The 35th Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, Florida gets underway on May 8th 2008 with some of the biggest names in golf betting fighting it out over the 7220 yards for a piece of the $9m prize pool! Last year’s winner, American Phil Mickleson, earned himself a first prize worth $1.62m for his 11 under-par 277 and with free bets available from our leading partners, Betfair and Skybet, you can bet on him becoming only one of five other golfers to win this tournament more than once.

The PGA first stopped at Sawgrass in 1982 and it’s been a permanent fixture since that very day. The recently revamped par 72 course spans over a massive 7220 yards and boasts a club house that is actually nearly 40% larger than the President’s home, The White House! Golfing legend Greg Norman holds the course record having finished 24 under par on his way to victory in 1994. No golf fan can talk about Sawgrass without mentioning the famous 17th hole known to the golfing community as “The Island Green”. The most recognisable par 3 hole on the golf tour only measures 132 yards but apart from a small pathway leading up to it, all there is to land the ball on is a 78 foot green, a tiny bunker towards the front and the rest is totally surrounded by water! In the 2007 Players Championship a total of 94 balls were lost at the 17th hole betting the 2005 record of 67! Some of the USA’s TV stations actually dedicate a whole channel to the 17th hole and some have as many as 11 cameras fixated on the action taking place there!

Both Betfair and Skybet are offering free bets during The Players Championship and these can be used to bet on who will finish in the top ten places, who will make the cut, and who emerge victorious at the end of play to name but three betting options.