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PONTE VEDRA BEACH (FLORIDA) - IF ERNIE Els had his way, there would be no 17th hole at the TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course.
'I think they should just blow it up, seriously,' said the South African. This, after he became one of 18 players to lose a ball in the water in Thursday's first round of The Players Championship, the unofficial fifth Major.
He went to the famous par-three island hole at two under, appearing as if he would be in contention for the first time since winning the Honda Classic in early March.
He wanted to hit a soft, safe shot with his wedge, but he chunked it slightly and came up 10 yards short of the green. Splash!
He made a triple-bogey six on the course's shortest hole, finished at even-par 72 and was six shots off the lead held by Sergio Garcia.
'It has no place in a major championship,' Els went on. 'Everything you've worked on for 41/2 hours is gone in one hole. I was so angry. I felt if I got in the house at two under, that would have been a great score.'
Adam Scott and Jim Furyk, No3 and No7 in the world rankings respectively, also hit into the water on back-to-back tee shots.
The 17th hole at Sawgrass has been reviled and revered, panned and praised.
From the tee, some 130 yards away, the green appears gigantic, a huge target at which the best players in the world can take dead aim. It should not be a big deal. Not for professionals who make the use of a short iron appear so simple. But it is.
'I got kicked in the a** on No17,' said Sean O'Hair.
A year ago, he had trailed Phil Mickelson by two strokes when he stood on the tee, with two holes remaining in the contest.
But he misjudged the wind and flew his tee shot clear over the green and into the drink. Then he knocked it in again from the drop area.
He plummeted from second to 11th and saw more than US$250,000 (S$345,000) go the way of the fish.
This time, his tee shot almost rolled through the green and off the back of the island, but it stopped in the fringe. His chip got within six feet, but he missed the par attempt for a bogey.
During the third round of the 2005 tournament, Bob Tway hit two shots that flew the green and went into the water.
His third and fourth attempts hit the front of the green and spun back into the water. He finally hit the green with his fifth attempt - and then three-putted for a 12, the highest score in the hole's history.
He was tied for 10th before the miscue, and went on to tie for 72nd.
'You're playing great,' Tway said. 'All of a sudden, in one hole, you might as well be finishing last.'
Garcia had no trouble with No 17, saving par. He seared the back nine with four birdies for a 32 and then added three birdies and a bogey on the front.
His round of six-under 66 put him two strokes ahead of Kenny Perry and Paul Goydos.
Although the Spaniard is mired in a 0-for-53 drought on the PGA Tour, the longest of his career, it was not a big surprise to see him atop the leaderboard.
For one, he likes the golf course, finishing second behind Mickelson last year after closing with 67-66 on the weekend.
Second, he has been putting better after deciding to work with short-game guru Stan Utley.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Players C'ship: Day 3
Live, Ch26 & Ch303, tomorrow, 2am
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