Why such a strong field at PLAYERS? Pick a reason

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The 17th at TPC Sawgrass is one of the most famous par-3 holes in golf.

When THE PLAYERS Championship tees off on Thursday morning, you'll be hard-pressed to find a more stellar field in any other tournament this year -- majors included.

Actually, don't even try, because you won't find a better starting line up.

THE PLAYERS isn't known as the greatest field in golf for nothing.

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This year's field has combined for a whopping 500 PGA TOUR wins and includes every winner on TOUR dating back to the 2007 AT&T National, a total of 53 different players. The field also features 21 winners of 44 major championships, 10 past champions of THE PLAYERS and 96 of the top 100 from the 2008 FedExCup list.

So what is it that draws this impressive field? The most obvious is the course, which boasts some of the most challenging par 4s in the game and also owns the most famous par-3 in golf -- the island-green 17th. TPC Sawgrass is the home of the PGA TOUR and from the clubhouse to the practice facilities to the caddy room, it's second to none.

Golf's unofficial fifth major comes along with several perks. The winner receives 80 points towards his Official World Golf Ranking, which is the most allocated to any event apart from the majors, in which winners earn 100 points. The winner of THE PLAYERS also receives a five-year exemption on the PGA TOUR, a three-year invitation to the Masters, a three-year exemption for the British Open, and an exemption to the U.S. Open and the PGA Championship for that year.

In case players needed any more incentive to tee it up, there's the chance of having his name forever a part of the Circle of Champions, which is a monument at the entrance to the course. The winner of THE PLAYERS gets his name on a plaque in the circle, where the flag of his country waves above the rest.

The list of champions at THE PLAYERS dating back to the inaugural event in 1974 is nothing short of spectacular. Jack Nicklaus, Hal Sutton, Fred Couples, Steve Elkington and Davis Love III are the only multiple winners at TPC Sawgrass and, believe it or not, no player has ever successfully defended his title.

Other big-name winners include Lanny Wadkins, Lee Trevino, Tom Kite, Nick Price, Greg Norman, Justin Leonard, David Duval, Adam Scott, Phil Mickelson, defending champ Sergio Garcia, and Tiger Woods, who hasn't had a top-10 finish since winning in 2001.

The closing stretch at TPC Sawgrass -- Nos. 16, 17 and 18, known as 'running the gauntlet' -- provides an incredible finish. No. 16, a long par-5, is the last legitimate chance players have a chance at snagging a birdie on the way in, because after that, it's time to play defense.

The island-green, par-3 17th might be the most intimidating short hole in the game. Aside from worrying about the water that surrounds the green, players need to take into account swirling winds that play with the ball like a paper airplane.

No. 18 is a beast of a par 4 at 462 yards and you can't miss to the left because of the large body of water that hugs the fairway.

The finish at TPC Sawgrass means no lead is safe, which is another reason winning is such an accomplishment. The hard work and the grinding never ends on the relentless Pete Dye design.

The top players in the world thrive on the ultimate challenge, which is exactly what TPC Sawgrass provides.

That's why they all turn up for THE PLAYERS.

T.J. Auclair is a columnist for PGATOUR.COM. His views do not necessarily represent the views of the PGA TOUR.