2000
“Be the right club today. YES!” Hal Sutton’s famous line and shot that led to him holding off Tiger Woods for his second Players victory 17 years after his first is an all-time Players highlight. He joined Elkington, Couples and Nicklaus as multi-time winners. The winner’s share eclipsed seven figures for the first time with $1,080,000.
2001
Better than most! Woods won his first Players Championship by one shot over Vijay Singh and became the only player to win the Players and Masters in the same calendar year and third Players champion to win a major in the same calendar year, joining Jack Nicklaus (1978) and Hal Sutton (1983). Martin Kaymer joined the list in 2014.
2002
Craig Perks earned his only win at the PGA Tour’s flagship event by two shots and he did so in dramatic fashion. Perks chipped in for eagle on No. 16, made a 25-footer for birdie on the island green at No. 17 and chipped in again for par at No. 18. Over his last 14 holes he made just two pars.
2003
Davis Love III joined Sutton, Elkington, Couples and Niclaus with his second Players win thanks to a stunning Sunday 64 to flirt with the record winning margin. He came up just short with a six-shot victory over Jay Haas and Padraig Harrington.
2004
A 23-year-old Adam Scott became the youngest-ever Players winner with his one-shot win as Harrington finished runner-up for the second consecutive year. Showing his age, Scott nearly blew a two-shot lead on the final hole after he rinsed his approach shot in the water. He got up and down for bogey to hang on for his second Tour win.
2005
A year after Scott became the youngest winner, Fred Funk became the oldest at 48 years old with his slim one-shot victory over Luke Donald, Tom Lehman and Scott Verplank. Rain ravaged the tournament schedule and forced a Monday finish in tough conditions. How bad was it? The second round was finished on Sunday!
2006
Similar to Love in 2003, Stephen Ames got close to the winning margin record with a six-shot drubbing of the field with a Sunday 67 after he entered the final round with just a one-shot lead. The 2006 event was the last Players held in March (until it was moved again in 2019).
2007
The first Players in May saw Phil Mickelson claim his first Players win in near wire-to-wire fashion as he led for the first 36 holes but was a shot back entering the final round. A record 50 balls found the water in the first round thanks to gusting winds, topping the previous mark of 45 in 2000.
2008
After finishing runner-up to Mickelson the year prior, Sergio Garcia came out on top in 2008 via a playoff victory over Paul Goydos, the first since 1987. The par-3 17th was the first playoff hole, and after Goydos found the water off the tee, Garcia found land and two-putted for par and the win.
2009
A whopping 83 players made the 36-hole cut, so the Tour instituted a second cut after the third round. Alex Cejka had a five-shot lead after 54 holes but spit the bit and shot 42 on the front nine en route to a 7-over 79 to finish T-9. Meanwhile Henrik Stenson went bogey-free and shot 66 to win by four over Ian Poulter to join Garcia and Lyle as the only Europeans to win the event.
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