1979 Tournament Players Championship
Tournament information
DatesMarch 22–25, 1979
LocationPonte Vedra Beach, Florida
30°11′20″N 81°22′12″W / 30.189°N 81.370°W / 30.189; -81.370
Course(s)Sawgrass Country Club,
East-West course
Tour(s)PGA Tour
Statistics
Par72
Length7,083 yards (6,477 m)[1]
Field143 players, 71 after cut
Cut147 (+3)
Prize fund$440,000
Winner's share$72,000
Champion
United States Lanny Wadkins
283 (−5)
Location Map
Sawgrass CC is located in the United States
Sawgrass CC
Sawgrass CC
Location in the United States
Sawgrass CC is located in Florida
Sawgrass CC
Sawgrass CC
Location in Florida

The 1979 Tournament Players Championship was a golf tournament in Florida on the PGA Tour, held March 22–25 at Sawgrass Country Club in Ponte Vedra Beach, southeast of Jacksonville. The sixth Tournament Players Championship, it was the third at Sawgrass and Lanny Wadkins won in the wind at 283 (−5), five strokes ahead of runner-up Tom Watson.[1][2][3][4]

The first two years at Sawgrass had resulted with both winners at 289 (+1), but Wadkins jumped out to a 36-hole score of 135 (−9).[5] Gusty winds and dry greens on the weekend caused high scores, but he held on with an even-par 72 in the final round for a comfortable win.[1][2][4]

Defending champion Jack Nicklaus finished seventeen strokes back, in a tie for 33rd place.

Venue

This was the third of five Tournament Players Championships held at Sawgrass Country Club; it moved to the nearby TPC at Sawgrass Stadium Course in 1982. The course length this year was reduced by 91 yards (83 m) to 7,083 yards (6,477 m).[1]

Eligibility requirements

1. All designated players

Miller Barber, Andy Bean (2), Ben Crenshaw (2), Lee Elder (2), Raymond Floyd, Rod Funseth (2), Al Geiberger, Lou Graham, Hubert Green (2), Mark Hayes, Jerry Heard (2), Dave Hill, Lon Hinkle (2), Hale Irwin, Don January, Tom Kite (2), Billy Kratzert, Bruce Lietzke, John Mahaffey (2), Jerry McGee, Mac McLendon (2), Johnny Miller, Gil Morgan (2), Jack Nicklaus (3), Andy North (2), Jerry Pate (2), Gary Player (2), Bill Rogers, Jim Simons (2), Ed Sneed, Dave Stockton, Lee Trevino (2), Lanny Wadkins, Tom Watson (2), Tom Weiskopf, Fuzzy Zoeller (2)

2. Winners of major PGA Tour co-sponsored or approved events beginning with the 1978 Tournament Players Championship and concluding with the tournament immediately preceding the 1979 TPC

Seve Ballesteros, Craig Stadler, Barry Jaeckel, Jeff Hewes, Jack Newton, Victor Regalado, Ron Streck

3. The current British Open champion

4. Leaders In PGA Tour Official Standings as necessary to complete the field, beginning with the 1978 Tournament Players Championship and concluding with the tournament scheduled to end on the Sunday immediately preceding the 1979 TPC, the Doral-Eastern Open

Source:[6]

Field

Tommy Aaron, Wally Armstrong, Seve Ballesteros, Miller Barber, Dave Barr, Andy Bean, Frank Beard, Don Bies, Homero Blancas, Brad Bryant, George Burns, Bob Byman, George Cadle, Rex Caldwell, Bill Calfee, Billy Casper, Jim Colbert, Bobby Cole, Frank Conner, Charles Coody, Ben Crenshaw, Rod Curl, Jim Dent, Terry Diehl, Dale Douglass, Bob Eastwood, Danny Edwards, David Edwards, Dave Eichelberger, Lee Elder, Randy Erskine, Keith Fergus, Ed Fiori, Marty Fleckman, Bruce Fleisher, Raymond Floyd, Rod Funseth, Buddy Gardner, Al Geiberger, Gibby Gilbert, Bob Gilder, David Graham, Lou Graham, Hubert Green, Jay Haas, Joe Hager, Dan Halldorson, Phil Hancock, Morris Hatalsky, Mark Hayes, Jerry Heard, Jeff Hewes, Dave Hill, Mike Hill, Lon Hinkle, Joe Inman, Hale Irwin, Don Iverson, Peter Jacobsen, Barry Jaeckel, Don January, Tom Kite, Gary Koch, Billy Kratzert, Wayne Levi, Bruce Lietzke, John Lister, Bob Lunn, Mark Lye, Bob Mann, Graham Marsh, Fred Marti, Rik Massengale, Gary McCord, Mike McCullough, Mark McCumber, Pat McGowan, Mac McLendon, Artie McNickle, Steve Melnyk, Lee Mikles, Allen Miller, Johnny Miller, Lindy Miller, Jeff Mitchell, Florentino Molina, Orville Moody, Gil Morgan, Mike Morley, Bob Murphy, Jim Nelford, Larry Nelson, Jack Newton, Jack Nicklaus, Andy North, Peter Oosterhuis, Arnold Palmer, Alan Pate, Jerry Pate, Eddie Pearce, Calvin Peete, Mark Pfeil, Gary Player, Don Pooley, Greg Powers, Tom Purtzer, Victor Regalado, Mike Reid, Jack Renner, Chi Chi Rodriguez, Bill Rogers, Ed Sabo, Cesar Sanudo, John Schroeder, Bob Shearer, Jim Simons, Scott Simpson, Tim Simpson, J. C. Snead, Ed Sneed, Craig Stadler, Dave Stockton, Curtis Strange, Ron Streck, Mike Sullivan, Alan Tapie, Barney Thompson, Leonard Thompson, Jim Thorpe, Lee Trevino, Howard Twitty, Bobby Wadkins, Lanny Wadkins, Bobby Walzel, Tom Watson, D. A. Weibring, Tom Weiskopf, Carlton White, Bob Wynn, Kermit Zarley, Bob Zender, Larry Ziegler, Fuzzy Zoeller

