Sunday, March 25, 2001
Will weather help move The
Players Championship?
By PETE IACOBELLI
AP Sports Writer
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — How
long can The Players Championship last in March?
For the second straight year, rainy weather
forced the $6 million tournament to conclude Monday. NBC Sports
will go against “The Price is Right” to show the end
of what could be Tiger Woods' first Players title.
It might be more ammunition for those who
want to move the Players to May — and possibly less stormy
weather — instead of the last weekend in March, its traditional
date.
PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said moving
the tournament would be substantial because the Players has worked
so well in March as it builds momentum and interest for the Masters
in two weeks. “But we are always intrigued,” Finchem
has said.
Woods said this week such a change could
compromise one of the strongest fields in the game at the Players.
Foreign stars, he said, might not fit in a May trip and miss important
international tournaments between time in the United States for
Masters in April and the U.S. Open in June.
“I don't think you're going to get
quite an international field as you could get,” Woods said.
Nick Faldo likes the Players where it is,
no matter the weather. His solution? “We could start it on
Wednesday, couldn't we?” he said.
DiMARCO'S ACE:
Chris DiMarco started his final round 16 shots behind leader Jerry
Kelly, but still made his mark Sunday with the only ace this year
at The Players Championship.
DiMarco aced the 184-yard third hole during
his morning round. Russ Cochran was the last with a hole-in-one
there during the final round in 1994.
DiMarco, who teed off at 9:30 a.m., struck
a 5-iron that landed about 15 short and rolled in. “It was
really kind of surreal,” he said. “It was kind of hazy,
and it looked good in the air.”
His playing partner, Sergio Garcia told
him “that looks good, go in. It was perfect,” DiMarco
said of his third competitive ace.
DiMarco caught the attention of his competitors
in the locker room during the nearly three-hour weather delay.
“They all came up, congratulated me, it was great,”
he said.
It's only the third hole-in-one on No. 3
in 20 tournaments here, tying the 13th for fewest aces among the
Stadium Course's four par 3s. There have been five aces apiece
on the 17th hole's island green and the 219-yard eighth hole.
CLUBHOUSE TALK:
One of the hottest topics in the locker room? The latest driver?
The upcoming Masters?
According to Joe Durant, it's the stock
market.
“Ooh, you hit a bunch of guys where
it hurts,” Durant said. “It's been a topic overall and
we're kind of sick of looking at it and saying 'OK, how many did
it go down today.'”
Durant said many of his colleagues play
the market. Talk of its recent slide can't help coming up when
players get together, he said. “It's almost like a joke,
but what can you do?” Durant said. “We're not the only
ones, everybody in the country is wondering when it's turning
around.”
Durant, who has won two tournaments and
more than $1.6 million this year so far, said a few of his stocks
have taken modest hits. “I can tell you,” he says, “I
haven't lost the most.”
Durant, tied for 11th here when the final
round began, is in line for more investing money. Eleventh place
pays $150,000.
DIVOTS:
It's been a true Florida swing so far. Residents of the Sunshine
State have swept the past three tournaments. Joe Durant (Molino)
took the Genuity Championships at Doral, Jesper Parnevik (Jupiter)
won the Honda Classic, and Tiger Woods (Orlando) won the Bay Hill
Championships. ... Tournament organizers were ready as rain and
lightning delayed the final round. Minivans rescued golfers left
far away from the clubhouse. When play resumed, 18 vans waited
by the practice area to quickly bring competitors and their groups
back. ... Hal Sutton eagled the par-4 fourth hole for the second
time this week. “I don't know what to say,” he said.
“I like that pin.” ... Woods has seen both sides of
the Stadium Course's famous finishing holes, Nos. 17-18. He had
a double bogey on Friday at the 17th after missing the island
green. He took a double-bogey 6 on the 18th hole Thursday and
bogeyed it Saturday. ... Brent Geiberger, the first one off the
course and playing alone, shot a 70 in a speedy three hours on
the Stadium Course.
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