Will Sawgrass 17th Be Heaven Or Hell?

For many golf followers, the Players Championship is when the season really starts.

Considered the unofficial fifth Major, the Sawgrass course challenges the best golfers in the world like no other tournament does.

The signature 17th island hole can, and has, turned a potential tournament-winning round into a horror show. 

Officially listed as 137-yards in distance, the par 3 is surrounded by water which makes it arguably the most difficult hole to play on the golf calendar. 

Landing a tee shot an inch off target can see the ball roll off the green into the water and a good round suddenly turns into a disastrous one. 

UK betting sites have a number of markets focused on the torturous 17th home and, (pardon the pun), we took a deep dive into them.

You don’t have to be a fanatical golf fan to make money on the Players Championship at Sawgrass on betting apps. 

The 17th hole has no regard for reputation. Players at the top of the world rankings can fall victim just as easily as those who struggle to win titles on the PGA Tour.

Bet365 is offering odds of 6/4 for over 60 balls landing in the water at the 17th, 13/8 for between 50 and 60 and 2/1 for under 50.

Last year, a total of 58 balls ended up in the drink, while the year before 64 balls found the hazard.

That works out at an average of 61 over the last two years. A lot will depend on the daily pin position. 

Of the last 20 Players Championship tournaments, 2007 saw the highest number of balls (93) end up in the water, while 2014 saw the lowest (28).

If the PGA Tour wants a low-scoring tournament to make it a more competitive four days of golf, we could see the flag on the 17th set in tricky positions which dares golfers to go for it.

Some bookmakers have lowered their over/under to 52.5 with odds of 5/6 for either.

Survive The 17th And Move On

Golfers leading the way on the Sunday at Sawgrass will have one thought in mind. Take a par and move on.

Leave it to the chasing pack to take the risk of going for a birdie and therefore raising the jeopardy of seeing their ball roll off the green.

Matt Kuchar in 2012 remains the last player to hit a ball into the water at the 71st hole and finish top of the leaderboard with a two-shot advantage. 

Cameron Smith was the 2022 Players Champion thanks to a birdie on the 17th at the end of his final round. His winning margin was a single shot. 

In 2015, Rickie Fowler won the tournament following a playoff with Sergio Garcia and Kevin Kisner. Fowler birdied the 17th three times that week. 

Justin Thomas is the only champion in the last four iterations of the tournament to have dropped a shot on the ‘Island Green’ and still won the tournament, finding the water at the 17th in his first round in 2021.

Thomas and Fowler have been paired with defending champion Scottie Scheffler for the first two rounds in what promises to be a low-scoring group. 

Will We See A Hole-In-One At The 17th?

While the 17th can ruin a good round, it can also provide a positive spark to turn a terrible round into a decent one. 

A birdie is seen as a great score, but a hole-in-one can see a golfer jump up the leaderboard and possibly into contention. 

William Hill are offering odds of 1/3 on no hole-in-one being carded on the 17th this week.

* Reminder: These are hypothetical odds provided by industry experts.

How likely is an ace this week? 

Well, there have been 13 hole-in-ones in the Players Championship since 1983 and three of them happened last year, with Hayden Buckley, Aaron Rai and Alex Smalley achieving the remarkable feat.

Whether we see a hole-in-one or a tee shot land in the water, the notorious 17th hole will play some part in who wins the 50th Players Championship.