The early arrivals to TPC Sawgrass for this week's Players Championship didn't get to become completely reacquainted with Pete Dye's trademark design.
Three greens on the Stadium Course were closed to the players on Monday. The putting surfaces at the fourth, 11th and 12th holes were off limits during the practice round, according to the Florida Times-Union.
A harsh, uncharacteristically cold winter in northeast Florida, as well as a misapplication of chemicals on the putting surfaces earlier in the year left the Bermudagrass greens in sub-optimal shape heading into the PGA Tour's crown jewel.
It's unclear if the greens will remain closed on Tuesday. Unlike many other PGA Tour events, The Players Championship has no pro-am, so the superintendent staff may be willing to keep the greens closed to foot traffic through sometime on Wednesday. Nothing has been said publicly about the possibility of the greens remaining unplayable by the time the tournament begins Thursday.
No matter the condition of the greens, the 156-man field will be playing for the largest purse -- $10 million -- in PGA Tour history. That is, until the PGA Championship in August, which will match it.
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