A heartwarming finish capped off last week’s Wells Fargo Championship, but now is not the time to dwell on the past because the time has come for the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass. Here are a couple players to watch as the weekend unfolds.
Phil Mickelson: Coming off a solid performance last week at Quail Hollow, Mickelson has been playing some strong golf as he leads the tour in scoring average at 69.661 and has had more top-10 finishes this year, four of them through 11 events to be exact, than he did last year, three through 19 events. Mickelson last won this event in 2007.
Danny Willet: The 2016 Masters Champion enters this week ranked 34th in the FedEx Cup standings, he’ll be looking to change that up. I’ve included him not because I’m picking him to win, but I’m curious to see of there will be a “Master’s Hangover” of sorts. Willet hasn’t competed since taking home the green jacket over a month ago, so I’ll be curious to see what kind of work he’s put into his game over that time.
Jordan Spieth: Speaking of Masters Champions, Spieth is also making his return to competitive play since his collapse at this year’s Masters. While yes, watching Spieth stumble at Augusta National was both mesmerizing and heartbreaking, you have to realize that he’s finished outside the top-20 twice, one of those finishes was him being cut. So yes, should he have taken home another green jacket, I wanted to see it but I’m honestly more curious to see if this break away from the game has affected his confidence for the better or the worse.
Rickie Fowler: Last but not least, last years champion. Fowler won this event last year after being dubbed one of the most overrated player on the PGA Tour by his peers and if that didn’t quiet the rumbles, his resume this season may have after he’s finished in the top-10 seven times this year. His most recent finish of the sort was this past weekend at the Wells Fargo Championship where he finished tied for fourth, but last weekend didn’t go as Fowler would have hoped. Fowler’s last round last week was a two-over, 74, but I would assume he’s over that by now and is itching to tackle the treacherous 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass.
