1998 Players Championship
Tournament information
DatesMarch 26–29, 1998
LocationPonte Vedra Beach, Florida
30°11′53″N 81°23′38″W / 30.198°N 81.394°W / 30.198; -81.394
Course(s)TPC Sawgrass,
Stadium Course
Tour(s)PGA Tour
Statistics
Par72
Length6,950 yards (6,355 m)[1]
Field144 players, 72 after cut
Cut146 (+2)
Prize fund$4.0 million
Winner's share$720,000
Champion
United States Justin Leonard
278 (−10)
Location Map
TPC Sawgrass is located in the United States
TPC Sawgrass
TPC Sawgrass
Location in the United States
TPC Sawgrass is located in Florida
TPC Sawgrass
TPC Sawgrass
Location in Florida

The 1998 Players Championship was a golf tournament in Florida on the PGA Tour, held March 26–29 at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, southeast of Jacksonville. It was the 25th Players Championship.

Tournament summary

Defending champion Steve Elkington withdrew on Monday night, citing complications after sinus surgery.[2][3] He was the first defending champion that did not compete since Jerry Pate in 1983.[2] In addition, Greg Norman, the 1994 champion, withdrew prior to the first round with a shoulder injury.[4]

Lee Janzen, who won the tournament three years previous, held the lead after third round. However, he shot a final round 79 and fell to eighteenth. Journeyman Len Mattiace took advantage, surging into the lead. However, he scored a quintuple-bogey at the par-3 17th hole to end his chances. He birdied the final hole though to finish in the top five.[5][6] Five strokes back, Justin Leonard shot a final round 67 to win at 278 (−10), two ahead of runners-up Glen Day and Tom Lehman.[7]

Venue

This was the seventeenth Players Championship held at the TPC at Sawgrass Stadium Course; it was extended this year to 6,950 yards (6,355 m),[1] an increase of 54 yards (49 m).

Field

1. All winners of PGA Tour events awarding official money and official victory status in the preceding 12 months, concluding with the Bay Hill Invitational and dating from the 1997 Players Championship

2. The top 125 PGA Tour players from the final 1997 Official Money List[8]

3. Winners in the last 10 calendar years of The Players Championship, Masters Tournament, U.S. Open, PGA Championship, and NEC World Series of Golf

4. British Open winners since 1990

5. Up to eight players, not otherwise eligible, designated by The Players Championship Committee as "special selections"

6. Any players, not otherwise eligible, who are among the top 10 money winners from the 1998 Official Money List through the Bay Hill Invitational

7. To complete a field of 144 players, those players in order, not otherwise eligible, from the 1998 Official Money List through the Bay Hill Invitational

Source:[9]

Round summaries

First round

Thursday, March 26, 1998

PlacePlayerScoreTo par
1United States Glen Day66−6
T2United States Fred Couples67−5
United States Rocco Mediate
4United States Jerry Kelly68−4
T5United States Mark Calcavecchia69−3
United States Ben Crenshaw
United States David Duval
South Africa David Frost
United States Nolan Henke
Sweden Per-Ulrik Johansson
United States Bruce Lietzke
United States Jeff Maggert
United States Len Mattiace
United States Billy Mayfair
United States Phil Mickelson
Japan Naomichi Ozaki

Source:[4][10]

Second round

Friday, March 27, 1998

PlacePlayerScoreTo par
T1United States Lee Janzen70-67=137−7
Japan Naomichi Ozaki69-68=137
2United States Tom Kite72-66=138−6
T3United States Glen Day66-73=139−5
United States Jerry Kelly68-71=139
United States Bruce Lietzke69-70=139
T6United States Fred Couples67-73=140−4
South Africa David Frost69-71=140
United States Scott Gump72-68=140
United States Jeff Maggert69-71=140
United States Len Mattiace69-71=140
United States Rocco Mediate67-73=140

Source:[11]

Third round

Saturday, March 28, 1998

PlacePlayerScoreTo par
1United States Lee Janzen70-67-69=206−10
2United States Glen Day66-73-70=209−7
3United States Justin Leonard72-69-70=211−5
T4United States Mark Calcavecchia69-75-68=212−4
United States Scott Hoch73-69-70=212
United States Tom Lehman72-70-70=212
United States Len Mattiace69-71-72=212
United States Phil Mickelson69-73-70=212
T9United States Fred Couples67-73-73=213−3
South Africa Ernie Els71-72-70=213
South Africa David Frost69-71-73=213
United States Bruce Lietzke69-70-74=213
United States Billy Mayfair69-75-69=213
Japan Naomichi Ozaki69-68-76=213
Zimbabwe Nick Price71-72-70=213
United States Craig Stadler71-70-72=213
United States Omar Uresti72-71-70=213
England Lee Westwood74-71-68=213

Source:[12]

Final round

Sunday, March 29, 1998

Champion
(c) = past champion
PlacePlayerScoreTo parMoney ($)
1United States Justin Leonard72-69-70-67=278−10720,000
T2United States Glen Day66-73-70-71=280−8352,000
United States Tom Lehman72-70-70-68=280
4United States Mark Calcavecchia69-75-68-69=281−7192,000
T5United States Scott Hoch73-69-70-70=282−6146,000
United States Len Mattiace69-71-72-70=282
England Lee Westwood74-71-68-69=282
T8United States Phil Mickelson69-73-70-71=283−5116,000
Zimbabwe Nick Price (c)71-72-70-70=283
United States Payne Stewart72-71-75-65=283

Source:[13]

References

  1. 1 2 "Players Championship". Wilmington Morning Star. (North Carolina). Associated Press. March 30, 1998. p. 7C.
  2. 1 2 Smits, Gary (March 25, 1998). "Elkington out". Florida Times-Union. (Jacksonville). Retrieved May 12, 2017.
  3. ↑ "Elkington won't defend". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). wire services. March 25, 1998. p. 2B.
  4. 1 2 "Eagle on 19th makes it a great Day for leader". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. March 27, 1998. p. 5C.
  5. ↑ Garrity, John (April 6, 1998). "Sunday Driver". Sports Illustrated. p. 60.
  6. ↑ "Leonard rallies from five shots back to win". Wilmington Morning Star. (North Carolina). Associated Press. March 30, 1998. p. 7C.
  7. ↑ Parascenzo, Marino (March 30, 1998). "Leonard charges to victory in TPC". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. C1.
  8. ↑ "Official Money – Season: 1997". PGA Tour. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  9. ↑ "1998 PGA Tour Media Guide" (PDF). PGA Tour. p. 3-36. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 24, 2020.
  10. ↑ "Golf: PGA Tour". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). March 27, 1998. p. 6C.
  11. ↑ "Golf:PGA Tour". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). March 28, 1998. p. 8D.
  12. ↑ "Janzen taking aim at TPC". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). wire services. March 29, 1998. p. 3G.
  13. ↑ "Past Results 1974 – present". PGA Tour. Archived from the original on September 1, 2020. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
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