PGA Tour The Players Championship

The premier event "The Players Championship", formerly known as the Tournament Players Championship was extablished in 1974 and is owned and directed by the PGA Tour. The tournament is deemed to be the most important tournament outside of the four golf majors - Masters Tournament by the Augusta National Golf Club, U.S. Open by the USGA, the British Open by the R&A, and PGA Championship the PGA of America.

The Players Championship had been scheduled on the second Sunday of May which happens to be Mother's Day with the rescheduling in 2007.

The event was first played at Atlanta Country Club in Marietta in
1974, at Georgia before moving to the Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas in 1975, and at Inverrary Country Club in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida in 1976. In 1977, the event was played at at Sawgrass Country Club's Oceanside Course, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Currently, The Players Championship has been played on the Stadium Course at the "Tournament Players Club at Sawgrass" since 1982. The par-3 at No. 17 known as "the Island Green" or "the TPC Sawgrass' signature hole" is considered to be one of the hard-hitting golf courses in America.

Mulled over as the "Fifth Major", (altho still not an official major status) The Players Championship offers the highest prize fund in PGA golf tournament giving away $8 million from 2004 to 2006, and $9.5 million in 2008.

PGA Tour The Players Championship Winners

The Players Championship
2009 Henrik Stenson, Sweden - 276
2008 Sergio García, Spain - 283
2007 Phil Mickelson, United States - 277
2006 Stephen Ames, Trinidad and Tobago/Canada - 274
2005 Fred Funk, United States - 279
2004 Adam Scott, Australia - 276
2003 Davis Love III (2), United States - 271
2002 Craig Perks, New Zealand - 280
2001 Tiger Woods, United States - 274
2000 Hal Sutton (2), United States - 278
1999 David Duval, United States - 285
1998 Justin Leonard, United States -278
1997 Steve Elkington (2), Australia - 272
1996 Fred Couples (2), United States - 270
1995 Lee Janzen, United States - 283
1994 Greg Norman, Australia - 264
1993 Nick Price, Zimbabwe - 270
1992 Davis Love III (1), United States - 273
1991 Steve Elkington (1), Australia - 276
1990 Jodie Mudd, United States - 278
1989 Tom Kite, United States - 279
1988 Mark McCumber, United States - 273

Tournament Players Championship
1987 Sandy Lyle, Scotland - 274
1986 John Mahaffey, United States - 275
1985 Calvin Peete, United States - 274
1984 Fred Couples (1), United States - 277
1983 Hal Sutton (1), United States - 283
1982 Jerry Pate, United States - 280
1981 Raymond Floyd, United States - 285
1980 Lee Trevino, United States - 278
1979 Lanny Wadkins, United States - 283
1978 Jack Nicklaus (3), United States - 289
1977 Mark Hayes, United States - 289
1976 Jack Nicklaus (2), United States - 269
1975 Al Geiberger, United States - 270
1974 Jack Nicklaus (1), United States - 272