How tour pros practise for their crack at Sawgrass’ 17th (or not)

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No matter how the leaderboard looks on Sunday evening after each Players Championship, TPC Sawgrass’ 17th hole will always be important. As Sergio Garcia showed in round one, the famed par 3 is capable of yielding a hole-in-one. And as Zac Blair learned the next day, the short menace can also make breaking double digits a challenge.

But this year, golfers at the Players could better prepare for the par 3 by practising on the newly built replica green on the range. Or not.

“I don’t really look at it,” Jim Herman said ahead of his final round.

But why?

Well, for one, there’s no water. And … “it’s 20 yards shorter, and there’s no bunker”, Paul Casey said as he warmed up. “But other than that, it’s identical!”

Casey elaborated that it’s about 150 yards to Sunday’s traditional back-right pin, but he thought the same pin on the range only played about 130. Add in the fact that the range faces the opposite direction of the real 17th, and, oh yeah, it lacks all the pressure that comes with playing in front of millions of fans for millions of dollars, and it’s tough to create any sort of real simulation.

Not that the range renovation isn’t appreciated, though.

“Incredible,” is how Matt Kuchar described the range to PGATour.com. “It’s as good as we’ve got.”

According to the US PGA Tour, a two-storey, state-of-the-art teaching facility will officially open there at the conclusion of the tournament. And maybe for weekend hackers, seeing those railroad ties on the replica green – which is just part of the facility’s overhaul – could help settle the nerves.

The tour pros, however, don’t seem to bother with it.

“In theory, it’s a good idea,” said Casey, who warmed up on the far left side of the range, away from the green. “But in reality, it’s not helpful.”