PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — At a TPC Sawgrass venue which tests every aspect of a player’s game, this week’s PLAYERS Championship competitors will be forced to deal with elements that will similarly examine the range of necessary skills.
Weather conditions for the four tournament rounds will consist of both warm and cool temperatures, wet and dry terrain, and windy and calm surroundings.
It all starts with Thursday’s opening round, when temperatures of 66 degrees at first tee time will heat up to a high of around 75 by mid-afternoon. There is, however, an 80 percent chance of thunderstorms occurring at a few different intervals throughout the day. That should make for softer conditions, which could lead to some lower scoring.
Friday’s second round promises more of the same — lots more of it. With the chance of precipitation at 96 percent, the current forecast reads: “Periods of rain, some heavy, and a thunderstorm; storms can bring flash flooding.”
There’s certainly reason to believe there could be multiple delays during these first two rounds.
There is similarly reason to believe that big hitters will have an advantage in these softer conditions. Think Rory McIlroy, who always seems to play his best golf in this type of weather.
On Saturday, the weather should again play a factor, but a completely different one. With some rain still projected and a high of 68, the wind is expected to blow at an average of 20 mph and gusting to the mid-to-high 30s.
Much like last week’s Arnold Palmer’s Invitational, we can expect conditions to make a massive impact on scoring by the weekend.
In fact, those who played well on the weekend at Bay Hill — Scottie Scheffler, Billy Horschel, Viktor Hovland, Tyrrell Hatton and Gary Woodland among them — might be worth a pre-third round live bet if we’re looking for a little déjà vu.
As if that wasn’t enough climate change for one week, Sunday’s final round is expected to be dry, but again breezy (average winds of 12 mph, gusting to 24). The major difference, though, will be the temperature, as it will barely creep into the low-50s for the entire day.
Expect the contenders to be a bit bundled up for the finale. Whether it’s Jordan Spieth in a wool beanie or Adam Scott in his favorite sweater, it’s worth trying to envision the cool-weather player who could bring home the title in uncharacteristic temperatures.
There is some good news, though, for those who are rooting for a conclusion to this tournament: If indeed early delays cause the final round to bleed into Monday, the advanced forecast calls for a high of 68, with just a light breeze and very little chance of rain.
