PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – There were 20 tee shots hit into the loch that surrounds the 17th hole on Thursday, which would be tournament golf’s version of “dog bites man.” Much more newsworthy on Day 1 at The Players was the single tee shot that found the abyss that fronts the par-3 eighth hole.
Man bites dog.
Of the 1,903 tee shots played at No. 8 during The Players since 2003, only 11 had found the water hazard that sits some 35 yards short of the putting surface and is roughly the size of a small pool.