How many balls went into the water at No. 17 at TPC Sawgrass?
CMC PGA Tour

How many balls went into the water at No. 17 at TPC Sawgrass?

A picture of the 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass Credit: Chris Condon
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Each year, the PGA Tour estimates some 100,000 golf balls find their way into the water surrounding the green at the 17th at TPC Sawgrass. It works out to a couple of balls per golfer.

The pros competing in The Players Championship contribute very little to that tally. On Thursday at The Players Championship is typically when the most balls find the water. The second round is typically the second most, with the weekend field rarely finding the water because those are the players in the 144-player starting field that are among the best of the best that week.

The highest one-day total in that stretch was 50 balls in Round 1 of the 2007 Players, the first year the event moved to May. The next-highest single-round total is 35 in the first round of the 2021 Players Championship, which was particularly windy.

The highest total for a single playing of The Players Championship was 93 in the 2007 edition of the event.

10 highest single-round numbers of balls in the water at No. 17 since 2003

  1. 2007 - Round 1: 50
  2. 2021 - Round 1: 35
  3. 2022 - Round 2: 33
  4. 2017 - Round 2: 29
  5. 2005 - Round 4: 28
  6. 2023 - Round 2: 25
  7. 2005 - Round 3: 25
  8. 2007 - Round 1: 21
  9. 2015 - Round 1: 21
  10. 2008 - Round 1: 20
  11. 2006 - Round 1: 19
  12. 2012 - Round 1: 18
  13. 2016 - Round 3: 17
  14. 2006 - Round 2: 17
  15. 2009 - Round 1: 16
  16. 2015 - Round 2: 16

Overall, that means, most days, the water isn't much of a factor. The PGA Tour put together a graphic showing the trail of every shot into 17 on Thursday, and it's a good demonstration of the many different ways the players approach a 130-yard shot.

Number of balls in the water at No. 17 by round since 2003

Click header to sort

YEAR R1 R2 R3 R4 TOTAL
2003 6 10 3 10 29
2004 9 10 4 7 30
2005 7 8 25 28 68
2006 19 17 12 9 57
2007 50 21 10 12 93
2008 20 18 10 16 64
2009 16 6 4 6 32
2010 7 8 5 9 29
2011 12 14 8 6 40
2012 18 11 4 6 39
2013 15 9 7 13 44
2014 12 12 1 3 28
2015 21 16 3 5 45
2016 6 9 17 4 36
2017 19 29 10 11 69
2018 24 21 6 3 54
2019 14 6 8 17 45
2021 35 13 8 10 66
2022 14 33 7 10 64
2023 18 25 2 13 58

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