They call Augusta National Golf Club the cathedral of golf. But TPC Sawgrass is where the sport actually loses its mind. For 52 years, it has delivered chaos, comebacks, and moments that live rent-free in every golf fan’s memory. THE PLAYERS Championship 2026 is just a few days away.

Before the next chapter gets written from March 12-15, here are five moments that remind you exactly why The PLAYERS Championship hits different.

1. Tiger Woods’ “better than most” putt (2001)

Tiger Woods entered 2001 amid skeptics who said he couldn’t master TPC Sawgrass. Jerry Kelly even called him “just another player” while sitting six shots clear through 36 holes. The ‘Big Cat’ took note. He stormed back with a Saturday 66 that will live forever in golf history.

Standing on the back top shelf of the island green, Woods watched Fred Funk four-putt from the same position in the group ahead. Funk’s ball ran off the green entirely. Tiger Woods filed that information away. One bad iron shot later, Woods found himself in the same spot, facing a 60-foot, triple-breaking, downhill bomb that no one else had come close to making all day.

NBC’s Gary Koch had been setting up the scenario for the broadcast audience as Tiger Woods went through his pre-putt routine. Then came the moment.

Co-commentator Johnny Miller asked, “How’s that look?”

Koch’s reply became the most famous line in THE PLAYERS Championship history: “Better than most.”

He said it again as the ball gathered pace. And once more, as it dropped.

“Better than most.”

The gallery erupted.

Woods would go on to win by one shot over Vijay Singh, with that birdie putt proving to be his exact margin of victory.

Long before the 50-year-old changed the sport’s demographics, Calvin Peete was quietly making history.

2. Calvin Peete’s historic 1985 win

In 1985, Calvin Peete became the first African American to win The PLAYERS Championship. As a child, he suffered a permanent injury to his left arm that left it unable to fully straighten. He developed one of the most repeatable swings on tour anyway and became the most accurate driver of his generation.

Peete led the PGA Tour in driving accuracy for ten consecutive seasons from 1981 to 1990. His 1985 THE PLAYERS title was the crown jewel of 12 PGA Tour wins between 1979 and 1986. He was the most successful Black golfer on Tour, and one of the most dominant ball-strikers of his era.

While Charlie Sifford broke the color barrier and earned his PGA Tour card in 1961, Peete was the first to win this specific event. That 1985 victory still stands as one of the most significant wins in the tournament’s history.

3. Justin Thomas wins for his grandfather (2021)

Weeks before the 2021 PLAYERS, Justin Thomas lost his grandfather, Paul, a club professional and central figure in his development as a golfer. Then, Tiger Woods was seriously injured in a car crash. Thomas arrived at Ponte Vedra Beach carrying a weight most players never face during a tournament week.

Sitting seven back after 36 holes, Thomas said his mindset shifted completely:

“I was seven back… I was pretty far back… It’s just kind of like, dude, I need to make a lot of birdies these next 36 holes.”

He fired a third-round 64. On Sunday, trailing Lee Westwood by three, he went birdie-birdie-eagle-birdie around the turn at holes 9 through 12. His 132-stroke weekend total matched the lowest closing 36-hole score in tournament history.

“I just kept telling myself to be patient and keep hitting good shots,” Thomas later detailed about the emotional moment.

4. Scottie Scheffler makes history (2024)

Scottie Scheffler arrived at the 2024 PLAYERS with a locked neck and a five-shot deficit heading into Sunday. He fired a final-round 64, matching the largest final-round comeback by a winner in tournament history. He started with an eagle hole-out on the par-4 4th, then made four birdies over a five-hole stretch to take control.

Wyndham Clark, Xander Schauffele, and Brian Harman all had chances to force a playoff on the 18th hole. Clark’s birdie putt to force overtime lipped out. It was the first back-to-back PLAYERS title in the tournament’s 50-year history.

Reflecting on his 2024 season later that year, Scheffler kept it simple:

“It’s been a crazy year. It’s been a lot of fun.”

5. Rory McIlroy’s Monday morning finish (2025)

In 2025, Rory McIlroy wrote another dramatic chapter in the history of the PLAYERS Championship. McIlroy and J. J. Spaun were tied at 12-under 276 after four rounds at TPC Sawgrass, so they had to go to a playoff.

The final round was pushed back four hours because of bad weather, so the playoff had to happen on Monday morning. McIlroy stayed calm during the last three holes of the tournament’s three-hole aggregate playoff format and won his second PLAYERS Championship title.

The win solidified McIlroy’s reputation as one of the most reliable players at the event. He said that winning the trophy was very satisfying, especially after a long and hard final day full of delays and stress.

Now, with the 2026 field teeing it up, the 17th hole is already waiting. So, which moment are you hoping for?