Some of the biggest names in golf have won the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass – the likes of Tiger Woods, Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy.
It is also fair to say that there have been some surprising winners. Here, we look at a few of the more unlikely champions.
Craig Perks, 2002
Was there ever a more improbable winner than New Zealand’s Craig Perks? Ranked 203 in the world, this was his one and only PGA Tour success. He chipped in on the 16th and 18th holes to win the championship. His lone putt in the last three holes was a 28-foot birdie putt on the 17th. Perks achieved his only win by beating Stephen Ames by two strokes. He had only two pars in his final 14 holes. The win saw him move up to 64th in the world rankings. Defending champion Tiger Woods finished seven strokes back, in a tie for fourteenth place.
Fred Funk, 2005
Fred Funk was one of the shortest hitters on the PGA Tour and when he won in 2005 at the age of 48 he come the oldest champion, one ahead of Luke Donald, Tom Lehman and Scott Verplank. Because of numerous weather delays, the second round was completed on Sunday, the third on Monday morning, followed by the final round. Funk’s win was all the more remarkable because he played 32 holes on Monday in blustery conditions. Defending champion Adam Scott finished four strokes back, in a tie for eighth place.
Stephen Ames, 2006
Stephen Ames shot a final round 67 to complete the biggest win of his career by a comfortable margin, six strokes ahead of runner-up Retief Goosen. Ames was the 54-hole leader by a stroke over Sergio Garcia and Vijay Singh but Garcia came to grief in spectacular fashion at the 17th. A month earlier at the WGC-Accenture Matchplay Championship, Ames lasted only 10 holes in the first round, losing 9&8 to Tiger Woods after suggesting that Woods was not unbeatable! Defending champion Fred Funk finished 13 strokes adrift. This was the final Players held in March until 2019. It moved to mid-May in 2007 and was moved back to March starting 2019.
Tim Clark, 2010
Three strokes back, the diminutive South African Tim Clark shot a bogey-free final round 67, ending with an eight-foot par putt to take the clubhouse lead. Lee Westwood, the 54-hole leader, was even par through 16 holes, but found the water at the 17th and a double bogey ended any chance of victory. In the end it came down to Robert Allenby in the final pairing and two strokes behind Clark with three holes to play. After just missing an eagle on the par five 16th, the lead was cut to one. Allenby then hit his tee shot to 10 feet at the 17th, but narrowly missed a putt to tie Clark. He had a last chance at 18, but failed to make birdie and Clark gained his first PGA Tour victory in his 206th start.
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Derek Clements is a seasoned sports journalist and regular Golfshake contributor, specialising in tour coverage, opinion pieces, and feature writing. With a long career in national newspapers and golf media, he has reported on the game across Europe, the United States and Australia. A passionate golfer, he has played and reviewed numerous renowned courses, with personal favourites including Pebble Beach, Kingsbarns, Aldeburgh, Old Thorns and the K Club. His love of the game informs his thoughtful commentary on both professional golf and the wider golfing community.
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