Bryson DeChambeau and other big hitters at TPC Sawgrass will not have the option of using the ninth fairway to play the 18th hole after tournament officials introduced an internal out of bounds ruling
Tuesday 9 March 2021 20:59, UK
The PGA Tour has removed the option of playing the 18th hole via the ninth fairway after announcing the installation of out-of-bounds to the left of the lake on the finishing hole at TPC Sawgrass.
There had been speculation that Bryson DeChambeau could opt to take the water out of play at the last during this week's Players Championship, aiming way left and targeting the ninth fairway.
DeChambeau, who thrilled the crowds at Bay Hill with two drives of over 370 yards on the par-five sixth, cutting off most of the water and leaving himself less than 100 yards to the green, had seemed reluctant to stray off the beaten track when asked about his strategy in his pre-tournament press conference.
"I'll probably give it a try, but it's most likely not going to happen," he said. "If there are stands, there's really no reason to go for it, when I could just drive it 100 yards from the green if I get a good wind normally. It's not really that big of an advantage, but taking the water out of play and having an easier second shot, it may be easier, I don't know."
But tournament officials have now made the decision for him, preventing the US Open champion or any of his fellow big-hitters on Tour from going up the ninth due to safety concerns.
The announcement from PGA Tour HQ read: "In the interest of safety for spectators, volunteers and other personnel, The Players Championship rules committee has installed an internal out of bounds left of the lake for play at hole 18.
"Similar instances for internal out of bounds for safety purposes have occurred at The Open Championship (hole 9) in 2017, the 2021 Sony Open in Hawaii (hole 13 and hole 18), and most recently, the 2021 Arnold Palmer Invitational (hole 6)."
Playing 18 via the ninth would not have been a straightforward option, with a narrow landing-area around 325 yards from the 18th tee to aim at, with the water in play for anything pushed too far to the right.
And, as DeChambeau alluded to, there are usually grandstands to the right of the ninth fairway closer to the green which may have obstructed his view from the 18th green.
