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A16 sports
Thursday 10 March 2022
A big purse and a big mystery at The Players Championship

By DOUG FERGUSON The variety has come in the year, won the next, and his
AP Golf Writer scoring. There were com- next time he missed the cut
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, plaints that scoring was again. Maybe that explains
Fla. (AP) — Justin Thomas too low on the West Coast why no one has repeated
walked into the locker Swing. as champion. Or maybe it’s
room at the TPC Sawgrass And then Bay Hill was too as simple, as Thomas says,
just like has done for the last hard, with only 10 players that the field is stronger
seven years, with one inter- finishing under par. than any other from top to
ruption in his routine. McIlroy was among those bottom.
His memory told him to who thought the Arnold Missing this year is Bryson
peel off to the right. Then Palmer Invitational might DeChambeau with hand
he remembered one of have gone a little bit over and hip injuries he says are
the perks from winning The the edge with its greens so still not at full strength. Har-
Players Championship last yellow and bare that putts ris English is recovering from
year, and he went left into were gliding more than roll- hip surgery. Kevin Na’s wife
the small locker area re- ing. He said it made him is expecting their third child.
served only for champions. Justin Thomas tees off on the 15th hole during the final round feel as though he was play- Phil Mickelson remains on
of the Genesis Invitational golf tournament at Riviera Country
“A nice adjustment that I’ll Club, Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022, in the Pacific Palisades area of Los ing worse than he was. hiatus.
be able to make going for- Angeles. Maybe his comments after That still leaves 46 of the top
ward,” he said. Associated Press the round came in the heat 50 in the world. And while
There are other perks this precision like Matt Kuchar ish to victory the following of the moment. it’s not considered a major
year, starting with the di- or Webb Simpson. year, and that’s about as Or not. championship, it’s becom-
rect deposit into players’ “You look at the winners, close as it gets. “It wasn’t misconstrued,” ing no less important to the
accounts at the end of the and it’s crazy,” Thomas Thomas took the advice McIlroy said. “I was definite- players.
week. The premier event said. “It’s truly a place that of Alabama coach Nick ly complaining. Look, it was Collin Morikawa kept hear-
of the strongest tour in golf I don’t think it favors one Saban in approaching the the same for everyone — I ing it was a big deal when
now offers the richest purse shot shape. ... It’s just who- week. He’s not defending certainly get that. But there he was growing up, but at
at $20 million, with $3.6 mil- ever decides to go out and anything just because he was a lot of alcoholic bev- the time, the landscape of
lion going to the winner. get it the best that week.” won. erages being drunk in the golf to him started with the
The top three places pay Thomas has one piece of “I’m just going to go try to locker room when I went in four majors.
out seven figures. Someone history to overcome. No win it again,” he said. there on Sunday afternoon “But since I’ve turned pro,
can finish out of the top 10 one has won back-to-back Different about this week by a lot of the players, so I’ve viewed it very differ-
and still make more than in The Players Champion- is that players might actu- it wasn’t just me out there ently, and I appreciate ev-
$500,000. ship, whether it was held ally carry an umbrella. In having a rough time.” erything that’s put into this
What hasn’t changed is the at Atlanta Country Club or a most unusual start to the The TPC Sawgrass can tournament because it is
fickle nature of The Players Colonial, across the street year, the PGA Tour has not rough players up in a differ- amazing,” Morikawa said.
Championship. The TPC at wind-whipped Sawgrass had any round in four states ent way, firm or soft, calm or “The scope, the landscape
Sawgrass, whether it’s held Country Club or the Sta- across five time zones inter- windy. There’s water in play of everything out here
in March or May, is known dium Course, where it has rupted by weather. over the final eight holes, when we show up, it’s all
not to favor any one partic- been held for the last 40 Storms are in the forecast including more water than for us — it’s all for the PGA
ular style of game, whether years. for later in the week, with land on the infamous island Tour players. And that’s
it’s power like Thomas, Tiger Woods and Sergio Garcia a cold front due on the green for the par-3 17th. why you want to win this
Woods or Rory McIlroy, or went from a runner-up fin- weekend. McIlroy missed the cut one tournament.”q

Iditarod leader Seavey

is first to leave ghost

town of Ophir

musher, Brent Sass, who The Associated Press that
has 13 dogs remaining on win or lose, he will likely
his team. take a break from the race
Sass, the race’s 2012 Rook- after this year to spend
ie of the Year, is looking for time with his daughter.
his first Iditarod title. Musher Aaron Burmeis-
A musher must start the ter picked up some
race with at least 12 dogs homemade Alaska swag
Five-time winner Dallas Seavey takes his sled dog team through a snowstorm in downtown but no more than 14. Race Wednesday when he was
Anchorage, Alaska, on Saturday, March 5, 2022, during the ceremonial start of the Iditarod Trail rules require at least five the first musher to reach
Sled Dog Race. dogs be on the team at McGrath, the checkpoint
Associated Press the finish line. Seavey, the right before Ophir.
By MARK THIESSEN Seavey was the first musher Ophir is 352 miles (566 ki- defending champion, is The prizes, made by Mc-
Associated Press to leave the ghost town of lometers) into the nearly tied with Rick Swenson with Grath residents, included a
ANCHORAGE, Alaska Ophir as mushers continue 1,000-mile (1,609-kilome- the most Iditarod titles, at pair of musher mitts made
(AP) — Dallas Seavey was to jockey for position in the ter) race. Seavey left there five apiece. Swenson won of beaver fur and beaded
leading the Iditarod early early part of the Iditarod at 3:49 a.m. Wednesday his fifth title in 1991, and moose hide by Loretta
Wednesday, in his quest to Trail Sled Dog Race, and with 12 dogs in harness. the now-71-year-old mush- Maillelle and a beaver fur
become the race’s great- lead changes are com- He had an 18-minute lead er last ran the Iditarod in musher hat sewn by Lucy
est champion. mon. over the second-place 2012. Seavey earlier told Miller.q