Print this page  |  Close Window

By Maureen Callaghan
PGA TOUR Staff

• There has not been a playoff at THE PLAYERS Championship since Sandy Lyle defeated Jeff Sluman in 1987. The playoff drought is the longest of any current event on the PGA TOUR.

• This week's field will include every player who has won a TOUR event since the beginning of the 2006 season, 47 in all.

• Only one European has won the tournament, Sandy Lyle in 1987. Several others have been close with runner-up finishes from Nick Faldo (1992), Bernhard Langer (1993 and 1995), Colin Montgomerie (1996)), Padraig Harrington (2003 and 2004) and Luke Donald (2005). There's a strong European contingent in attendance this week, however, to challenge that drought. Europeans in the field include Paul Casey, Darren Clarke, Brian Davis, Luke Donald, Niclas Fasth, Sergio Garcia, Mathias Gronberg, Harrington, David Howell, Fredrik Jacobson, Richard S. Johnson, Robert Karlsson, Langer, Montgomerie, Jose Maria Olazabal, Jesper Parnevik, Carl Pettersson, Ian Poulter and Henrik Stenson.

• Ken Duke enters the tournament on a hot streak. The 2006 Nationwide Tour Player of the Year has four consecutive Top-10 finishes to his credit and has risen to 21st on the FedExCup points list. In his last four outings, Duke has finished T10-2-T7 and T7. Duke received an exemption into the event for leading the Nationwide Tour in earnings last year. Bobby Wadkins is also entered after winning the Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship last year on the Champions Tour.

• There were four holes-in-one at the 2006 tournament?all on the 13th hole. Justin Leonard started the barrage and was followed by Jesper Parnevik, Henrik Stenson and Fred Couples.

• There have been five multiple winners of the tournament?Jack Nicklaus with three victories and Fred Couples, Steve Elkington, Davis Love III and Hal Sutton with two each.

• No one has successfully defended his title at THE PLAYERS. In fact, only six defending champions have managed to finish in the Top-10 the following season and none finished higher than T5.