Risks and rewards: The 16th hole at TPC Sawgrass

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The 16th hole at TPC Sawgrass ranks as the easiest on the Stadium Course. (Condon/PGA TOUR)

Video: 16th hole flyover

The 17th hole, with its island green, is about notoriety. The 18th hole, modeled after the finishing hole at Pebble Beach, is about difficulty. But what about No. 16 at TPC Sawgrass? What kind of legacy is that par 5, 523-yard hole carving out every year at THE PLAYERS Championship?

One word: Scoring.

As the easiest hole on the Stadium Course, the 16th hole is the last real opportunity for players to make a big move before encountering the final two treacherous holes, both ranked among the TOUR's top 50 toughest holes.

Behind by a shot or two? You can go for the two-tiered green that slopes from left to right toward the water. Ahead by a stroke? You've got the option to play conservatively and avoid the lake ... if you want.

It's the classic Pete Dye "risk-reward" hole. And as a result, it often provides the biggest fireworks at THE PLAYERS. In fact, more than 200 eagles at the 16th hole have been registered at the tournament. Here are four of the best ones, all coming in the final round:

Fred Couples, 1996

A terrific front nine put Couples in contention on the final day, and he was still in striking distance when his tee shot on the No. 16 found the right-center of the fairway. As he stood near his ball, Couples decided to check a nearby scoreboard and saw that Colin Montgomerie had just birdied No. 14 to take a one-shot lead.

It was then that Couples knew he needed to make something special happen if he wanted to claim his second PLAYERS title.

Lying 220 yards from the green, Couples committed to go for it with a 2-iron. The traditional Sunday pin placement had the pin located on the lower right section of the green close to the water.

His shot took off over the lake and looked like it might be in trouble. It barely carried that water, landing short of the green, but took a sharp jump left and forward, finally coming to rest 25 feet from the pin. Couples casually drilled the putt for his eagle and a one-stroke lead. He eventually won by four strokes.

Vijay Singh, 2001

Perhaps one of the most creative eagle putts ever recorded came from Singh.

Playing in the final round, he found himself slipping from contention. At the 16th hole, he aggressively played his second shot to the green, flirting with disaster as the ball came to rest against the high rough fringe only two feet from the right bulkhead. The ball rested about 15 feet from the pin.

Unable to get the face of a club on the ball, Singh creatively turned his putter sideways. He tapped the ball with a descending blow from the toe of the club, the ball popped, then slowly rolled the 15 feet to find the bottom of the cup.

Back in contention after his eagle, Singh finished the tournament one stroke off of Tiger Woods' 274 winning total.

Craig Perks, 2002

Going into the final three holes, the journeyman Perks found himself near the lead. Perks challenged the risk-reward with his second shot and ended up just off the green in deep rough, precariously close to the lake.

Choosing a wedge, standing tight against the lake edge, he calmly drained the shot for his eagle to take the lead.

Perks eventually rolled in a 28-foot for birdie on the 17th hole, then holed a chip shot for par on No. 18 to claim a two-shot victory over Stephen Ames. If you're counting, that's one putt in the final three holes, a most unusual finish.

Davis Love III, 2003

Love came to the 16th hole with a three-stroke lead. As a result, he decided to play safe, using a 3-wood off the tee. His drive, however, hooked left into the woods, finishing up on a bed of pine straw.

Visualizing an opening but still 194 yards to the pin, Love chose a 6-iron. The shot flew out of the woods, curved left while over the lake, then softly landed on the green, coming to rest 11 feet from the pin. He rolled in the eagle putt and strolled to the intimidating 17th hole with an extra two-stroke cushion.

Love would win THE PLAYERS with a final-round 64, a 271 total and a six-stroke victory over Jay Haas and Padraig Harrington.