"I think working the ball off the tee is an advantage here. I'm not really sure working the ball into the greens is an advantage."
/One of the more bizarre elements of TPC Sawgrass is its ability to produce such a variety of winners. John Strege gets into the specifics of that question and Jim Furyk offered the best insights I've seen yet from a player as to why it's so hard to predict a winner on Pete Dye's 1982 design.
Q. Does this golf course favor a particular type of player, because you've had a very broad range of winners from plinkers like Funk to bombers like Tiger, all manner in between? And if it doesn't, why do you suppose that is? Why is it such a democratic --
JIM FURYK: Off the tee box I don't think it really favors a style. I don't think there's more cuts or more draws or a bomb -- it's definitely not a bomber's paradise off the tee. It's very limiting for the Tigers and the Henrik Stensons of the world. On the greens I would say it favors someone who can hit the ball hard and high and spin the ball.
I don't think that -- I think working the ball off the tee is an advantage here. I'm not really sure working the ball into the greens is an advantage. And the reason I say that is usually when you work the ball into a green, you start the ball in the center of the green and you work it towards a pin or towards a pin that's hidden.
There is no center of the green out here very often to be honest with you, and if you think about the center of the first green, it's not a hump. If you think about the center of the 4th green it's on a hump. The center of the 13th green, you don't want to hit the center of the 13th green because if you get a side hill lie it might kick in the water.
I think into the greens here you want to hit the ball up in the air and hit it high and hit it soft and spin the ball. The greens probably favor a little bit more of a longer, stronger player. I think the tee shots probably favor the guy that's a little bit more accurate and can work the ball a little bit more.
I do agree with the fact that there's probably no style favored for the week. You know, conditions always dictate that. But I agree with you totally. I think that's why there's been a wide range of winners here.