Forget the tree, here are all the other key changes to TPC Sawgrass
TPC Sawgrass is 77 yards longer this year.
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The newly restored overhanging tree limb on the 6th tee at TPC Sawgrass is getting all the attention, but the actual tee box has also moved 20 yards. And it’s not the only hole this week that’s been beefed up.
“Made a few changes to the course,” World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler said Tuesday, ahead of this week’s Players Championship. “I noticed on the back nine a little bit of lengthening on some holes, and yeah, it should play well.”
In fact, three other holes, all par-5s, have new tournament tee boxes in play this week, adding an additional 77 yards to the course (based on the official scorecard yardage), which was not that long ago, one of the shorter on the PGA Tour. New moguls and trees were also added to the right of the 14th fairway. The adjustments to the course were made working with two-time Players winner Davis Love III, who also consulted on adding a new tee box to the 9th hole in 2023.
Keep reading for the five major changes to TPC Sawgrass for the 2025 Players Championship.
No. 2, 532 yards to 555 yards
This is the biggest change of any of the new tees at TPC Sawgrass with the tee being moved back some 23 yards, increasing the right-to-left angle of the tee shot.
Last year, during his runner-up finish, Wyndham Clark used a 2-iron off the tee in one round, but now says that’s no longer an option due to the added length.
“I think lengthening it on 2 is probably good. It’s now— you have to hit 3-wood or driver as before maybe you could hit something less, so I like that change,” Clark said Tuesday. “If it was severely downwind, then maybe I would still use that, but more than likely I won’t be using that club. It would be a 3-wood.”
According to the PGA Tour, this change was made directly due to ShotLink data which showed that players were either hitting less than driver and still able to hit it over the trees to the left side of the fairway, the optimal angle for a second shot into the green.
No. 6, 393 yards to 413 yards
The new tree on the 6th is rightfully stealing all the spotlight, but a new tee box has also added 20 yards to the hole.
Clark wondered if the return of the tree and the added distance could be a problem for players at some point this week.
“The only thing I don’t like is depending on conditions, if they play it all the way back, it’s almost too penal of a hole,” he said. “I thought it was a great short hole to begin with. It was a narrow tee ball. You hit it anywhere from 220 to 250 and you’re in a great spot.
“Now that area is 240 to 270, and if you get into the wind, if you hit a 3-wood I think you’re going to hit the top of the tree.”
No. 11, 558 yards to 573 yards
A new back tee adds 15 yards to this hole and complicates the angle of the tee shot. The fairway bunker down the left has also been pushed back slightly and made more visible from the tee.
No. 14, 481 yards to 485 yards
While no significant change in the yardage on the scorecard to the longest par-4 on the course, the right side cart path was pushed out of the sight line, allowing Love to construct new, deeper moguls in the right rough and add trees and native grasses to further penalize a right miss.
The change was made to keep with Pete Dye’s original philosophy when designing the hole that no matter what, you do not want to miss right when seeking a better angle into the green. The tee shot has gone through many different iterations over the years.
No. 16, 523 yards to 537 yards
Lastly, the 16th hole, historically the shortest par-5 on the golf course and a tremendous eagle opportunity down the stretch of the tournament, has been lengthened 14 yards by extending the tee box.
This should lead to more players having to play farther right off the tee instead of challenging the trees on the left, resulting in more fairway woods and hybrids into the green instead of short irons.
TPC Sawgrass 2025 Scorecard
No. 1: 424 yards, par-4
No. 2: 555 yards, par-5
No. 3: 182 yards, par-3
No. 4: 387 yards, par-4
No. 5: 469 yards, par-4
No. 6: 413 yards, par-4
No. 7: 450 yards, par-4
No. 8: 236 yards, par-4
No. 9: 601 yards, par-5
OUT: 3,717 yards, par 36
No. 10: 419 yards, par-4
No. 11: 573 yards, par-5
No. 12: 365 yards, par-4
No. 13: 183 yards, par-3
No. 14: 485 yards, par-4
No. 15: 470 yards, par-4
No. 16: 537 yards, par-5
No. 17: 141 yards, par-3
No. 18: 462 yards, par-4
IN: 3,635 yards, par 36
TOTAL: 7,352 yards, par 72
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