The Players Championship has been either a peak or springboard to the individuals who have won there, one of the top five peaks to be had in the PGA, arguably the league's number one springboard. It has a long, industrious history. Having moved from Georgia to Texas to Florida, Florida appears to be its permanent home. Regardless of one's esteem for the event, it does supply its winner with 80 points toward his official World Golf Ranking and qualification exemptions from the beloved Majors, the PGA Tour, and PGA Championship.

This tournament offers the highest purse, expected to top $10 million in a couple of years. The field is elite, holding only the top 50 players. It does not count on the money list of the European Tour, which is odd. It is very similar to other PGA events that have been accepted. Possibly the money being so high would tilt the worth of less-funded tourneys; but more likely'its ownership by the PGA and not a private golf club involves a political dynamic hard to accurately surmise.

In 2009, Sergio Garcia won at the Players. Golf fans all over the world guessed he was finally on his way to greatness. His career thus far had been full of "close but no cigar" moments. He had lost the PGA Championship in sudden death earlier that year. When would this purely talent golfer get into the zone? The Players seemed Garcia's peak. Many believe he could be the man to first capture a second championship here.