, defeating Gary Woodland in the final, but players such as Jim Furyk, Paul Casey and Louis Oosthuizen played deep into the tournament. Each of those golfers played five or more rounds at TPC Harding Park.
Could players who exited match play early have an advantage heading into The Players Championship? Let's take Stenson for example. He was ousted from the tournament following his three round-robin matches. Compare that to McIlroy, who played an additional four rounds, totaling seven for the event. Surely, muscle fatigue should be expected to come into play for the world No. 1.
Of the world's top-five players, only McIlroy and Furyk went the distance at TPC Harding Park. Spieth, Stenson and Bubba Watson were eliminated before the round of 16 began. Before picking your favorite to win The Players Championship, be sure to take that into consideration.
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