Water Balls at the 17th

The 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course - the island green - has become one of the most-famous holes in golf. Not because it was the first island green; but because every year, a very important golf tournament is played on this course, and every year some very important golfers put the ball in the water at the 17th. Sometimes they even do it on Sunday, in contention, one hole from the clubhouse.

Hole No. 17 is not the toughest hole at TPC Sawgrass. It's only the No. 13 handicap hole on the scorecard; the following hole, No. 18, is the No. 1 handicap hole on the scorecard. Two of the nine toughest holes on the PGA Tour in 2008 were on the Stadium Course, but the 13th wasn't one of those two (No. 18 and No. 14 are the holes making the list).

But how badly would your knees be knocking if you approached the 17th with thousands of people watching, your round in good shape, only to see what must appear, under those circumstances, a tiny speck of land in a great ocean of water?

How many balls go in the drink around No. 17 during The Players Championship? Here are the figures for the past few years:

• 2008 - 65 balls in the water at No. 17
• 2007 - 93
• 2006 - 57
• 2005 - 67
• 2004 - 30
• 2003 - 29

The numbers were very light in 2003 and 2004, probably indicating some very light winds.

According to the PGA Tour, only twice in the 27 times The Players Championship has been played at TPC Sawgrass has the winner bogied the 17th hole in the final round - Steve Elkington in 1991 and Fred Funk in 2005. Sixteen winners made par on Sunday and nine recorded birdies.

See also:

• More on The Players Championship
• Your Turn: Should The Players Championship be called a major?