Chip Harp, Valdosta Today Sports
PONTE VEDRA BEACH — In golf, when you think of April, you think Augusta and the Masters. In May, you think of big checks, island greens, and The Players golf tournament, held at the TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course.
To get ready for this major event, Valdosta Today previews the tournament by offering a discussion with NBC Golf Channel analyst and golf hall of famer Johnny Miller, who was available through a pre-tournament press conference on Tuesday in Ponte Vedra.
In your opinion, what are the most challenging holes at the TPC Sawgrass Stadium course?
Miller > “Fourteen and 18 are probably the two hardest holes. A lot of it depends on the wind, but those two holes, besides 17, are holes that you were sort of thinking about a little bit when you haven’t even teed off yet. But you know, there are pieces on the golf course will bite you all over it, but those two are I guess the two strongest holes on the course.”
NBC Analyst Brandel Chamblee > “I always felt like 13 was a very underrated par‑3. It was so hard to hit the right shape of shot into that hill and get it to feed down to the left, because if you aimed at that hill and missed it to the right and got on the wrong side of that hill, then you’re on the right where the pin was on the left; you’re on the left when the pin was on the right. And there’s disaster everywhere there. And then the drive at 14 … so from a technical point of view, the tee shot at 13 and tee shot at 14 are very underrated. But you know, I think from an excitement standpoint, you’re hard pressed to do much better than watching players come into 11 or come into 16.”
Jordan Spieth has had an incredible start to the season, capturing his first major at Augusta. What are your thoughts on this incredible young talent?
Miller > “… Jordan at his age doing what he’s doing, it’s very special. Will he continue to keep the fire burning? I would think so. And he ‑‑ I’m not sure if he’s going to bring new viewers to the game, but he definitely ‑‑ you know, he’s not like a guy that hits it like Bubba, nine miles. He does it in sort of a stiletto way of doing it, not with a sledge hammer, you know. He just sort of takes the course apart in a ‑‑ and surely it isn’t boring, but it’s a little bit more between.”
Valdosta Today will have continuing coverage leading up to The Players tournament which begins next Thursday, May 7th, including reports from the course.
