Memories of the 2019 PLAYERS Championship Won by Rory McIlroy!
A memorable Sunday at the PLAYERS!
First, another inspirational FCA Chapel Service!
2019 PLAYERS: FCA Sunday Chapel Service with Justin Hueber & The Jason Lovins Band!
Second, immediately following the first, an ACE at the par-3 17th by yours truly! The replicate par-3 17th that is! Not the full 136 yards, more like 13 yards or 40 feet. But it went IN!!!
Third, what an amazing finish with Rory strong and steady to win by one stroke over local favorite Jim Furyk!
What an exciting morning out at TPC Sawgrass and then an exciting afternoon watching the drama play out on TV!
Even though Tiger Woods was out of it, his Sunday 69 moved him up 13 spots to a T30 finish. His gallery with playing partner Matthew Fitzpatrick (71, T41) was huge and moved through the Stadium Course with good cheer. Tiger birdied 4 of his first 11 holes; 7 of his last 18 going back to Saturday’s Round 3 but it was the quadruple bogey 7 on the par-3 island green 17th in Round 2 that came between Tiger and his third PLAYERS win to tie Jack Nicklaus!
Jon Rahm, hot off his Saturday 64, was leading heading into the back nine at 14-under par with Jim Furyk who was 5 groups ahead and through the 12th hole. Rory birdies No. 11 to get to that 14-under mark.
Tommy Fleetwood, Rahm’s playing partner in the final pairing, unexpectedly hits his second shot into the water at the par-5 11th hole. A petulant Rahm, after not heeding the advice of his caddie, tries to him the miracle hook down wind that does hook and winds up in the water too. Rahm was pretty much done for the day at that point. Fleetwood later eagles the par-5 16th hole to get back to the 14-under mark and has a chance until he finds water on the 17th. And this time Rahm follows him into the drink! A ‘do-see-do’ dance that favors no one!
Earlier Eddie Pepperell birdies the 17th and there is a 4-way tie at 14-under until the scores above at No. 11 are posted. Furyk bogeys the 15th missing a 3-footer for par. Now it’s only Rory & Eddie leading at 14-under.
Rory drains a 20-footer for birdie at the short par-4 12th after a poor chip while Pepperell pars the 18th for a Sunday 66 and is the clubhouse leader at 14-under. Now Rory and Furyk know what the number to win is!
Johnny Vegas, defying the Vegas odds makes a bomb of 72 feet on the tiny 17th green which is indeed better than most and the longest putt made to date on the island! Vegas also pars the 18th, posts a Sunday 66 to tie Pepperell in the clubhouse at 14-under.
Furyk birdies the 16th, a hole that he has markedly has never eagled, to get back to 14-under while Rahm does the same with a deuce at the 13th.
Rory does not get it up-and down from the players-left greenside bunker, a difficult shot, for par at the 14th and falls into a 5-way tie at 14-under with two of those scores in the clubhouse!
Furyk burns the right edge with a 15-footer for deuce at the 17th but gets the birdie he needs (and needed to make a playoff with Kaymer in 2014) to post 15-under in the clubhouse after a solid Sunday 67.
Rory’s heroic shot to win comes from the right bunker on the par-4 15th and then he makes the 12-footer to get back to 15-under and a tie with Furyk. Then it comes down to power golf, Rory power, with only a 9-iron second shot into the par-5 15th he gets the birdie he needs and the two pars coming home to win his first PLAYERS Championship!
Congrats Rory! Great job Furyk, double Sawgrass SPLASHES for Rahm & Fleetwood on 11 & 17! Great fun & entertainment is the 2019 THE PLAYERS Championship! (Andy Reistetter; 3/18/19; Facebook Post with 30 Pics)
LOL, aced the replica 17th hole this morning after attending the 7 am Chapel Service! Two balls; sleeve of balls if hit both on the green; skulled the first, literally said & was heard ‘might as well make this one;’ took dead aim with 52 degree wedge, landed softly & it went in sideways as shown on the end of this video of my new friend Curtis & his father Rich! Happy Players, Happy Andy! TROML Baby!!! (Andy Reistetter; 3/17/19; Facebook Posts with 8 Pics)
Awesome THE PLAYERS Championship in progress! Enjoyed being out there this week with my good friend Sir Walter & watching the NBC/Golf Channel broadcast! Impressive Jon Rahm leading after 3 rounds. Rory & Fleetwood are one stroke back; then Day & Ancer; then a group of six golfers 5 strokes back including local favorite Jim Furyk! A Sunday 65 just might do it for Furyk! Going to be a great PLAYERS Championship Sunday and it all will start with an inspirational 7 am Chapel Service inside the PLAYERS Welcome Center inside the new & updated Nicklaus Gate. Hope to see you out there! TROML Baby! (Andy Reistetter; 3/16/19; Facebook Post with 30 Pics)
Thursday Round 1 at the PLAYERS! In the Stadium on the Stadium Course! Happy PLAYERS! (Andy Reistetter; 3/14/19; Facebook Post with Panoramic Pic)