THE PLAYERS Championship

TOUR Players' Quotes on THE PLAYERS Championship

TIGER WOODS: No, it's still a great tournament, probably one of the strongest fields we'll have all year. Certainly to date we've never had a field this strong. You play against the best players on this golf course under these type of conditions. This is one heck of a test, so it's a bunch of fun for all of us

SERGIO GARCIA: The wind swirls quite a bit too, there. And if the green gets firm, the shot has to get really accurate. I think it's an awesome hole. I think it's a wonderful finishing hole, that one and 18 and also 16. So it's just an amazing finish for an amazing event.

Q. Where does it tournament fit into your list of tournaments to win?

SERGIO GARCIA: It's definitely high. It's definitely one of the top ones. This tournament, since the first year I've played it, it's always got into me. I've always liked the way it plays.... I really like the way I really like the course. The course is one of my favorites, and the way it's set up it's I think it tests you a lot. And that's what a good course should do.

Q. How was winning THE PLAYERS different?

ADAM SCOTT: It is different. There are a couple of events apart from the majors that are probably set aside as bigger events and probably THE TOUR Championship and THE PLAYERS I'd say are two that stand out. And the history of the place and the drama that's gone on here and the strength of the field, the golf course, everything about this, makes this tournament stand out. And I think all the players know that and they call it the 5th major or it's just a bigger event than the Deutsche Bank or the Booz Allen or Bay Hill or any other TOUR event. It's a big deal to all of us.

VIJAY SINGH: This is a big event. I would say in always the players' minds it's a major event, and hopefully one day this is going to be calling me here. I just think it's one of the biggest events on Tour.

TIGER WOODS - 2001 Champion "This is probably the best field we have assembled all year. This is a big week for all of us. And one that we're really excited about as players."

NICK PRICE - 1993 Champion "It's far and away the best tournament of the year. Nothing else comes close. Every single thing about the week you cannot criticize. That place is tweaked to its absolute perfection. It's got every ingredient for a major championship."

Price said. "There's a phenomenon about the Masters -- the name and what it means -- but the way they're going now, they're going to take a lot of the prestige and drama out of that event. THE PLAYERS is destined to be a major championship -- maybe not in my time, but there's no doubt about it."

HAL SUTTON - 1983 and 2000 champion -  "I think it's one of the toughest tournaments in the world to win. The second time I won (in 2000), holding off Tiger, that was more difficult than when I won the PGA Championship."

ERNIE ELS - The field is the best we get all year... This tournament on its own stands very well. It's a very strong tournament.. The golf course, the way it is now, it is definitely tougher than Augusta. There's so much energy that you put into this week alone that by the end of this week, by Sunday, you should have a pretty good indication where you're going, where you really should be working. This course you've really got to be very accurate off the tee, and your second shots are so important. Your second shot, as I say, you've got to be accurate, and your short game has got to be on. This is very much like a major.

Q. Could it be as big as a major championship.

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: It has been in our view. I don't know who designates majors, but it has in the players' view definitely felt like a major, definitely, yes. It has the same exemptions, I believe, as one, and it definitely feels that way, yeah.

TIGER WOODS ON HIS WIN IN 2001 - "It was certainly a tough win. It definitely ranks up there with my major championships."

TIGER WOODS ON THE DRAMA OF HOLES 16 AND 17 - "When 17 is really difficult is when the wind is blowing down that corner and swirling a little bit, that's when it plays extremely difficult. I've hit as much as a little chip 6-iron on that hole and I've hit as little as a wedge. It depends on how the wind was blowing.

....  There's so much drama there on 16 and 17, where you can make -- if you go,3,2 there on Saturday or Sunday, you're moving up on that board. It's proven in the past, I've watched a highlight package last night on what Freddie did. He made a 3 on 16 and a 2 on 17 and next thing you know, he's coasting going down 18 for his second PLAYERS Championship.

There's so much drama there and everyone can see it, too, which is really neat, especially as a player, you can see what the other person is doing in front or behind you and you can try and dictate your play based upon that."