Final three holes at TPC Sawgrass: What makes them so difficult?

Chris Condon/PGA TOUR

By Brian Wacker, PGATOUR.COM Site Producer

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- Highlights of golf balls splashing into the water off the 17th green at TPC Sawgrass and endless questions from reporters are replayed over and over like a never-ending nightmare.

It is why sport psychologist Gio Valiante had to alter his itinerary and fly from Colorado to Florida to walk the course with one of his clients for his Tuesday practice round.

"I never walk the course," Valiante said. "It's the only course that does that."

That is instill fear into the best players in the world, which usually starts creeping into conversations the week after the Masters. Take away the tournament, the TV cameras, the grandstands, the wind, and the 137-yard par-3 17th, for example, is just another hole, a 9-iron or wedge to the middle of the green.

Add all that, though, on Sunday of THE PLAYERS Championship and all of a sudden three-plus days of golf can be undone on any of the three finishing holes at TPC Sawgrass, especially No. 17. Just ask Len Mattiace. Or Sean O'Hair.

"It's one of the shortest and toughest holes we play," said Boo Weekley. "What makes it so tough is the wind circles so much."

"What you're doing is basically setting the mood," says Valiante, whose clients include Camilo Villegas, among others. "When you put images in a player's head, you're increasing the probability he's going to hit it in the water."

The sweet science of 17 -- half the hole is 90 percent mental. It's also a physical challenge with the body creating extra epinephrine that can cause a player to tighten up on his grip and come up short on the shot.

"You better be mentally buttoned up," Valiante says. "It's as petrifying as it gets for a TOUR player. The green looks smaller and for 361 days a hole that's a 9-iron shrinks and all of a sudden the wind feels stronger.

"You drop one in the water and you're carrying that with you for the rest of your career."

Even if you are focused, though, the green does shrink, literally.

"Once the greens get really firm, they tend to bake out, especially on that top shelf" says Jim Furyk, who has never won the tournament down the street from his house. "You can pretty much eliminate the last 6 or 7 yards on the back of the green, so all of a sudden it becomes a tiny green."

And that's just the 17th hole. The "choker's miss," as Valiante calls it, is a block to the right. On the par-5 16th, that's exactly where the water is.

"That's the perfect stage to test whether you can commit to a shot," says Valiante.

"A lot can happen there," added Furyk. "You can have some big momentum swings or guys go from 1 up to 1 down.

"Usually nerves make you try to steer the ball, which you don't want to do."

There is also the 18th hole, maybe the toughest hole of the three. Miss it left and you're wet. Bail out right and the next shot is a long one with that same water to the left.

"You have to hit two great shots," said Alex Cejka. "You have to hit the fairway and you have to hit 5, 6, or 7-iron in with water left. You have to pick your spot and trust it. We are not machines."

Therein lies the job for guys like Valiante. His players may not be machines, but he needs them to act like one on those holes. No shot is more important than the next, except at the 18th, you don't get any more. People love Amen Corner, which has its own set of challenges, but there are five holes to erase whatever mistakes are on the card.

"It's a volatile three holes," said Furyk.

What it comes down to is controlling that volatility.

"It looms," Valiante said. "When you're confident, you see the green beside the lake. When you lose confidence, you see the lake beside the green. There's no running away and hiding."

Not at TPC Sawgrass.