It is the most significant tournament on the PGA Tour, aside from the Majors, boasting the highest prize money. This year marks its 50th edition. In Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, the elite of global golf will converge for The Players Championship, running from tomorrow until Sunday, March 17th. This pivotal event will feature a purse of $25,000,000 for the second consecutive year, with $4,500,000 earmarked for the winner. Scottie Scheffler will defend the title he claimed in 2023.
The Players, schedule
As the reigning world number one, Scheffler poses a formidable challenge, especially following his recent victory in the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Among the highly anticipated competitors are ten of the top eleven players in the world rankings, including Rory McIlroy (second, and winner in 2019), Viktor Hovland (fourth), Wyndham Clark (fifth, and runner-up last week), Xander Schauffele (sixth), Patrick Cantlay (seventh), Max Homa (eighth), Brian Harman (ninth), and Ludvig Aberg (tenth). However, notable absentee Jon Rahm (third) will not be present, as he is now a prominent player in the LIV Golf, the Arab Super League. Francesco Molinari will represent Italy on the greens. The Turin native is tasked with a resurgence after his recent performances. Notably missing from the lineup is Tiger Woods. The Californian, who aimed to participate in at least one tournament per month, is likely to return to action from April 11th to 14th at the Masters Tournament, the first men’s Major of 2024. Among the past champions joining Scheffler and McIlroy in Florida are Justin Thomas (2021), Webb Simpson (2018), Si-woo Kim (2017), Jason Day (2016), Rickie Fowler (2015), Matt Kuchar (2012), and Adam Scott (2004).
The PGA Tour is an organization that oversees the primary professional golf tours in the United States. It is headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, a suburb of Jacksonville, Florida. Its official name is written entirely in uppercase letters, namely “PGA TOUR.”
The PGA Tour, headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, a suburb of Jacksonville, Florida, oversees the primary professional golf tours in the United States. Its official name, “PGA TOUR,” is written entirely in uppercase letters.
Established as a separate entity in 1968, the PGA Tour split from the PGA of America, which now mainly serves as an association for golf professionals such as instructors and club managers. Initially, tournament players formed the Association of Professional Golfers (APG). However, in 1968, they disbanded the APG and agreed to operate as the PGA “Tournament Players Division,” a fully autonomous division of the PGA, overseen by a new 10-member Tournament Policy Board. The name officially changed to “PGA Tour” in 1975.
In 1981, the PGA Tour encountered a marketing dispute with the PGA of America, leading to an official name change. From the end of August of that year, it became the “TPA Tour,” representing the “Tournament Players Association.” However, the dispute was resolved within seven months, and the tour reverted to its original name, “PGA Tour,” in March 1982.
Given the abundance of similar names, it’s crucial to clarify what the PGA Tour organizes and what it doesn’t. Notably, the PGA Tour does not manage any of the four major tournaments or the Ryder Cup. These are overseen by the PGA of America. The PGA Tour focuses on organizing all other professional golf events week after week, including The Players Championship and the FedEx Cup, as well as the biennial Presidents Cup. Women’s tours in the United States are governed by the LPGA, and the official governing body for golf in the country is the USGA, which also organizes the U.S. Open.
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