The numbers behind The Players Championship’s famed island green, a hole golfers worry about before even playing it

The 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass is one of golf’s great arenas. Come here to witness both triumph and disaster, glory and tragedy.

The 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass is one of golf’s great arenas. Come here to witness both triumph and disaster, glory and tragedy. Just the mention of the words “island green” are enough to send some of the sport’s most talented players into a cold, panic-stricken sweat. For others, it represents the most cherished moments of their careers. This is less because of the green itself and more because of what’s around it. To get to the hole on the 141-yard par three, players must avoid the large lake encompassing the green – a watery grave for many a wayward golf shot. Despite being the shortest hole on offer at The Players Championship – the PGA Tour’s flagship event which gets underway on Thursday – it is easily the tournament’s most iconic. “I think if it was surrounded by grass and not water, it would probably be one of the simplest par-threes we play all year,” Rory McIlroy has said about the 17th hole. Scottie Scheffler, the two-time defending champion heading into this week’s event, agrees that it is deceptively fiendish.