Round summaries

First round

Thursday, March 22, 1979

PlacePlayerScoreTo par
1United States Kermit Zarley66−6
T2United States Jack Nicklaus67−5
United States Andy North
United States Lanny Wadkins
T5United States Don January68−4
United States Gil Morgan
Canada Jim Nelford
United States Ron Streck
T9United States Brad Bryant69−3
United States Danny Edwards
United States Ed Fiori
Canada Dan Halldorson
United States Phil Hancock
United States Billy Kratzert
United States Wayne Levi
United States Lindy Miller
Australia Jack Newton
United States Jerry Pate
United States Tim Simpson
United States Dave Stockton

Source:[7]

Second round

Friday, March 23, 1979

PlacePlayerScoreTo par
1United States Lanny Wadkins67-68=135−9
2United States George Burns72-66=138−6
T3Canada Dan Halldorson69-70=139−5
United States Billy Kratzert69-70=139
United States Lee Trevino70-69=139
T6United States Ed Fiori69-71=140−4
United States Mark McCumber70-70=140
United States Jack Nicklaus67-73=140
T9United States Wayne Levi69-72=141−3
United States Andy North67-74=141
United States Dave Stockton69-72=141

Source:[5]

Third round

Saturday, March 24, 1979

PlacePlayerScoreTo par
1United States Lanny Wadkins67-68-76=211−5
T2United States George Burns72-66-76=214−2
United States Billy Kratzert69-70-75=214
United States Jack Renner73-70-71=214
United States Lee Trevino70-69-75=214
6United States Gary Koch70-72-74=216E
T5United States Phil Hancock69-73-75=217+1
United States Andy North67-74-76=217
Mexico Victor Regalado70-74-73=217
United States Tom Watson70-72-75=217

Source:[8]

Final round

Sunday, March 25, 1979

Champion
(c) = past champion
PlacePlayerScoreTo parMoney ($)
1United States Lanny Wadkins67-68-76-72=283−572,000
2United States Tom Watson70-72-75-71=288E43,200
3United States Jack Renner73-70-71-75=289+127,200
4United States Phil Hancock69-73-75-74=291+319,200
T5United States Billy Kratzert69-70-75-79=293+514,600
United States Wayne Levi69-72-77-75=293
United States Lee Trevino70-69-75-79=293
8United States Andy Bean72-73-74-75=294+612,400
T9United States Jay Haas71-74-74-76=295+710,800
United States Tom Kite72-73-75-75=295
Australia Jack Newton69-74-77-75=295

Source:[9]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Lanny Wadkins plays 'best ever,' wins". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. March 26, 1979. p. 17.
  2. 1 2 "Wadkins' effort leaves field in awe". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). wire services. March 26, 1979. p. 7D.
  3. ↑ "Wadkins wins Players golf". Chicago Tribune. wire services. March 26, 1979. p. 4, sec. 5.
  4. 1 2 Jenkins, Dan (April 2, 1979). "Lanny's a two-time winner". Sports Illustrated. p. 24.
  5. 1 2 "Wadkins beats the wind to grab 3-stroke TPC lead". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). UPI. March 24, 1979. p. 2B.
  6. ↑ "1979 PGA Tour Media Guide" (PDF). PGA Tour. p. 218. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 24, 2020.
  7. ↑ "Jack says he's 'back' and a 67 proves it". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. March 23, 1979. p. 6D.
  8. ↑ "Wadkins keeps star's role in a pro golf horror shoe". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. March 25, 1979. p. 6E.
  9. ↑ "Past Results 1974 – present". PGA Tour. Archived from the original on September 1, 2020. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
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