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The Main Attraction

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 5, 2008

The famed par-3 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, with its signature island green, has been called gimmicky (Tiger Woods), been compared to having a root canal (Mark Calcavecchia) and been described as a hole that sooner or later is going to get you (Jack Nicklaus).

Simply put, it can be the most intimidating hole in golf, the centerpiece of the PGA Tour's self-anointed fifth major.

It covers only 137 yards from tee to green, but that shot causes plenty of indecision - trepidation, even - for the game's top pros.

A year ago, No. 17 played to an average of 3.386 strokes, the highest in Players Championship history, topping the mark of 3.368 set in 1984.

During first-round play last year, a record 50 balls found their way into the murky lagoon, mostly because of swirling wind gusts that reached 39 mph.

For the week in 2007, 94 balls found the water, including Sean O'Hair's tee shot on the 71st hole. He trailed eventual winner Phil Mickelson by two strokes at the time, went on to make a quadruple-bogey 7 and fell to an 11th-place finish, costing himself about $750,000 in prize money.

Because of the hole's popularity among fans, the PGA Tour once again will have live online video coverage of every shot at No. 17.

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