There's no fun in obvious: Who could shock the field?

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May. 6, 2009
By Stan Awtrey, PGATOUR.COM Contributor

With the strongest field in professional golf, you might expect THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP to produce a great champion every year. That's been the case since the event's inception in 1974 and certainly since it moved to TPC Sawgrass in 1982.

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The list of champions includes Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Raymond Floyd, Hal Sutton, Fred Couples, Tom Kite, Davis Love III, Greg Norman, Phil Mickelson and some dude named Tiger Woods. You could assemble a pretty fair fantasy team from that short list.

And while a top-ranked player usually wins THE PLAYERS, there's always an opportunity for a dark horse to sneak in and have a great week. After all, TPC Sawgrass isn't a course that can be overpowered; it requires four rounds of proper ball placement and solid putting. And sometimes that leaves the door open for guys like Stephen Ames (2006), Jodie Mudd (1990), Mark McCumber (1988) and Craig Perks (2002) -- the patron saint of "Whoville."

So when they line up this week for THE PLAYERS, most of the smart money will be on Tiger, Phil, Geoff Ogilvy and defending champion Sergio Garcia. It wouldn't be out of the question to have the winner come from the nether-regions of the Official World Golf Ranking, though.

Here's a look at 10 guys outside the top 50 in the world who may warrant a look this week. The odds are against them, and they know it, but nothing is impossible. Didn't a 50-to-1 shot just win the Kentucky Derby? One of these guys might be this week's version of Mine That Bird.

	No. 50, Stephen Ames: A perfect example of a horse for the course. He won at Sawgrass in 2006 and has three top 10s and five top 20s in the last nine years. He was a quiet fifth place last year. Something about this place fits his game.
	No. 54, Brian Gay: If he can approach the shotmaking prowess he exhibited a few weeks ago while winning the Verizon Heritage, he's got a puncher's chance. Past results aren't good; his best was last year's tie for 32nd.
	No. 66, Rod Pampling: His best finish at Sawgrass was a tie for 27th in 2005. A bad final round kept him out of the big money at the Heritage, but he followed that with a tie for 13th in New Orleans.
	No. 79, Scott Verplank: In his last 11 trips to the PLAYERS, he's posted two top 10s and four top 20s, but he's missed the cut two of the last three years. Verplank is an accomplished veteran who could use a big-time win for his resumé.
	No. 104, Steve Marino: He's been very competitive the last four events, with three top 20s, including a tie for fifth in New Orleans. He's been under fire enough times to become familiar with the process. Problem: He's missed the cut at Sawgrass in both previous appearances.
	No. 75, D.J. Trahan: He should be happy to know that you don't have to be a great putter to win at Sawgrass; Sergio won last year. Trahan is an excellent ball striker, so THE PLAYERS might an attainable goal. His best finish there came last year -- a tie for 51st.
	No. 72, Ben Crane: He notched two top 10s early but has missed the cut in three of the last four tournaments. He tied for sixth at Sawgrass in 2008 -- a career best there.
	No. 86, John Rollins: This guy hits it well enough and has the right temperament to win at the Stadium Course. He already has two runner-up showings this year but has missed the cut in four of six trips to Ponte Vedra. His best PLAYERS finish was a tie for eighth in 2006.
	No. 133, George McNeill: This may be a stretch since he'll only be making his second trip to THE PLAYERS. His problem has been the ability to finish strong. Good thing those last three holes at Sawgrass are such cupcakes, eh?
	No. 87, Briny Baird: He could be this year's Stephen Ames. He's played in THE PLAYERS six times and missed the cut only once. He was fourth at Sawgrass in 2008 and tied for 11th in 2003. Briny finds a way to stick around, which is half the battle.